Foxton Pre-School

Foxton Pre-School Foxton Village Hall, 11 Hardman Road, Foxton, CAMBRIDGE, CB22 6RN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/06/2013 12/01/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 The pre-school has effective links with parents and carers, which helps to ensure children are happy and enjoy their learning experiences.  Children's communication and language, personal emotional and social development, and their physical development are supported well. This is because staff give a good emphasis to these crucial early skills so they are suitably prepared for the next stage in their learning.  The partnership with the main feeder school is good, enabling children to become familiar with their new setting. This effectively supports their transition from pre-school to school.

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It is not yet good because

 The provider has not notified Ofsted of a change to the nominated person within the prescribed time period. This is a breach of the legal requirements.  Records are not easily accessible and available, which affects the provider's ability to ensure consistency and offer a good quality service.  Self-evaluation is not fully effective in in helping the nursery to develop and prioritise future plans for improvement.  Staff do not consistently extend children's learning by asking questions that enable them to consider what else is possible.

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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 the children at play and their interactions with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager and staff at convenient times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 Documentation was examined, including policies and procedures, staff recruitment and training and children's learning journals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with a number of parents to gain their views on the quality of the provision.

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Information about the setting

Foxton Pre-School is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It has been operating since 1978, and in 2002 moved to its current location in the village hall in Foxton, Cambridgeshire. The pre-school re-opened in 2008 to become an incorporated company with charitable status, managed by a committee of parents of children who attend. Children have the use of one of the rooms within the village hall, kitchen and associated facilities. There is an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 23 children in the early years age range on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. It accepts three- and four-year-old children eligible for early years funding.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is open during school term times from 9am until 3.15pm on Monday and Thursday. On Wednesday opening times are 9am until 1pm, Friday opening times are 9am until 11.30am. The pre-school employs four staff, of these, two hold childcare qualifications at level 4, one holds a childcare qualification at level 3 and one is working towards a qualification at level 3.

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must:

 ensure all essential records and documentation are easily accessible and available.

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

 develop further the use of self-evaluation to more clearly identify strengths and priorities for development in order to continuously improve the quality of the provision for all children

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

 extend the use of questions that have many possible answers to deepen children's learning, enhance their ability to express their ideas and consider what else is possible.

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who attend

Children enjoy attending the pre-school and make satisfactory progress in their learning and development. During activities staff show generally good teaching skills as they support children and encourage them to think critically and creatively. However, they do not always readily pick up on children's interests and use questioning effectively to help children extend their ideas and consider other possibilities. For example, children sort large building blocks to line up or build into towers, but staff overlook opportunities to ask them about size, shape and colour. As a result, children's progress is steady, rather than good. All children have their achievements recorded in their learning journals. These are routinely shared with parents to ensure they are suitably informed about their children's progress towards the early learning goals. Staff talk to parents frequently and encourage them to contribute what they know about their children's learning at home. Consequently,

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who attend

parents are suitably involved to promote consistent learning experiences for all children.

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who attend

Children demonstrate good levels of independence and join in readily with the planned activities and routines. They enjoy a good balance of learning opportunities both indoors and outdoors. Communication and language is particularly well supported through a broad range of well-planned activities. Staff encourage children to join in with group story times, and children show much enjoyment as they learn simple sign language to back up familiar songs and rhymes. There is a good range of books, and children access them eagerly, inviting staff to take part in spontaneous story sessions. Because staff are good role models children develop their early writing skills well. They encourage children to write their names, and annotate their artwork, so good habits are established, ready for their move into school. Children have sufficient opportunities to consider simple mathematical concepts, for example, they plant and grow sunflowers and compare their heights. Staff

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who attend

support children appropriately as they begin to count and hold up their fingers for children to count to five and beyond. Circle time is lively and well managed; children feel involved and show their confidence as they talk about their activities, or their families at home. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are encouraged to join in with all the activities, in some cases supported by their own one-to-one helper. As a result, they feel welcomed and valued.

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who attend

Children explore different media, such as, paint, water and sand, and enjoy manipulating play dough. They develop their imaginations as they explore small world figures, and make up their own scenarios with toy cars, trains and dinosaurs. Staff promote children's understanding of early technology adequately as they encourage the use of toy tills, telephones, cameras and 'disco lights'. Older and more able children confidently play games independently on the computer, and show good cooperative skills as they help each other match the shapes and figures. Children gain a suitable understanding of each other differences and similarities as they talk about their special people, and play with themed multicultural resources, such as dressing-up clothes, puzzles and cooking equipment.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of their key children and relationships are warm and affectionate. Parents are encouraged to visit with their children and take an active part in the settling-in process, which enables children to quickly familiarise themselves with staff and the premises. As a result, they are emotionally secure, settled and happy. Staff collect good information from parents about children's individual needs to ensure transitions from home into the pre-school are smooth and positive. This helps children look forward to their future transitions with confidence. Staff help children learn positive behaviour through good role modelling. They encourage children to learn sharing behaviour through games and daily routines, for example, they help each other take out and put away resources. Staff praise children readily when they help with these small tasks, which raises children's self-esteem.

