Wise Owls Pre-School

Wise Owls Pre-School The Village Hall, East Street, Lacock, CHIPPENHAM, Wiltshire, SN15 2LF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/03/2013 12/05/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 A well-established key person system helps children form secure attachments so they become confident, independent individuals.  Children make good progress in language, physical, personal, social and emotional development so they gain the skills they will need as they move on to school.  Staff provide a wide range of interesting activities and make good use of visits in their locality so that children are motivated and eager to learn.

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It is not yet good because

 The organisation of documentation is weak so that not all important records are easily accessible and available for inspection.  Although parents are generally well informed about their child's progress, they do not have sufficient guidance to help them support their children's learning at home.

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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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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 two sessions of play in the main play room, adjacent hall and outside area. The inspector undertook a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff and members of the committee at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at planning and children's assessment records and discussed these with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled policies and other documentation, including children's records, the safeguarding procedures, behaviour management policy, risk assessments and notes from meetings with the early years advisor.  The inspector sought the views of several parents during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Wise Owls Pre-School has been operating for over 30 years from the village hall in Lacock, Wiltshire. It is a committee run pre-school, run as a charity. The pre-school has use of the manor room, associated toilet and kitchen facilities and an enclosed outdoor area. It also uses the main hall for physical activities. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school cares for children from the age of two years to under five years and currently has 15 children on roll. Children aged three and four years are funded for free early education. There are two members of staff who are employed; both hold early years qualifications at level 3.

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must:

 ensure records are easily available and accessible for inspection, with particular reference to staff suitability checks and the record of complaints.

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

 involve parents further in their children's learning, for example, by providing information about how they can support their children's learning at home, especially children who are receiving additional support to help close gaps in their learning

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who attend

Staff have a secure understanding of what children need to learn and how to support their learning through play. They provide a range of interesting activities and interact well with children so that they make good progress overall. Since the last inspection, the staff have made better use of mobile storage units so that children have ready access to a wider range of resources, which they can choose for themselves. This means they can play imaginatively and develop their own ideas. For example, children playing with the sand, fetch model animals and cars to extend their play.

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who attend

Staff use children's interests and ideas to plan activities. These sometimes follow a theme enabling them to explore a topic in greater depth. Staff help children build on what they already know, develop new ideas and skills, and increase their knowledge of the world. Children have enjoyed learning about animals and some have brought in pets to show the group. After watching gerbils play, children were inspired to use tunnels in their pretend play. They design creatively and use a wide range of materials and tools with skill, to make props, such as animal masks and tails for their imaginative play. They play cooperatively, sharing ideas and taking turns as they drape material to make caves. They move in different ways and learn new vocabulary, as they 'slither' like snakes or 'stalk' like tigers.

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who attend

Staff monitor children's progress carefully, by regularly noting their achievements and writing observations in their individual developmental folders. Staff complete a summary of children's development twice each year and share this with parents. This highlights any gaps in the children's learning and enables staff to monitor the educational programme. Staff routinely discuss children's interests and progress and use this to plan what individual children need to learn each week. They know that children learn in different ways and plan for this. They provide 'squirty bottles' for children to make marks and patterns outside, that especially appeals to the boys. It helps them develop pre-writing skills in a fun, active way.

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who attend

Staff provide additional support when needed so that all children progress well given their starting points. One member of staff has received training in promoting children's language and she uses a systematic programme of activities to give targeted help to individual children. Parents share information from home with the staff, such as completing weekend diaries with the children. Staff use these to encourage children to talk to the rest of the group about things they have been doing. It builds their confidence and develops their speech. Staff keep parents well informed of their children's progress but they do not always give them sufficient guidance to support their children's learning at home, especially those who need additional support.

