Little Stars Pre School at Emmanuel Church

Little Stars Pre School at Emmanuel Church Emmanuel Church Hall, Shepherds Lane, Stoughton, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 9SJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/03/2013 02/03/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2

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This provision is good

 Children have fun as they play and learn in this caring, happy and safe pre-school.  Staff provide many interesting and motivating activities that engage children. This supports their good progress in most areas of learning.  Children have good opportunities to develop independence, to make choices about what they do and to develop their own ideas.  Strong relationships and good communication between staff and families support the children to feel confident and safe when they are at pre-school.  The individual needs of children are supported well.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always use the full range of information about children's learning to evaluate the impact of the pre-school's provision.

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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's play and staff interaction, indoors and outside.  The inspector and manager undertook a joint observation of a teaching activity.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with staff, some parents and the committee chairperson, and held discussions with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation including a representative sample of children's records, the setting's Ofsted self-evaluation form, notes from local authority personnel and staff suitability records.

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Information about the setting

Little Stars Pre-School at Emmanuel Church has been established since 1976 but was known as Emmanuel Playgroup until January 2004. The pre-school operates from the Parish Centre of Emmanuel Church in Stoughton, Guildford and serves the local community and surrounding areas. Opening times are five mornings per week from 9.15am to 12.15pm, with an optional lunch club until 1pm, term time only. Children have access to an open plan area that can be divided into two rooms and a fully enclosed outdoor play area. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register, and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 34 children aged under five years on roll. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children who have English as an additional language. There are seven members of staff of which six have an appropriate early years qualification. One staff

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Information about the setting

member is currently undertaking qualification training. The setting receives support from the Early Years Childcare Service.

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

 develop further the process of self-evaluation by using the full range of information about children's learning to evaluate the impact of the pre-school's provision in improving outcomes for children

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who attend

Children enjoy coming to pre-school because they are made to feel welcome by the friendly staff who greet them warmly as they arrive. Careful observations of the children as they play help staff to get to know the children well and to know what will interest them. They plan some exciting and interesting activities that engage the children. Staff support the children skilfully to develop and learn as they play. Good questioning by staff helps the children to extend their thinking, such as when they explore the effect distance has on torch beams shining on the wall. Staff are observant and thoughtfully and playfully interact with children to demonstrate how to do something or to model language or behaviour.

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who attend

Children's communication and language is well supported through frequent opportunities to share books and stories in small groups and through the many incidental conversations that staff and children enjoy with one another. Children learning English as an additional language are expertly supported to gain new vocabulary and to develop confidence to use English as they play with their friends. Children are encouraged to write their names and to practise writing at a variety of activities when they use chalks, pens, crayons and paints. Their handwriting skills and physical development are also supported by activities, such as threading and using tweezers, to strengthen muscles and to develop manipulation and hand control. Children's good mathematical development is supported as they sort, organise and order magnetic numerals. Staff find spontaneous opportunities in the daily routines for children to carefully count items such as putting out cups and knives at snack

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who attend

time. Children enjoy using the computer and are competent when they use a mouse to control and complete the programmes.

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who attend

Good and varied opportunities throughout the session effectively help children to develop their imaginations and their art and design skills. Children choose from a range of adhesives and collage materials to make their own pictures and designs and also to complete Easter cards. Dressing up and role play are popular with the children and a group of children put on helmets and rush off to sort out 'an emergency in the garden'. They discuss how they will resolve the imaginary difficulty whist another group outside create a train out of a row of chairs and go on a journey to 'London Waterloo'.

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who attend

The good relationships and communication demonstrated by staff provide positive role models for the children who generally play very well with each other. They follow routines and take turns with resources and watch the timer to see when their turn on the computer is over. Staff are vigilant and anticipate potential conflict and sensitively intervene to model good ways to resolve and negotiate a solution. However children do not always cooperate fully when whole group instructions are given, for example, when it is time to tidy up. Overall, children are working at development levels typical for their age. They develop good skills and attitudes that will support their next steps in learning when they transfer to school.

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

Care, safety and well-being of the children are given high priority. Each member of staff has particular responsibility for a key group of children and this helps them to get to know the children well and to build positive relationships with their families. Safeguarding procedures are good and carried out efficiently. This helps to keep the children safe at pre-school. Children show that they feel safe when they come into pre-school happily and settle easily at activities with their friends. Warm and friendly relationships with staff help children to feel confident to approach and talk to the staff about what they need or what they are doing. Staff are successful at helping children develop good day-to-day hygiene habits, such as encouraging hand-washing before eating or after using the toilet.

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

Interesting displays of children's work show that children learn about healthy lifestyles and they can say what foods contribute to a healthy diet. Independence is promoted as younger children are shown how to put on their coats and are encouraged to do up zips for themselves. Most children are able to manage their personal needs themselves and staff work with younger children to help them become toilet trained.

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

Staff provide good role models and are very effective in helping children to develop good communication skills and to interact with each other well. When occasional upsets occur between children, staff are skilled at demonstrating good ways to resolve the problem; for example, by suggesting turn-taking or modelling ways to ask how to join in a game. Children's good conduct is supported by clear boundaries for acceptable behaviour and children can talk about why they need to walk inside and how to use equipment with care. This helps children to develop thoughtful behaviour and to be considerate with resources and one another.

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

Many activities throughout the pre-school are organised and prepared to encourage children to be able to make choices and to think for themselves. This is very effective in supporting their curiosity and thinking. Children learn to cooperate and share resources well and generally develop good personal, social and emotional skills, which will prepare them well for school. There is good communication between pre-school and local primary schools and they work together to support a positive programme as children move on to their reception classes.

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provision

The recently appointed manager has promptly identified the pre-school's strengths and areas for development and has implemented some successful changes to the daily routines that provide more opportunities for children to develop confidence and independence. Staff, at all levels, have a good understanding of the areas of learning and their competent and lively interactions with children demonstrate that they have a good understanding about how children learn.

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provision

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and implement these effectively, for example when they make daily safety checks of the space and equipment. The pre-school's management committee ensure that all recruitment procedures are carefully followed so that they appoint suitable staff. A good working relationship between the management committee and the manager helps to make certain that resources are sufficient and fit for purpose.

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provision

Effective systems to observe and assess levels of development along with parents' comments about their children all contribute to good individual records. This range of information helps staff to plan and prepare activities that support and challenge children's learning and meet their individual needs. Records to track the progress individual children make are in place but the pre-school does not always make full use of this information to evaluate areas of strength or gaps in provision.

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provision

There are established systems to support the professional development of all staff and training is targeted according to the needs of individual staff as well as meeting the development priorities of the pre-school. Families are able to share their views of the pre- school through a questionnaire and through daily communication with the pre-school staff. Parents speak positively about the pre-school and express approval of the recent developments. Typically they say that they value the recent improvements in communication and the way the pre-school has recognised and effectively supported children's particular needs. They feel that staff are 'in tune with children' and 'go the extra mile' for them. Parents feel that they can approach staff to express concerns and to ask for help.

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provision

The development plan identifies appropriate priorities and the manager, along with her deputy, are working effectively with the staff team to promote developments to provision and practice. They use the support from the local authority well to help them develop practice and take time to reflect on the effectiveness of changes they make. They are not afraid to admit when things do not go as well as they expected and to try another strategy, such as their plans for 'tidy up time'. This reflective and evaluative approach to development illustrates the determination of the leadership to improve the achievement for all the children through the development of consistently high quality provision.

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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 120020 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 813590 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider Emmanuel Church P.C.C Date of previous inspection 02/03/2011 Telephone number 07789355776

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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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