Abbey Pre-School

Abbey Pre-School Abbey Childrens Centre, High Path, LONDON, SW19 2JY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/03/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2

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This provision is good

 The preschool is exceptionally well resourced to inspire children's independence, creativity and thinking skills.  Staff use effective strategies to encourage children's listening and attention skills. This gives children the confidence to practise their language skills.  Children's wellbeing is exceptionally well supported through the promotion of healthy eating, provision for outdoor play and success of the key person system in securing strong emotional attachments with children.  High levels of engagement between staff and parents, and the levels of parental involvement in children's learning, contribute significantly to the good outcomes for children.  Leadership is strong and effective in driving improvement. There are good performance management procedures in place. Staff meet regularly to review and plan to ensure children's individual needs are consistently supported.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not take children on outings. This means that although children have access to toys, books and role-play representing community life, they do not have the benefit of first-hand experiences to support their learning.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main play room and garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had discussions with the manager of the children's centre, the preschool supervisor and the head teacher via telephone during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector undertook joint observations with the preschool supervisor in the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documents including children's records, some safeguarding procedures, the parent handbook, and the preschool's self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection, taking account of their views.

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Information about the setting

Abbey Pre-School registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register. The preschool is based in one room in Abbey Children's Centre, which is situated on the site of Merton Abbey Primary School, in the London Borough of Merton. The preschool room has direct access to an enclosed outdoor play area as well as use of the school playing field. The children's centre has a parents' room and offers a range of services to local families. The preschool offers morning sessions to children aged from two to three years who are in receipt of government funding for early education and who live in the immediate community. Children all attend five sessions per week between 9am and 12pm. There are currently 16 children on roll. The preschool supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language. Four staff are employed to work with the children. Three members of staff hold a level 3 early years qualification and

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Information about the setting

one has a level 2 qualification and is working towards achieving level 3.

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

 Support children's learning further by introducing outings into the educational programme, for example, take children on visits to the local community so that they can practise skills, learned in the nursery, in real life situations

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who attend

A team of experienced and highly dedicated staff support children's progress and development well. Activity planning is underpinned by staff's secure knowledge and understanding of the areas of learning and what children are expected to achieve for their age. Children are allocated to a key member of staff who assesses the children's starting points. Staff seek information from parents and external agencies involved with the children, and through the very well-established settling-in procedure. The key person uses the assessment information to address any gaps in children's development and to note areas in which children excel. This helps staff to plan so that children make good progress. Children, who have gaps in their achievement in one or more of the prime areas of learning, are making good progress. This is well demonstrated by the progress checks carried out on children after they have been attending for a few months. These are

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who attend

forwarded to children's health visitors and, where applicable, used to secure additional sources of help for children. Key to this success is the weekly planning which takes full account of children's individual interests and learning needs. Staff recognise bilingualism as an asset and promote the use of first languages to support the children's development of English. Staff use props and puppets, alongside language, to support children's understanding of stories and pictures, symbols and signing.

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who attend

Staff join in children's pretend play. The role play area is set up to represent everyday life, such as going to the hairdressing salon or the grocer's shop. Staff take on the role of customer, which children love. Staff encourage children to engage in conversation, for example, as they pay for their purchases using coins and a cash till, or weigh their fruit and vegetables. However, staff do not plan outings to support the children's learning. This makes it difficult for children to make the connections between their play and real life situations.. Staff observe children closely and step in when they recognise children need assistance or encouragement. For example, they help a child to find something to measure, using the retractable tape measure, and to make a book using scissors and sticky tape. Staff show children how to open and shut pegs using their forefinger and thumb and how to fix the pegs to the rim of their bowl. Children manipulate dough. They

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who attend

make patterns and marks, using their fingers and hands, in gooey and textured substances. These activities help children develop control of their small muscles. Children use their imagination well to interpret activities for themselves. For example, a child flattens and fills dough with raisins and then rolls it up to represent the type of food that they eat at home. For some children the pegs and bowls represent a flower, while for others it is a birthday cake.

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who attend

Parental involvement in children's learning is high. Parents are very well informed about their child's individual progress and are guided by staff as to how they can help children's progress through activities at home. For example, they help children to stick coloured pictures, showing the sequence of the 'story of the week', into a book. The week ends with a rhyme time session, which parents attend with the children. These sessions help parents to understand the importance of rhyming games and singing for the development of speech. Parents and children all participate enthusiastically as they playfully repeat and emphasise the sounds of words to each other.

