The Village Pre-School (Gorse Covert)

The Village Pre-School (Gorse Covert) Gorse Covert Primary School, Gorse Covert Road, Birchwood, Warrington, WA3 6TS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/07/2013 21/01/2009

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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

 Relationships with the adjacent school are outstanding, so children are exceptionally well supported in making the transition from pre-school to school.  Children are confident communicators, who enjoy sharing their thoughts and ideas with staff, consequently, staff get to know them very well.  Staff are particularly good at supporting children's developing skills in mathematics as they regularly count out numbers and sing fun number action songs.  The manager's monitoring of children's progress could be even more effective as a small number of recently enrolled children have, as yet, no developmental tracking in place.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the very good range of resources to further support children's understanding of the wider world and help them to develop a respect for different cultures, beliefs and abilities.  The managers monitoring of children's progress could be even more effective as a small number of recently enrolled children have no developmental tracking in place.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff and children engaged in activities, indoors and in the garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to children throughout the day and to parents and carers when they came to collect children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had discussions with the manager and with various staff in each nursery room and completed a joint observation of practice with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a sample of children's learning records and enrolment forms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a range of organisational documentation, such as, staff performance records, recruitment details, risk assessments and training information.

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Information about the setting

The Village Pre-School (Gorse Covert) registered again on the Early Years Register in 2008. It is owned and managed by a charity with limited company status. The pre-school serves the local community and is accessible to all children. It operates from a modular building within the grounds of Gorse Covert Primary School in Birchwood, Warrington and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The setting employs seven part-time staff, of these, six hold an appropriate early years qualification.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 8.45am until 11.45am and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 55 children on roll in the early years age group. The pre- school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children, who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. 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:

 provide an even wider range of positive images to promote children's understanding of diversity, so further extend their knowledge of the wider world

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

 increase the frequency of monitoring the assessment of children's learning records, to ensure that the small number of children admitted in the summer term, are as effectively monitored as other children.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They consider the individual needs, interests and stage of development of each child in their care and use this information to plan challenging and enjoyable experiences. As a result, children are curious and confident in play and thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the pre-school. This is echoed by the views of parents and carers, who speak highly of the quality of activities and opportunities provided to support their child's learning and development. Each area of learning is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Staff develop children's confidence well as they sit alongside them and encourage them to try new activities. For example, they support children during a dress rehearsal for the leaver's performance, encouraging them to say their lines and praising their efforts. The

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who attend

quality of teaching is consistently good, staff have a very good understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children and as a result, they make good progress overall. Children's mathematical skills are significantly enhanced when staff support them to count and recognise numbers. They make excellent use of routines, such as taking the register, to encourage them to count the number of children present. Children use descriptive words, such as 'heavy' and 'fast' in everyday play situations and staff extend their imaginative play by asking 'how much does it cost for an ice cream?'

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who attend

Children develop effective communication skills as they play together in the outdoor water tray. They make comments, such as 'I'm making it go fast', as they pour water into the water wheel and explore a wide selection of scoops and containers. Staff talk to children about what they are doing and ask questions, such as 'what will we need to do before we play out?' This enhances children's thinking skills and enables them to use language as a means of expressing their thoughts and feelings. Language skills are further developed when children describe what food items they can see when playing the 'lunch box' game.

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who attend

Children, who speak English as an additional language are well supported. Staff use a range of simple words in different languages to promote each child's home language and understand how to support their acquisition of English. As a result, children are making good progress in the area of communication and language. Staff competently assess the needs of individual children and are adept at recognising when extra support may be required. They effectively involve parents and health professionals in a coordinated approach to help each child make good progress. Consequently, children, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. Resources to promote diversity are generally good; home corner equipment, puzzles and books reflect the diversity of people in the wider community. However, currently, there are few positive images displayed around the setting. This means that helping children to appreciate the

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who attend

similarities and differences between people is not always promoted as effectively as possible.

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who attend

Children are provided with a broad range of experiences to develop their physical skills. In the indoor environment, children enjoy cutting and gluing to make their own collages and pictures and join in action rhymes at circle time. In the outdoor environment, children use chalks to develop early writing skills, ride bikes and other vehicles and negotiate slopes. As a result, children effectively develop the key skills they need for the next steps in their learning, including those required when they attend school.

