Hilltop Pre-School

Hilltop Pre-School Lebanon Gardens, Biggin Hill, Westerham, Kent, TN16 3HA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/06/2013 24/06/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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

 Staff have effective teaching skills. They plan a wide range of purposeful play with a good balance of adult-led and child initiated activities, which supports children's learning.  Children form strong bonds with staff and each other, and are secure and happy.  Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are effectively supported.  Good leadership means that staff are supported effectively in delivering all requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  This is a strong, well-organised staff team. Its members have a shared vision for driving improvement and work well together to achieve this.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The outdoor play area is not currently used to its full potential to enhance all aspects of children's play and learning.  Resources are not always easily available for children to mark make and write independently.

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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 hall.  The inspector spent time talking with the staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of the parents spoken to on the day of inspection and information included in the self-evaluation documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation including a representative sample of children's records, development plans and staff suitability records.

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Information about the setting

Hilltop Pre-school registered in 2004 and is privately owned. It operates from the Women's Institute Hall in Biggin Hill, Bromley. Children have access to a large hall and an enclosed outdoor play area. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is open each weekday from 9.30am to 12.30pm. There are currently 31 children on roll. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school employs six members of staff; of these, four hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and two are working towards qualifications at levels 2 and 3.

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

 develop further the outdoor learning environment, to provide challenging experiences across all areas of learning

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

 enhance opportunities for children to mark make and write independently, by providing materials within easy reach of their play, both indoor and outdoor.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Consequently all children make good progress in each area of learning, taking into account their capabilities and frequency of attendance. Careful observations highlight achievement and next steps, which are followed through into individualised planning. Staff use these assessments and feedback received from parents to plan activities across all areas of learning. Parents are fully consulted about their child's learning and are informed of their progress. Staff demonstrate a secure knowledge of the requirement to carry out progress checks for two-year-olds. Children's learning and development needs are met strongly because staff move around the room, providing individual attention as they get down to the children's level. They encourage and extend children's learning as they give them ideas, provide challenge and get them to think

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who attend

critically about the activities they choose and are involved in. Staff work effectively together and combine their skills and knowledge efficiently to plan an environment where all seven areas of learning are covered well. There is a high focus on the prime areas of learning, which enables children to be well prepared for the next stage of their lives and in preparation for school.

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who attend

Children's language development is effectively supported through staff skillfully using open-ended questions and showing a genuine interest in what children have to say. Children use the book area independently but also enjoy group story times. Effective teaching methods ensure that children are engaged as staff change their voices to make sure children find story time more interesting. Children become absorbed in familiar stories, where props are used effectively to extend their interest and engagement in the story. Children do not always have enough opportunities to incorporate writing into their own play. This is because staff do not always provide materials such as clipboards, notebooks and pencils within easy reach, to encourage children to write during activities, such as role play and construction.

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who attend

Children have good access to technology equipment. They operate simple programs on the computer, and staff support children from a young age to follow simple instructions. Older children form very positive relationships with each other as they sit on the carpet and play with the train set. They share and take turns readily while putting the pieces together. Children develop early mathematical skills effectively as they count the cargo while placing it in the train. Staff extend children's learning well by offering them ideas to test out. Children then solve problems confidently by selecting smaller and bigger pieces, testing out which ones fit in the train. Staff engage parents in their children's development and learning very well. Parents are informed of their child's progress and how to support them at home through regular communication with staff. Parents have input into their child's achievement records, as well as questionnaires to help staff identify children's

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who attend

progress and to seek ideas to enhance the provision. This helps to ensure a consistent approach.

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

The staff team provides a friendly, relaxed environment where children feel welcome. Children have strong bonds with their key person and enjoy close relationships with other adults within the room. This helps them to feel safe and secure. The setting is well resourced and provides a welcoming environment for children and parents. Children show that they feel safe in the setting. They readily approach staff when upset and follow simple reminders not to run too fast as they may fall. Effective risk assessments reduce possible hazards and regular safety checks promote children's safety both inside and outside. The premises are secure and there are effective procedures in place to ensure the safe arrival and collection of children. Staff have good understanding of the emergency evacuation procedure. Children become aware of their own safety, as they are involved in regular fire drills to support them to leave the premises quickly in an emergency. There

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

are rigorous systems in place to ensure that staff record accidents routinely and inform parents. Staff are vigilant and minimise risk within the pre-school effectively.

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

Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles through the provision of healthy snacks. Staff are aware of special dietary requirements and comply with them. The indoor environment is set up to cover each of the prime and specific areas throughout the day, and this includes provision for physical play such as a climbing frame. The outside area is accessed all year round. Children ride confidently on their bikes and love to climb and scrabble. However, it is not currently used to its full potential to fully support children's all round development, especially those children who prefer to learn outdoors.

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

There is a good range of quality toys and resources for children to reach independently, so that they can make choices about their learning. Staff have carefully planned the layout of the environment to encourage children to gain skills for future learning. Children behave well and there are effective systems in place to support and encourage positive behaviour and develop self-esteem. For example, staff act as positive role models and give out lots of praise for all achievements, no matter how small. Children form good relationships with both adults and their peers. They work happily alongside each other as they learn to share and take turns. Children learn about their own safety as staff incorporate gentle reminders of how to use resources safely as they play.

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provision

The manager of the pre-school has effective procedures for safeguarding, including the recruitment of suitable staff. All staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding requirements. They know the possible signs that a child may be risk of harm and understand fully what to do if they have any concerns. They review policies and procedures regularly. This helps to ensure that they are up to date and that staff contribute to, and are fully aware of, the policies and procedures that guide the setting. Robust recruitment systems are in place to ensure all adults are suitable to be in the proximity of children, and a thorough induction procedure enables all new staff to develop an accurate understanding of their roles and responsibilities within the pre-school. Comprehensive written risk assessments reflect the vigilance of staff with regard to safety within the pre-school and when out. Good deployment of staff ensures children are

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provision

consistently supervised and, therefore, remain safe at all times.

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provision

The manager fully understands her responsibility towards meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She works closely with staff and maintains a good overview of how the requirements are implemented effectively by them. The ongoing professional development of staff is encouraged through further training opportunities. Regular staff meetings provide good opportunities for the team to review working practices, discuss, and change any areas that they feel need improving. Procedures are currently in place to review and improve the supervision and appraisal systems.

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provision

Staff work closely with the other professionals and agencies involved with the children and their families, to provide the support they need for healthy development. Therefore, staff have developed strong links with key agencies to enable appropriate support to be obtained. In particular, staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. The special educational needs coordinator acts as the key link for the pre- school. Staff enjoy good working relationships with parents and effective communication systems are in place. Parents are kept well informed about the provision through the notice board and the daily exchange of information. The pre-school seeks parents' views on the quality of the provision and acts on feedback. For example, it now displays details of the staff team and their qualifications. Parents offer positive feedback. They feel happy with how well their children develop in preparation for school and comment on how warm

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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 EY270274 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 847154 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 31 Name of provider Debbie Cresswell Date of previous inspection 24/06/2009 Telephone number 07941 206036

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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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