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

The key person system is highly effective in supporting children's personal, social and emotional needs and establishing trusting relationships with parents. Staff visit their key children at home so that when children visit the preschool for the first time they are greeted by a familiar face. Staff are well informed about children's personal backgrounds. They help children separate from their parents through a gradual settling-in period. Staff use picture signs and symbols to help children to form secure emotional attachments more quickly. A picture timetable displays the daily routine. For example, it begins with a welcome symbol and ends with a parent and child symbol. After each activity, or routine change, children are asked to remove the symbol which shows them what is due to happen next. This is reassuring to children, especially those with English as an additional language. Staff are exceptionally skilled in their use of positive behaviour management

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

strategies. For example, a child with a love of a particular train book series is reminded that his favourite engine never pushes other engines, and that he has to be brave like another engine when he is finding turn-taking difficult. Children recognise and show pride in their own achievements. They purposefully seek out their key person to show off their work, for instance their 'pegged bowl'.

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

The environment is equipped with high-quality play and learning resources that are very attractively presented. For example, children build with real tree branch blocks of various sizes, shapes and thickness and they can use their senses to feel natural patterned grains on the larger pieces. Children play with a delightful range of realistic equipment in the role play areas, both inside and outside. Children practise road safety through role play, using the zebra crossing mat and lollipop person. Staff teach children how to use the control lever to navigate the forklift truck around the garden safely and remind children to stop at the zebra crossing to let the pedestrians cross.

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

Children make terrific progress in their self-care skills. They quickly become toilet trained and learn to put on their coat and shoes as they frequently move between the inside and outside. Children are encouraged to peel and cut their own fruit and pour their own drinks at snack time. If they find it difficult, for example to peel a banana, staff start it off and encourage the children to complete it. Children have great fun splashing in the puddles, which they know they are allowed to do because they have boots on. Children thoroughly enjoy making marks and patterns on a larger scale outdoors, for example using paint and chalks and ribbons in the air which encourages their upper arm strength. Children enjoy running on the spacious field and joining in group parachute games.

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

Parents are provided with an exceptionally high level of information and advice on child health, child care and child development issues. Staff make sure parents understand the importance and benefits to children of outdoor play so that parents strongly support all- weather play. One parent describes how the stimulating programme of activities, particularly outdoors, has rectified her child's sleep problems. The preschool's commitment to healthy eating is reflected in the breakfast club which operates on a Monday morning for parents and children to attend together. Children's emotional and physical health is exceptionally well supported in this high-quality environment. Children are well prepared for their transition to nursery school. The children's key person supports this by communicating well with the nursery school, for example, they forward the children's learning journey records and the progress check for two -year- olds.

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provision

The management team has worked hard to establish a high-quality provision for young children in a short period of time. Children's welfare is given high priority. Management and staff are experienced in caring for vulnerable children and are highly committed to closing the gaps in achievement for all children, in readiness for school. There are rigorous safeguarding procedures in place and staff understand their individual roles and responsibilities. Staff use risk assessments effectively to help to ensure the premises are secure and well maintained. All records and documentation required for the safe and efficient management of the preschool are in place and well maintained. The preschool's policies and procedures are comprehensively detailed, in writing. A summary of these is provided in a handbook for parents and this is given to them before children start attending.

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provision

Staff performance management systems are established and being used effectively to improve the outcomes for children. Leaders and managers are fully trained to deliver mentoring, coaching and supervision and to complete staff appraisals. Staff have good opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through training. For example, since registration staff have attended training in special educational needs and behaviour management for the designated lead persons, completing the two year progress check, working with vulnerable two year-olds, the Every Child A Talker (ECAT) course and involving parents in children's learning. Staff make very good use of the knowledge and skills they gain to improve their practice and outcomes for children.

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provision

Managers and leaders work closely together demonstrating a united approach to driving improvement. They evaluate their effectiveness in all areas against rigorous criteria. Staff closely monitor the quality of the educational programmes and planning for children's individual learning through weekly planning meetings and the supervision arrangements. Plans are in place to introduce peer observations, which provides opportunities for staff to observe, evaluate and learn from the quality of each other's practice. Improvements have been made recently to the organisation of snack time, and the 'take-a-book home scheme' has recently been launched. The team are very successful in encouraging parents to be involved in their children's learning. Parents report that they feel exceptionally well supported by the team. They give wide-ranging examples of how they have been helped through difficult periods and all report on the rapid progress that their children are

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provision

making. Parents make good use of the services offered, such as the breakfast club and rhyme time. They are well informed about their children's individual learning plans and the areas of learning. Future improvement plans include completing a parent survey, making plans for preparing children for the transition to nursery school, for example through visits, books and photographs, and continuing to introduce new strategies for supporting children's communication and language. The team work closely with a wide range of external agencies to support children and families and to secure any necessary intervention. This is a rapidly developing preschool with a strong capacity for improvement.

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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 action. 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 EY451407 Local authority Merton Inspection number 882383 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 16 Name of provider Merton Council (Merton Children School & Families) Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 02085434425

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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