Pre School and After School Club at Whalton School Limited

Pre School and After School Club at Whalton School Limited Out of School Club Building, Whalton C of E First School, MORPETH, Northumberland, NE61 3XH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/06/2013 02/11/2011

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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

 Teaching consistently encourages children to think critically, which results in them developing very good skills to enable them to solve problems successfully. This means that children are active learners who confidently use their own ideas.  Children behave well in the pre-school due to the very successful way in which practitioners respond to them. Promotion of a 'can do' attitude by staff results in increased levels of confidence and self-esteem in children.  Children are highly confident communicators who are easily able to make their needs and views known as they are cared for by staff who respect and listen to them.  Strong bonds between the children and practitioners result in children being safe, having their emotional needs successfully met and feeling a strong sense of belonging.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is a small delay in using the information gathered from observation when children begin to attend, in order to identify their next steps in learning and to move them forward so that they make the best possible progress.  At some times during routines, such as snack time, there is less focus on making the most of every opportunity to promote 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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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 playroom and outdoors in the garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's learning journals, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working with the children, a sample of children's records and a selection of the pre-school's policies.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Pre School and After School Club at Whalton School Limited was registered in 1999 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose-built premises in the grounds of Whalton C of E Aided First School in Whalton, Northumberland, and is managed by a voluntary committee. The setting serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school and after school club employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2, one has level 3, and one holds level 6. The pre-school opens Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 12pm, and Tuesday and Thursday from 12.10pm to 3.10pm. The after school club opens Monday to Friday 3.10pm to 5.30pm, except for Wednesday, during term time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 62 children on roll, 17 of whom are in the early years age group.

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

 gather early information promptly about what children can already do to ensure that plans to move them forward can be readily implemented as soon as children start to attend

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

 further develop opportunities to promote mathematical development by giving children a reason to count, for example, by asking them to select enough cups for the children at snack time.

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who attend

Children are enthusiastic and motivated learners who make good progress across all areas of learning in their time at the pre-school due to a rich learning environment that encourages their independent learning successfully. For example, children relish using information and communication technology equipment to take photos of each other and confidently use simple programmes. Key persons have a good understanding of where children are at in their development. They collect a wealth of information from parents about each child's developmental stages, and use this well to plan to move them forward. However, there is sometimes a delay between some children starting at the pre-school and staff addressing children's learning needs at this very early stage. This means that accurate records are not promptly in place to ascertain progress from a precise starting point. Staff have good knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years

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who attend

Foundation Stage and use this well to organise the playroom and plan activities for children. Planning is done on an individual basis. This means that children access activities that continually build on what they already know. Staff use Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage as a guide, to establish if children are showing typical development for their age. Individual 'learning journey' files are in place. These provide good information for parents, through the use of observations and photographs. Staff work closely with parents to provide them with good quality information about their child's development. Parents are actively encouraged to make contributions in children's daily diaries, and regular open days provide a vital link to enable each child's key person to formally discuss their progress. This results in good partnership working.

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who attend

Children benefit from good resources across the provision, which create an exciting and stimulating environment to enhance their learning experiences. Each area of learning and development is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult- led and child-initiated activity. All staff respond well to children's emerging interests and successfully guide their learning. For example, when a child begins asking questions about earthquakes, staff help them by using the computer to find images, which supports children's active learning and encourages discussions. As a result, children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the setting and are enthusiastic and motivated to learn. Staff support children's learning very well as they play. They make very good use of open- ended questions. This enables children to enhance their critical thinking as they are consistently encouraged to work out ways to do things for themselves, or to think of the

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who attend

resources they will need to complete their chosen tasks.

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who attend

Children enjoy exploring their environment. They keenly move around the room and are engaged in activities that are provided and confidently explore their own ideas. Children's emerging writing skills are developing well as they have plenty of opportunities to use various materials that support this area of development, and are keen to attempt to write their name in planned activities. Children thoroughly enjoy books. They decide which books they will listen to by voting from a selection provided by staff, and sit outside to listen to the stories they have chosen. Children keenly offer their ideas about what might happen next, which shows their confidence about predicting sequences. Their exploratory skills are securely encouraged. Children play with containers in the sand, which they enjoy filling and emptying. They keenly use a range of good quality equipment to roll, flatten and cut the dough as they make worms. Staff introduce mathematical language into

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who attend

children's play as they talk with children about items that are 'bigger' and 'longer'. However, experiences to extend counting skills in practical situations, for example, at snack time, are not always fully exploited. Children are highly confident communicators. They enjoy being involved in conversations with staff and persistently ask questions to extend their understanding and knowledge, which staff support successfully. For example, by asking children whether they know the names of items, such as tweezers, and then encouraging their recall of this later in the session to see what they have learned. Staff plan good experiences to support children's understanding of the world; for example, an opaque bridge across a stream in the outdoor area so that they can observe nature. Staff carefully consider how to prepare children for the move to school and nursery as they successfully support children in identifying sounds of letters. For example, at snack

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who attend

time they are encouraged to listen carefully for their name. The pre-school works very closely with other providers and parents. This results in successfully providing a continuous learning journey for all of the children, enabling them to settle easily in the new setting.

