Longthorpe Preschool

Longthorpe Preschool Longthorpe Cp School, Bradwell Road, PETERBOROUGH, PE3 9QW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/03/2013 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children benefit from a broad range of age-appropriate indoor activities and resources that promote their independence and support their learning needs well.  The quality of the adults' interactions with the children, and their enthusiasm and motivation enhance children's enjoyment and confidence. Consequently, all children make good progress in their learning and development.  Partnerships with parents are strong and contribute well to children's sense of safety and security. As a result, they play confidently and enjoy good relationships with staff.  Management and staff work together as a cohesive and successful team to ensure that children receive good quality learning experiences in a safe and stimulating environment.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The outdoor areas do not fully embrace children's explorations of the natural environment through planting and growing or investigating the weather, for example, by using streamers, windmills, chimes and bubbles.  Examples of multiple languages and scripts that help children learn about and understand each other's similarities and differences are not plentiful.

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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 had discussions with the manager and the chairperson of the committee. A selection of documents were checked including registration forms, registers and policies and procedures.  The inspector observed the children at play, both indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed children's learning records and spoke with their key persons at convenient times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with a number of parents and read their comments to gain an understanding of their opinions about the provision.

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Information about the setting

Longthorpe Preschool was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school is a registered charity, managed by a voluntary committee and is located at the Longthorpe County Primary School in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. There is an enclosed outdoor area and children have use of the wider school grounds. There are currently 35 children on roll aged between three- and five-years-old including a small number of children who have English as an additional language. The pre-school provides early years funding for eligible three- and four-year-olds.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is open four days a week, during school term times. Sessions are from 9am to 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 9am to 12.30pm on a Friday. The pre-school also operates wrap-around care for older children attending the school. Opening times for wrap-around care are Tuesday to Friday, 8am to 8.45am; Tuesday to Thursday, 3.30pm to 5.30pm and Friday, 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs six staff. Of these, two hold early years qualifications at level 3 and two at level 2. Two members of staff are working towards qualifications at level 2. The same committee operates another setting close-by, which caters for the younger children aged between two- and three-years-old. The pre-school is a member of the Pre- school Learning Alliance.

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

 enhance the outdoor area to extend children's opportunities to learn about the natural environment, for example, through planting and growing or watching the effects of weather on streamers, windmills, chimes and bubbles

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

 raise children's awareness of each other's similarities and differences by enhancing the environment so it is rich in displays and labels that show many examples of different languages and scripts.

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who attend

Staff base the daily planning on their careful observations of activities that interest individual children. They ensure there is a wide range of useful resources always available so children make independent choices about their play. For example, there is a wide range of art and craft materials readily available so children can express their imaginations. Staff record children's achievements consistently and assess their learning frequently to ensure each child makes good progress according to their individual needs. Parents have daily access to their children's learning records, and make their own contributions on a regular basis, so are sharing learning at home. This gives staff a holistic understanding of children's learning needs, enabling them to plan and teach effectively for the next steps in their learning. Staff proactively plan for children's entry into school as they encourage children to develop their practical skills, such as putting on their own coats and shoes for

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who attend

Older children show a good understanding of writing for a purpose. They use their clipboards and pencils to record how many numbers they can see outdoors, and add their names to the waiting list for the computer. All the children thoroughly enjoy small and large group story times, and eagerly look through home-made books that record their outings and visits in photographs. Staff encourage spontaneous reading, and respond positively to children who want to share a story one-to-one. Children busy themselves in the role play area; they dress up as popular story characters, and stir pretend fruit in a toy saucepan to make lunch for themselves and their friends. They extend their own play confidently, for instance, they help themselves to carrier bags holding craft materials and use them for a pretend shopping trip, where they buy raisins and chocolate. Children develop a good understanding of early technology as they freely access a computer, play

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who attend

with programmable toys and independently use measures and timers.

