Caterpillar Pre-School of Battle Baptist Church

Caterpillar Pre-School of Battle Baptist Church Battle Baptist Church, Mount Street, BATTLE, East Sussex, TN33 0EG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/01/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The key person system is extremely successful. The nurturing staff team sensitively supports children's emotional well-being. As a result, children gain excellent self- esteem.  The pre-school supports children's communication and language development exceptionally well. Staff consistently use open-ended questions and give children time to answer.  Processes to monitor children's progress is very thorough. They identify and quickly address any gaps in children's achievements. As a result, children make significant and continual progress from their starting points.  Staff obtain excellent details about individual learning needs to ensure they support those early years children who attend after school, exceptionally well. This means that children's ongoing progression is skilfully promoted.  Partnership working is a particular strength of the pre-school. This ensures that all children's individual needs are competently met. Excellent communication between

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This provision is outstanding

parents and all parties involved with children's development ensures a consistent approach.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the play rooms and the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager of the pre-school and completed a joint observation.  The inspector looked at a sample of children's records, including assessment.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of safeguarding practices, staff recruitment, ongoing professional development and self-evaluation processes.

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Information about the setting

Caterpillar Pre-School opened in 1985 and re-registered as a charity run group in 2012. It operates from within Battle Baptist Church and has its own dedicated playroom with regular use of the main church hall and occasionally use of other facilities in the premises. Children have access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area. There is a lift for accessing he disabled toilet facilities on the first floor. The pre-school is open Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 3pm during school term time. They provide out of school care between 3pm and 5.30pm for children aged from two to eight years. The pre-school occasionally runs a summer holiday club for children.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 58 children aged from two years on roll, of these 50 are in the early years age range. The pre-school occasionally runs a summer holiday club for children up to the age of eight years. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are seven members of staff, and all hold appropriate early years qualifications to National Vocational Qualification at level 3. The manager has completed a Foundation Degree in Early Years. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance the range of natural items indoors for children to investigate and explore.

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who attend

Children make excellent progress in their learning with a staff team who are highly motivated and have a clear understanding of how children learn. The pre-school obtain a wealth of information from parents when children start to help assess starting points. This also ensures that staff know about any additional need or particular concern. The staff are extremely good at observing and assessing children. They carefully consider each child's next steps against expected development milestones using 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage'. A key person uses this detail very effectively in completing the progress checks for two-year-olds, with thorough and informative reports given to parents. Regularly updated documentation means that all staff are always aware of each child's next steps. This means that any observations they record as children play, are focused and meaningful to the key person for completing children's files.

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who attend

Throughout the day, the staff engage children continuously in different activities. They let children take the lead, while significantly promoting children's levels of concentration by introducing new ideas or resources. On one table, a small group of children are keen to explore the corn flour and water mix. They become more engrossed as other resources appear, such as scoops, cooked spaghetti and bun trays. They develop their physical skills as they use the resources, for example spooning the mixture into the small trays. Particular attention by staff enables children of all abilities to take part and have fun. Children come together in small key person groups daily for a short activity. This may focus on a particular child's next step, but involve all children. Children look forward to this focused time with their key person and many happy discussions occur.

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who attend

The pre-school meet children's communication and language development exceptionally well. Staff use open-ended questions consistently and give children time to think before they reply. Children are extremely confident and keen to talk, as they know that what they say is always valued. By using detail from the 'Every child a talker' approach, key persons are able to involve parents in helping to assess and support their child's development. Parent contributions to children's assessment records are welcome and the staff team try different methods to engage and involve all parents. The toy library is proving a great motivational success. Parents sign up to borrow an activity bag. This includes ideas on how to use the activity with children and to complete an observation sheet. The pre-school is highly effective in helping children gain the skills they need for their future learning and entry to school.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

A particular strength of the pre-school is a highly effective and nurturing key person system. All staff are exceptionally skilled at sensitively helping children settle and develop secure emotional attachments. Consequently, children quickly develop excellent independence skills, are inquisitive and keen to explore. The relationships children gain are extremely useful in dealing with any existing behavioural issues. The staff quickly help children to resolve any disputes and children increasingly show high levels of self-control. Children develop exceptionally positive physical and emotional well-being. The bonds that key persons have with children are successfully used when children are about to move onto school.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The staff are excellent at encouraging children to be independent and make decisions. This may be whether they want to play outdoors or getting a young child to turn on the computer themselves. As a result, children confidently make choices about their play, happily choosing the resources they want to use. Two children use their imaginations at the craft table as they create collages, freely using the different materials and safely managing the glue and scissors. The pre-school ensures that the outside area, although not extensive, is challenging and thoroughly encourages learning in all areas. This is found to be particularly beneficial to those children who are more comfortable with learning outside. By providing wet weather clothing and some outside cover, children are able to use the area in all weathers. Indoors, children make excellent use of the resources and confidently take them from boxes and trays around the room. They have named trays

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

where they can keep personal items or pictures to take home. The pre-school provides a highly welcoming and stimulating environment with resources that promote effective learning. However, there are fewer natural items indoors for children to investigate.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children gain a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe as they practise road crossing and fire evacuations drills. They manage their personal care needs exceptionally well. They know to wash their hands before choosing to have their snack and are regularly seen taking drinks from the water dispenser. Snack times are social occasions and children learn skills such as cutting, spreading or pouring. Children bring packed lunches that are stored in the fridge to prevent them spoiling. Parents receive a helpful leaflet about promoting good eating habits and providing useful advice about healthy lunch box contents. Children develop exceptionally positive physical and emotional well-being.

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provision

The pre-school management team and staff work extremely well together with strong communication systems in place. Safeguarding is taken very seriously with staff having a secure awareness of possible child protection concerns and of the processes to follow. All staff attend safeguarding training and partnerships are in place with the relevant people to fully support children's continuing welfare. Risk assessments are in place and help to keep children safe, although the staff are very experienced in letting children take safe risks. The manager has an excellent awareness of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and the pre-school meets them extremely well. Detailed written policies and procedures explain the pre-school's responsibilities and practices to parents and others. The manager asks parents to read the policies to ensure they are 'user friendly' and clearly understood. Management and staff take parent views very seriously when considering changes or

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provision

improvements. For example, parents' views are sought following the introduction of the activity bags. As well as verbal discussions, the pre-school sends questionnaires out twice a year with feedback evaluated and action taken as appropriate.

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provision

There is a comprehensive recruitment process in place to help ensure the suitability of staff and new staff follow a full induction process. The supervision and appraisal systems place a strong emphasis on each staff member's own professional development. There are regular staff meetings and training opportunities are constantly available. The manager carries out observations and evaluates staff practice, and welcomes staff feedback on her own performance. Management and staff have an excellent awareness of their strengths and areas to improve are consistently evolving to maintain the high levels of achievement. Although recently registered to reflect the provisions charity status, the pre-school is well established, and the team demonstrate an extremely strong capacity to sustain improvement.

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provision

There is an outstanding understanding of the learning and development requirements. There is continual monitoring of children's achievements by key persons and overseen by the manager. This means that they quickly identify and plan to narrow any gaps in children's learning. All parents engage well with the pre-school and this goes a long way in supporting children's ongoing progress. There are highly positive working relationships with other early years settings where children attend. This is extremely successful in providing consistency and promoting children's learning and development. Developing partnerships with local schools has meant that staff are fully aware of the learning needs for children who attend after school. Communication with other agencies is vitally beneficial in supporting the children who need additional support. Consequently, partnership working is highly effective and the pre-school is very inclusive.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY446923 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 807857 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 58 Name of provider Caterpillar Pre-School of Battle Baptist Church Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01424774997

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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