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

Children develop healthy lifestyles as they enjoy active exercise indoors and outdoors. They cooperate well during parachute games and join in action songs that promote their physical development well. Staff talk to older children about the impact of exercise on their bodies, such as increasing their heart rate, so they begin to understand about their need for energetic play. Children effectively develop their small muscle control as they make jewellery with small beads, or design and build three dimensional shapes with large and small construction toys. Children benefit from suitably healthy meals and snacks that adequately promote their physical health. They choose healthy fruit, vegetables and breads at snack time and some children enjoy a suitably balanced school dinner at lunchtime. Parents who prefer to provide lunchboxes for their children have appropriate guidance to ensure these are nutritious and appealing.

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

Children increase their understanding of how to keep themselves safe as they practise the fire drill and learn to stay within the boundaries of the outdoor play area. Older children show a good deal of independence during practical tasks, for example, as they put on coats for outdoor activities, or wash their hands regularly during their play. All of this helps to give children the skills they require for the next stage in their learning, including school. Staff maintain efficient nappy changing routines where necessary and keep the pre-school hygienically clean to promote children's health and avoid cross-infections. The pre-school room is well organised, with resources easily accessible so children can follow their interests, and therefore, develop their independence. This appropriately supports their future learning.

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provision

Staff have a suitable understanding of safeguarding procedures and regularly attend training to update their knowledge of child protection. The written policies and procedures that help to safeguard children were neither accessible or easy to locate. However, the flow charts that help staff make referrals were on display. This means they are adequately prepared to report concerns if necessary and therefore support children's safety. The premises are kept secure and any visitors have to ring a bell for entry. Visitors to the setting sign the visitor's book and are appropriately supervised to keep children safe. Staff conduct daily checks of the premises to ensure children's safety indoors and outdoors, and ensure children are constantly supervised. Toys and equipment are good quality; staff keep them clean and ensure any broken items are removed. As a result, children play in a safe and adequately hygienic environment. All staff undergo appropriate checks to ensure

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provision

they are suitable to work with the children, such as enhanced criminal records checks and barred list checks. The manager implements an effective induction programme so staff and parent helpers or volunteers are made aware of their roles and responsibilities. For example, parent helpers spoken to at the inspection confirm they understand they must not be in unsupervised contact with children. At the inspection it was found that the provider had not notified Ofsted of the change in the nominated person within the prescribed time period. This is a breach of the legal requirements for both the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register and affects the efficiency of leadership and management. Records essential to the smooth operation of the setting were generally disorganised, sometimes hard to locate and not easily accessible. This affects the ability of the provider to offer consistently good quality provision that

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provision

effectively meets the needs of all children.

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provision

The manager adequately monitors the performance of staff through regular meetings and annual appraisals. The experienced and mostly qualified staff team show an enthusiastic approach to their work, which helps to ensure children enjoy their learning. Professional development is appropriately supported by the management committee, and all the staff benefit from varied workshops and training opportunities. These include mandatory training, such as first aid and child protection, and good practice guidance, such as food hygiene, and implementing the revised frameworkEarly Years Foundation Stage. All of this helps them to deliver a sound programme of activities that enable children to make satisfactory progress in their learning and development. Staff track children's progress towards the early learning goals effectively through both individual and group assessments. This helps to ensure all children achieve their expected level of development

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provision

Relationships with parents are friendly and supportive. Staff share information verbally and provide regular updates on themes and events through notices and newsletters. Parents are positive about the service the staff provide and agree their children benefit from a good range of enjoyable learning activities. They comment favourably about the homely atmosphere and say their children are happy and keen to attend. Close links with the neighbouring school enable children to become familiar with the premises and begin to build relationships with the school children. For example, pre-school children are allocated year five reading partners before their entry to make their transitions easier. The manager has developed secure links with other feeder schools to promote children's continuity of care and learning. There are sound links with other professionals to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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provision

The manager and her staff evaluate their practice adequately and implement changes and improvements that benefit the children. They have amended the observations and assessments to reflect the revised Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and have implemented the progress check at age two. This helps to monitor children's progress to ensure they meet their expected levels of development. However, there is less attention paid to evaluating what the provider needs to do to increase the effectiveness of underpinning systems, such as an operational plan, in order to further drive improvement. Parents are occasionally asked for their views and these are beginning to feed into the evaluation process.

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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 EY376520 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 919285

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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 23 Name of provider Foxton Pre-School Date of previous inspection 12/01/2009 Telephone number 07946 713708

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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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