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who attend

Staff use practical activities to extend children's learning in all areas. Children skilfully roll pizza dough, describing the shapes they make and the texture as 'soft' or 'squidgy'. They carefully cut vegetables and use them creatively to make animal faces, counting out the number of pieces they need. After cooking, they notice the delicious smell and look forward to taking them home for tea; 'I'm going to share this with my sister' a child proudly announces. Children make good progress in speaking and communicating. Staff have attended the recognised 'Letters and Sounds' training, and they use the programme effectively to help children develop pre-reading skills. The younger children listen carefully to different percussion sounds they make outside, whilst older and children that are more able begin to link initial sounds in words to letters. They are developing the skills they will need as they move onto school.

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

Children form close bonds with the long-established staff who know the children and their families well. Staff place a firm emphasis on developing children's personal, social and emotional skills. They offer a great deal of praise and encouragement. They give additional support to the younger or less confident children, so that children become self- assured and highly independent individuals. Children behave very well and are kind and considerate towards each other and older children frequently help the younger ones. They show them how to wash their hands and how to snap them like a crocodile. Children learn to value differences and celebrate each other's cultures.

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

The pre-school make good use of their historically interesting locality so that children feel part of the community. The children decorate their own tree for the community display and have fun hunting for Easter eggs at the nearby Abbey. They are inspired by a sculpture display set amongst a mass of crocuses and return with photographs to paint and build pictures and models using their own ideas.

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

Children develop a good understanding of the importance of exercise and a healthy diet. They enjoy freshly prepared nutritious snacks and learn more about healthy options through cooking activities. Parents sometimes cook special dishes from different countries with them. They grow and harvest a few vegetables and sometimes visit chickens and an allotment in the village. This deepens their interest in where food comes from and how to eat healthily. Children become highly proficient at managing their own hygiene and personal needs and this growing independence stands them in good stead when they move to school. Children are physically active each day and staff talk with them about the benefits of exercise and keeping fit. They especially enjoy a structured exercise programme, where even the more timid children join in enthusiastically. The pre-school are currently redesigning the outdoor play area to offer wider play opportunities, which

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

will benefit all the children. As children explore their environment, they develop an understanding of risk, and how to keep themselves safe. They routinely practise fire drills and learn road safety on walks through the village, when they know they must hold the 'walking rope'.

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provision

The management committee and staff generally have a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They meet these well in most areas, although organisation of some documentation is weak. Management have recently changed and this has caused some disruption to the smooth running of the group. A member of the committee has advanced child protection training and she takes the lead in this area. Staff have also received child protection training and they are clear about what to do if they have concerns about a child's well-being. They have thoroughly assessed the risks to which children may be exposed, both in the setting and on the numerous outings they undertake. They have taken appropriate steps to minimise any hazards and keep children safe. The committee use rigorous recruitment procedures to check that staff are safe and suitably trained and experienced to work with

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provision

children. However, at inspection, they were unable to locate staff records to verify this, which is a requirement. Parents are clearly informed of the procedure for making a complaint about the provision. However, the management and staff were unable to locate the record of complaints, which is also a requirement. The staff and committee welcome support from the local authority early years team. They act on advice and recommendations from previous inspections to make improvements to the pre-school, especially for the educational provision. Since the last inspection, the pre- school has responded to some weaknesses. This has lead to improved teaching, a safer and better-organised learning environment and more accurate assessment of children's progress. Management and staff have been working towards a recognised accreditation scheme for some time. They have made some progress towards gaining this and staff are

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provision

now taking greater ownership for monitoring the provision. They take account of the views of parents, staff and children. They identify what they do well and target some areas for future development, such as the outdoor area. A member of the committee carries out staff appraisals each year, to help recognise the strengths of each member of staff and identify areas where further training may be beneficial.

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provision

Parents comment very positively about the pre-school and in particular the individual care that their children receive. They say their children enjoy attending and benefit from the range of activities. They feel well informed about their children's learning and are happy with the progress they make. The pre-school has good links with the schools that children will move on to, especially the local school, where the majority will attend. They share information with the reception teachers and this helps prepare children well for their move into school. They also work closely with other professionals and external agencies to meet children's learning and care needs.

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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 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 199483 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 905828

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 7 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 15 Name of provider Wise Owls Pre-School Date of previous inspection 12/05/2011 Telephone number 07984 386948

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Type of provision

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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