St Nicholas Pre School Playgroup Hurst

St Nicholas Pre-School Hurst The Small Village Hall, School Road, Hurst, READING, Berkshire, RG10 0DR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/04/2013 27/09/2010

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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's interest and ideas are strongly encouraged and shared through open discussions throughout the day which staff use to inform their next steps in their learning.  Staff have high expectations for all the children, including those with additional needs and good progress is made from their starting points.  Observations and assessments are effective. Learning activities are well planned and based on staff's secure knowledge of each child's learning needs and interest.  Children benefit from a welcoming environment where there is a warm and caring relationship between all children and staff. Strong links with parents are established and maintained through home visits, the setting's website and informal discussions.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Resources that reflect different communities and cultures, to help children learn about diversity, are not extensive.

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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 activities in the main play room and the outside learning environment. The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager of the provision in the outdoor area.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager of the provision.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked the evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and some daily documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of the parents and carers who were spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

St Nicholas Pre-School Hurst has been established for over 40 years. It is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school is run by a voluntary committee of parents and operates in The Small Village Hall in Hurst on the outskirts of Wokingham in Berkshire. The pre-school has use of the kitchen, one main play room, an open plan seated snack area, toilet as well as an enclosed garden area. A second much larger outdoor space with a grassy area including large climbing equipment is used daily. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9am to 3pm term time only with a lunchtime session that operates from 12 noon to 1pm. There are currently 50 children on roll aged between two to under five years attending the pre-school across the variety of sessions. Children come from the local area. Staff currently support children with additional needs. The pre-school employs five staff in

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Information about the setting

total. The manager holds a level 6 qualification in Early Years Professional Status and three members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. There is one member of staff working towards an early years qualification.

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

 improve the range and variety of resources in children's play to reflect different communities and cultures for example dressing up material and home corner items, to extend children understanding of diversity.

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who attend

Children make good progress in all areas of learning. Children with additional needs are fully supported. Staff work well with professionals, to effectively close any gaps in children's learning. Children are encouraged to share their interests and experiences. Staff attentively listen to children's needs and respond by including their ideas into future planning as part of their next steps. Staff recognise the importance of children having unhurried routines in order to learn new experiences at their own pace. Subsequently children are given time and space to think, explore and test out new ideas with adult support. For example, children enjoy searching for insects using magnifiers in the garden. They balance different objects on the scales to compare between heavy and light. Staff consistently challenge and motivate children to learn by actively joining in with their play, for example in the garden playing the game 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' Staff are aware of

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who attend

children's varying language needs and use visual signs effectively to communicate daily routines. For example, picture symbols are use to for sitting, listening and washing hands and for labelling items on boxes and drawers.

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who attend

The setting is well resourced in all areas and children can choose toys that are placed at their height. Staff are currently developing the larger outdoor space to include a gazebo for children to have a sheltered area to hold group sessions such as story and circle time. However, resources that reflect cultural diversity to help children learn about difference are not extensive.

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who attend

There is a strong focus on developing children's personal, social and emotional skills in particularly when they first start the setting in order to build secure attachments. During their time at the setting children acquire the necessary social skills such as sharing, turn- taking and good listening which help them to maintain positive relationships with other children and adults. Staff encourage and promote children's language skills through the use of open-ended questions and modelling language through good quality interaction. For example, children are encouraged to bring in a 'special' item from home to show and discuss with the whole group as part of the twice weekly 'chatterbox' session.

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who attend

Systems for planning and assessments are thorough. Children are learning the necessary skills to support them prepare for school. Children's starting points are shared with parents by completing an initial assessment form and 'All About Me' entry for when they first start. Ongoing assessments are updated by the key person in children's individual learning journals and are used to inform children's profile ready for when they start school. Staff adapt activities for children with additional needs and provide individual learning plans which include specific targets. Staff engage effectively with parents. Both staff and parents are active partners in promoting children's learning and development in the setting and at home. Staff keep parents fully informed on their children's progress by exchanging messages in children's individual home diaries and their learning journals.

