Flamstead Village Pre-School

Flamstead Pre-School Flamstead Village Hall, Church Road, Flamstead, Hertfordshire, AL3 8BN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/01/2013 08/03/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 3 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 A lack of detail and specific guidance in policies and procedures mean that committee members are not fully aware of their responsibility in relation to reporting concerns about children's welfare.  Documents that confirm the suitability of staff to work with children are not easily accessible and available to all those who need to see them.  Curriculum planning does not always offer children enough opportunities to learn and develop in all areas of the education programme.  Self-evaluation does not fully address recommendations from previous inspections. This has a direct impact upon the quality of care provided for children.

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It has the following strengths

 Children generally settle well and form close relationships with the staff who care for them.  Children play well together and share resources, helping them to feel confident and secure in each other's company.

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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 children and staff during free play in the main hall of the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

 Children's development files were observed and their progressed discussed with key people.  The inspector looked at required documentation and policies and procedures.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and committee members.

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Information about the setting

Flamstead Pre-School is managed by trustees and was registered in 1993. It operates from two rooms in the village hall in Flamstead, near St Albans, Hertfordshire. The pre- school serves the local area and surrounding villages. It is accessible to all children and there is a small enclosed area available at the front of the church hall for outdoor play. The pre-school opens Monday to Thursday during school term times. Sessions are from 9.15am to 11.45am. There is an optional lunch club that runs until 1pm. Children from the village nursery can be collected to attend the lunch club on Tuesdays to Thursdays. Afternoon sessions are available on Tuesdays and Wednesday from 12pm until 3pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 17 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the

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Information about the setting

Childcare Register. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four- year-olds.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs four members of staff who work with the children. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one member of staff is working towards qualification. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 implement a policy and procedure to safeguard children in relation to: ensuring that all those involved in children's care know what action to take to report concerns about children's welfare; including an explanation of the action to be taken in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff  ensure that records that confirm the suitability of those working with children are easily available and accessible for all those who have the right or professional need to see them  improve the range of activities and experiences on offer for children in the areas of physical development and literacy by: providing greater opportunities for children to develop their large muscles by climbing, balancing, crawling and sliding and increasing stimulating resources for children to use to practise their early writing

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

 develop and review self-evaluation to fully address areas of recognised weakness and prioritise targets for improvement.

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who attend

The pre-school is bright and welcoming for children. However, resources available for children do not readily support their development in all required areas of the educational programme. For example, there are few resources available to encourage children to use their large muscles through activities such as climbing, balancing and sliding. This means that the pre-school does not fully support children's physical development. Areas for children to develop their early writing are uninspiring. As a result, children do not visit this area. As there is little opportunity to practise making marks through drawing and writing elsewhere in the pre-school, children do not have sufficient chances to develop literacy skills. This has an impact upon their readiness for school.

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who attend

Staff interact with children in ways that support their communication and language skills. Staff talk to children about their ideas and join them in their play. When children show an interest in imaginative play by pretending to be dogs, staff engage in their make-believe play. For example staff ask children what dogs would like for dinner and call them by the name they have chosen. This helps children to enjoy their play and makes them feel that their ideas are of value. Children gain a sense of security at the pre-school because they share resources and interact well together.

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who attend

Staff build links with children's home lives by encouraging them to bring something important with them to pre-school. Children then share these items during 'show and tell' sessions. This helps children to experience continuity and helps parents to further develop children's learning at home.

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who attend

Staff assess children's development through observations. Children's individual learning journals include photographs of children at play and samples of work. Staff can reliably discuss children's progress in relation to their age and stage of development. This means that they identify their next steps in their learning and plan some activities that help move them to progress.

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

Children behave well because staff give them clear guidance and explain to them why their behaviour at times, does not meet expectations. Staff remind children about safety by encouraging them to sit down on chairs and not throw resources across the table. This helps children to play and learn in an orderly environment.

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

Children gain an understanding of how to manage their own personal hygiene as they prepare for lunch by washing their hands. Staff model good hygiene by wearing gloves when changing nappies and washing their own hands at appropriate times. Children learn about healthy eating because staff sit with them at lunch times and talk to them about the food they eat. Children do not always have access to the outdoor area to support their physical development.

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

The key person system helps staff to identify children's individual needs. In turn, this helps children to feel secure in their care and strong relationships develop as a result. However, children develop a false sense of security because safeguarding procedures are not secure. Children generally separate from their main carer happily and staff support children at times when they need extra encouragement. This means that children move with some confidence between home and pre-school. The pre-school is an important part of the local community and forms close partnerships with local schools. This helps to prepare children for their move into formal education.

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

Children have a level of independence in the pre-school because they choose what they want to play with from boxes that have clear photographs and labels. Children begin to understand about responsibility as they help staff to tidy away toys.

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provision

Staff who work directly with children demonstrate an understanding of how to keep children safe. They carry out assessments of the areas where children play to identify risks. Suitable action is taken to minimise any risks found. Staff know the signs and symptoms that might lead them to be concerned about children's welfare. Those working directly children display an understanding of the action they would take should they have such a concern. However, the pre-school has not addressed weaknesses in their policies and procedures raised at the previous inspection. Policies and procedures relating to child protection are not detailed or specific enough. They are not suitable to fully inform all those who work with the pre-school of what course of action to take should they have concerns about children's well-being. Furthermore, explanations of the action to take if there is a concern about a member of staff are insufficient. Consequently, those newly

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provision

appointed to the committee are uncertain of their responsibilities and how to pass on concerns to external agencies. This has an impact upon children's safety.

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provision

The pre-school carries out suitability checks on those who work with children. However, the pre-school stores records of this on a computer that does not work reliably. For example, details about staff's and volunteers' criminal record checks are not accessible. Paper copies of required information are not suitably stored and become lost. For example, copies of staff certificates that provide evidence of their suitable qualifications are lost. This means that records are not easily accessible or available during inspection. This is a breach of legal requirement and further undermines the safety of children.

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provision

The pre-school's failure to address recommendations from the previous inspection demonstrates a lack of understanding of how to continue to bring about improvement for children. The pre-school uses some methods of evaluation to identify areas for improvement but these lack sharp focus upon issues of most importance. All staff and committee members have a desire to tackle areas of weakness and wish to improve upon the quality of care, but this has not been effective in developing practice. Staff are keen to develop their knowledge and skills and undertake further training to support this. Supervision of staff helps to create a happy working team. Regular appraisals identify staff training needs. The induction of new people on to the committee does not support members to be fully aware of their role. Consequently, this contributes to the weaknesses in the quality of the care and learning provided at the pre-school.

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provision

The pre-school works with others who provide care for children, and shares information about their learning. This helps to support children's progress as they experience consistency. Staff are aware of how to work with outside agencies when children require additional support should the need arise. Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents want to be part of the running of the pre-school because they value the care it provides for their children. They express that their children are happy and enjoy attending the pre- school.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 keep and implement a written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard the children being cared for from abuse or neglect.(Arrangements for safeguarding children)  keep and implement a written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard the children being cared for from abuse or neglect.(Arrangements for safeguarding children)

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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 129341 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 817865

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 17 Name of provider Flamstead Pre-School Date of previous inspection 08/03/2011 Telephone number 01582 849020

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Type of provision

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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