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who attend

Staff have high expectations of all children as they complete a range of good quality assessments. These show the age bands that children are working within and tracking over time demonstrates their progress. Individual learning journey records are completed for all children. However, for a small number of children, who have recently started the setting, tracking information has not yet been collated to give an overview of their progress in all areas of learning. Consequently, while these children make good progress in the prime areas of learning, their progress in other areas has not yet been as well identified. Parents have access to this information, which keeps them informed of their child's progress and they are actively encouraged to share information about their child's learning at home. This means that there is shared knowledge about children and a complete picture of their learning and development is obtained. Parents and carers spoken

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who attend

to on the day of inspection describe how much they value the opportunity to read their child's file. They appreciate ongoing opportunities to discuss the progress their child is making at parents' evenings and to be involved in their learning.

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

The manager and her staff team provide an environment, which is warm and welcoming. A well-established key person system is in place and staff are skilled and sensitive in helping children form secure emotional attachments. Children settle very quickly and parents speak highly of care practices, which support them to develop confidence in new social situations. A wealth of good quality information is shared when children begin attending the pre-school. Parents complete a comprehensive range of documentation, which enables staff to provide continuity in children's emotional and physical well-being. Staff ensure the individual needs of all children are well met. For example, visual timetables help children to understand and predict the daily routines.

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

Children are extremely well supported when they transfer into local schools. They make visits with their key person and become familiar with key members of staff and their new environment. They practise having lunch in the school dinner hall, dressing and undressing for physical education lessons and participate in monthly 'birthday' assemblies. As a result, the transition arrangements for children are outstanding and they are very well prepared for the next stages in their learning.

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

Staff show care and concern for children's physical well-being and demonstrate this when they comfort children who fall over and scrape their knees during outdoor play. Children form positive relationships with each other and increasingly show high levels of self- control during activities. For example, they learn about safety when using scissors and discuss how to keep themselves safe in hot weather.

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

Children's behaviour is good. This is because staff implement an effective behaviour management policy and demonstrate good awareness and understanding of ways to manage children's behaviour, taking into account their age and stage of development. This ensures children are aware of rules and expectations within the pre-school and develop an awareness of acceptable behaviour. Staff reinforce the importance of walking in the pre- school room and sitting sensibly and listening during circle time. Staff provide a wide variety of toys and equipment, in the indoor and outdoor areas and children can independently access resources. Daily risk assessments ensure the areas used by children are free from hazards and staff consistently give high priority to the safety of children.

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

Staff give clear messages to children to ensure they are developing a good understanding of why it is important to have a nutritious and balanced diet. A range of fresh, healthy snacks are offered to children at snack time and they are offered a drink of milk or water. Children develop their independence skills as they clear away their own plates and cups after snack time and independently use the toilet and wash their hands. Children's health and well-being are promoted in the outdoor area, where daily opportunities are provided for children to explore, use their senses and be physically active.

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provision

The recently promoted manager has a good understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and uses this well to support children in their learning. The educational programme is monitored well to ensure all children make good progress. The manager works alongside staff in the pre-school room, which allows her to gain first- hand knowledge about what is working well and to address issues raised. The manager maintains an overview of tracking data and uses this information, so that individual children's strengths and weaknesses are effectively addressed.

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provision

Staff are well qualified, experienced and very motivated, demonstrating an enthusiasm for their work with commitment to improving achievement for all children. Staff are well supported and benefit from comprehensive induction arrangements, regular supervision and appraisals. This helps them to identify their strengths and areas for further development. As a result, morale is high in the pre-school and staff are committed to improving and understanding their practice.

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provision

The manager and her staff team fully understand their responsibility in safeguarding children and demonstrate good awareness of the correct procedures to follow if they have any concerns. An effective safeguarding policy is in place, this includes the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made about a member of staff. Staff keep accurate records of accidents and first aid treatments administered to children and a first aid box is accessible at all times. Recruitment procedures ensure all staff are suitable to work with children.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and other agencies are well established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. Parents use words, such as, 'brilliant', 'caring' and 'fantastic', when describing the relationship they have with staff. There are very good links with the adjacent school and parents are effectively signposted, when appropriate, to additional support. Managers and staff have been proactive in their approach to sharing information with other schools and settings children attend, for example, termly review sheets are shared. This ensures there is continuity in children's learning and development and a clear picture of the child is obtained.

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provision

Self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, children and parents. Views are sought through regular meetings with staff and there are opportunities for parents to talk openly to staff or provide written comments on questionnaires. Children share their views with staff through group discussion time. The manager and staff have a strong drive to improve the pre-school and have a clear and successful improvement plan that supports children's achievements over time. There are future plans to further develop information and communication technology resources and review all policies and procedures. The manager works well with the local authority, which further enhances the self-evaluation process.

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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 EY375737 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 915620

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider The Village Pre-School (Gorse Covert) Date of previous inspection 21/01/2009 Telephone number 07875365967

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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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