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

The effective key person system is well established. Children develop secure attachments and emotional bonds with other adults. Effective settling-in procedures are in place. A personalised approach is successfully adapted to support children with additional needs to form attachments. For example, parent's make arrangements to arrive at the setting at a later time to minimise any anxiety their child may feel. Parent are encouraged by staff to stay on to read books and join in with their child's play to help them settle. Staff have established strong relationships with parents and have adopted a considerate and caring approach that helps maintain and foster good relations.

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

Staff use consistent strategies for promoting positive behaviour, and are good role models. Children feel secure and safe to take considered risks, and enjoy challenges in their play. They show a strong sense of independence in their play, in particularly when exploring the outdoor space. Children show good awareness of taking responsibility for their own safety and others, for example when using the large outdoor slide to take turns and wait for their go. During group sessions children listen and know when to speak without interrupting others. Staff respect what children have to say and often praise them for sharing their experiences. Staff use gentle reminders to reinforce good behaviour, for example visual cues are shown for good sitting and listening at circle time. Children with additional needs benefit greatly from the visual signs in the environment, including photographs.

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

Staff promote children's understanding of the importance of physical exercise through games that encourage large movements. A healthy diet is promoted through discussions at lunch time as they talk about the contents of their lunch boxes. Healthy snack options are available throughout the day, such as melba toast, crackers, milk and fruits. Staff provide alternative food and drink for children with specific dietary needs. They help children to use the toilet and wash their hands. However, the vast majority of children show independence in this area and need very little adult support.

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

Children are making good steps towards the next steps in their learning and staff successfully prepare them for their move to school. Staff have good links with the local primary school through planned visits, discussions as well as exchanging reports and information as part of the transition process.

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provision

The management has a clear understanding of their role to monitor the educational programme. Gaps in learning are closing and narrowing for children who need additional support and staff know and understand how to meet their needs. The manager closely monitors the key person's assessments every half term for every child and suitable educational plans are agreed for children who require additional support.

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provision

Good arrangements are in place for safeguarding children. Staff have a thorough understanding on what to do if they have any concerns and are knowledgeable about the procedures they need to follow. All staff maintain a secure environment to keep children safe through daily risk assessments by identifying hazards. A yearly risk assessment is also completed by the manager. Accident records are maintained and written policies for dealing with emergencies relating to child protection and safety are in place. All policies are reviewed regularly by management and staff to reflect best practice. Staff promote visits to local areas such as the library and post office to extend children's learning experiences. Risk assessments are conducted by the manager before agreeing to any outings and necessary consent forms are signed by parents. Staff are qualified first aiders.

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provision

Systems for performance management are well established. Continuous professional development for staff is identified through monthly supervision meetings and yearly appraisals. Staff attend relevant courses organised by the Local Authority and also receive in-house training which supports their performance and knowledge of early years education. The manager has recently completed her Early Years Professional Status and has attended training on the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. The manager also attends meetings with other professionals to share and evaluate good practice. A comprehensive and detailed self-evaluation is in place for the setting which takes into account the views of the parents, children, staff and committee members. A keen drive for continuous improvement is demonstrated by the management and priorities identified. For example, the setting recently underwent an assessment called the Environmental

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provision

Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) and are awaiting the outcome which will inform their improvement plan.

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provision

Management and staff are committed to working in partnership with parents. Many opportunities are created to actively share and exchange information with parents on children's learning and development. Staff are consistently encouraging parental contribution and show they value their feedback about their child's progress. Effective links with other professionals are maintained and the manager works closely with the local school teacher and the local authority Inclusion Officer.

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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 148680 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 814148 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 50 Name of provider St Nicholas Pre-School Hurst Committee Date of previous inspection 27/09/2010 Telephone number 0118 934 3677

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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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