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

The pre-school room is well organised and resourced with a range of exciting and interesting equipment which covers the educational programmes and is easily accessible to children. For example, there are freely available natural and creative materials, and toys are on low-level shelving. This means that children's independence is promoted very well as they self-select things they want to use. Children have very good relationships with staff. This results in children feeling secure and separating easily from their parents due to the warm and emotionally secure attachments they have formed with staff who care for them. Staff welcome parents very warmly. They chat to them and spend considerable amounts of time exchanging relevant information, such as summaries about the progress check at age two. Parents are continually updated about their child's learning and development through the use of daily diaries. Staff spend time both at the beginning and

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

end of each session to talk about children's progress.

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

Children behave well in the pre-school. They learn to share, take turns and consider the needs of others. Children receive lots of consistent praise and encouragement, making them feel proud of their achievements. Some staff excel in encouraging a 'can do' attitude, which successfully promotes children's confidence in their own abilities and encourages them to have a go. These skills help children to be well prepared for their transitions into school. Staff successfully praise children for sharing, for example, by remarking how clever children are when they thought about sharing a toy. They tell them how proud they are that children worked this out by themselves. This contributes to raising children's self- esteem. Through playing with resources that positively reflect differences, children learn to respect and value diversity and consider the needs of individuals.

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

Children engage enthusiastically in physical play, which demonstrates their understanding of keeping themselves healthy. Outdoors they access a broad range of resources, including wheeled vehicles and climbing frames, and display their skills well as they climb and balance. Children benefit from a range of snacks that promote healthy eating. They enjoy yoghurts and chopped bananas. Secure procedures to record accidents and medication ensure that children are effectively safeguarded, and all practitioners hold current first aid certificates, which allows them to deal with emergencies and protect the children they care for.

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

Staff are vigilant about safety at all times. Risk assessments are completed and safety is successfully monitored throughout the session. Children successfully participate in risk assessing the areas independently. For example, they tell staff how they need to throw away a broken toy so that they 'don't get hurt'. Staff competently use spontaneous play and discussion to further develop children's understanding of safety as they talk to children about the dangers of fire when they make a barbeque from cardboard boxes. Regular fire drills are practised with the children, which ensures that they know what to do in the event of an emergency to keep themselves safe.

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provision

The manager and staff show a strong commitment to providing the best possible care and education for children who attend the pre-school. They have a clear understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements for learning, development and welfare. Staff are well qualified and have a positive attitude towards continuous professional development by attending further courses and sharing their knowledge within the staff team. This, in turn, benefits the care and support they offer to children. The educational programmes are continually overseen by the manager to ensure that children benefit from a wide and varied range of experiences that help them make progress in all areas of learning. The individual progress that children are making is beginning to be monitored by the manager. This results in her being able to assess any gaps in a child's learning, and to plan alongside staff to provide more opportunities and

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provision

focused teaching to help their progress in specific areas. Where children need additional support in their learning and development, staff work closely with other professionals and parents to ensure that they can tailor planning and support to suit children's individual needs.

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provision

Staff show a good understanding of how to safeguard children. They are confident about what they would do if they had a concern about a child. Staff are involved in updating written policies to ensure that their knowledge remains current. This results in children being well safeguarded. Regular risk assessments are completed on the areas that the children use, which further protects them from hazards. These work effectively, for example, by ensuring that children are not at risk from slippery surfaces in the outdoor area. Staff continually assess risks throughout the session to ensure that children consistently remain safe. Robust recruitment and selection procedures ensure that staff are safe and suitable to care for the children. Good induction procedures also ensure that they have a knowledgeable understanding of their roles and responsibilities, which results in consistent care of the children.

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provision

Clear self-evaluation has been established to identify improvements that focus on enhancing children's learning and development. Staff and users of the pre-school contribute their ideas as to how improvements can be made. Parents' comments are collected through questionnaires, and the manager understands the importance of acting upon these to ensure parents make a valued contribution to the pre-school. Partnerships with parents play a key role in the pre-school as the staff value the contribution that these make to each child's development and welfare. Parents are highly complimentary about the pre-school and the staff who care for their children. Parents are kept very well informed about what is happening in the pre-school through a variety of methods, which effectively supports good partnership working. Staff work successfully with other settings to share information, which ensures that children feel confident when they move on to

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provision

school and provides a continuous journey for their learning.

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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 EY224665 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 819583

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 62 Name of provider Pre-school and After School at Whalton School Limited Date of previous inspection 02/11/2011 Telephone number 01670 775093

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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