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who attend

Staff engage children well in meaningful conversations to effectively develop their communication and language. They sit with them to support their learning and ask them questions that encourage them to think, for example, considering what their home-made candles are made from and why they are useful. When children make flowers from a small construction set, adults admire them, and extend children's interest by asking about the colour and scent of their pretend flowers. Staff encourage children to share each other's experiences to develop their understanding of their differences and similarities. For example, they talk about who brings them to pre-school and how did they travel. Children compare travelling by bicycle and car, and laugh when an adult says they arrived in a rocket ship. They learn about other lifestyles and cultures in practical ways, as they taste foods from other countries and celebrate each other's traditions. Children see photographs

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who attend

of themselves and their families displayed to promote their self-esteem. However, opportunities to see their own and each other's languages through books, labels and displays are not fully developed.

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

Strong partnerships with parents help to ensure children manage their transitions from home or other settings well. Home visits, made by the children's key person, give staff a good opportunity to get to know the children in their family environment. Children show they have trusting relationships with staff; they have good self-esteem and are very happy and confident. Staff encourage children to learn good behaviour through good role modelling and gentle reminders about positive, sharing behaviour. Older children are particularly good at taking turns and independently use sand timers to help them achieve this. Well-established partnerships with the feeder school, and other schools in the locality, help to ensure children are well-prepared for their entry into school.

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

The pre-school is well organised with a broad range of age-appropriate equipment easily available. Routines are flexible, enabling children to persevere in their chosen activities and finish what they are doing. This helps children to be ready for the next stage in their learning. Free-flow play into the outdoor area is encouraged throughout most of the session, which means children have ample opportunities for fresh air and exercise. The outdoor area has stimulating activities that promote children's physical development well. Children enjoy active play using trikes and scooters; they play in the sand and enjoy using chalks to make marks. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to investigate the natural world, for example, through planting and growing or using streamers, windmills and bubbles to investigate the effects of some weather.

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

Staff support children well to learn about healthy lifestyles and keep themselves safe. Children help with food preparation, and use efficient safety knives with confidence. They have good conversations with adults about fresh fruit and vegetables and the beneficial effect on their bodies. A sports coach comes in regularly to teach them about ball and hoop skills, developing their interest in active play in enjoyable ways. Children have a good awareness of appropriate safety precautions, for example, they know the cleaning fluid used to wipe the tables is 'a chemical' and, therefore, not safe for them to touch. They practise the fire drill regularly and help adults check the premises for hazards. As a result, they learn good, practical skills that support their future development.

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provision

Procedures for safeguarding children effectively promote children's safety and welfare. Staff show a good understanding of child protection issues and undertake regular training to update their knowledge. Robust vetting processes help to ensure adults are safe and suitable to work with the children. New staff and students are mentored and supported well to ensure they understand their roles and responsibilities. All staff work together effectively to carry out risk assessments and ensure children play in a safe and secure play environment.

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provision

The manager and her team show a good understanding of their responsibilities to promote the welfare and learning of all children. They work together as a close and cohesive team to ensure children enjoy effective support that promotes their progress and development well. Staff morale is high and they work with enthusiasm and clear enjoyment. This helps to ensure children are motivated and equally enthusiastic learners. Observations and assessments of children's achievements are closely monitored and tracked to ensure each child makes the best progress they can, given their starting points. As a result, all children make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

Staff performance is monitored and managed thoroughly to ensure individual skills are recognised and utilised to ensure all children have the support they need. The manager and the staff share their ideas and good practice in order to develop the provision further. They collect the views of parents and children to form an action plan that prioritises areas for development. Recommendations made at the inspection of their sister setting have been successfully applied at this setting to improve information sharing with parents. This demonstrates a clear desire to further promote effective outcomes for all children.

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provision

Staff have good partnerships with parents that effectively support children's care and learning. Parents spoken to at the inspection speak highly of the staff and say their children enjoy attending the setting. All parents receive individually tailored newsletters that tell them about their children's interests and achievements in pre-school. Comprehensive policies and procedures are shared with parents, so that they are well informed about the provision. Relationships with the feeder school are strong; the manager meets with early years teachers and the head of the school to further establish two-way communication. Consequently, support for both the pre-school children and those attending the out of school provision, helps to ensure there is consistency of learning. Partnerships with other agencies, such as the local authority special educational needs advisors, ensures that appropriate interventions are sought for children with special

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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 EY446426 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 885600

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Longthorpe Preschool Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01733265959

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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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