Our Lady of Ransom Preschool

Our Lady of Ransom Preschool Pope John Paul Hall, London Road, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9DT

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/05/2013 14/10/2008

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff have effective teaching skills and plan a wide range of purposeful play with a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities, which supports children's learning well and helps them to make good progress.  Children are happy, keen to learn and rapidly grow in self-assurance because of the warm relationships quickly established with staff.  Staff establish positive and trusting relationships with parents. An effective two-way flow of communication supports children's welfare and learning and development.  Staff have a good awareness of their responsibility for safeguarding and check that the resources and premises are suitable and safe.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to extend the range of multicultural resources, particularly in the role play area that reflect a range of cultures and backgrounds to promote children's understanding of the world further.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play and staff interaction.  The inspector and manager undertook a joint observation of a teaching activity.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with available staff and parents and held discussions with the manager.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation, including a representative sample of children's records, self-evaluation documentation, display materials and staff suitability records.

p.2

Information about the setting

Our Lady of Ransom Preschool was registered in 1980. It is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a parish hall in Rayleigh, Essex. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs 11 members of staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3.

p.3

Information about the setting

The pre-school opens on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings between 9.15am until 11.45am and afternoons from 12pm until 3pm, during term time. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 77 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four- year-old children.

p.3

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

 extend the range of resources in the role play area to include more toys and objects that reflect children's family lives and communities. Also include resources that reflect lives that are unfamiliar, to broaden children's knowledge and reflect an inclusive ethos.

p.3

who attend

Children are welcomed into the friendly and warm environment where they show that they feel safe and secure. They clearly enjoy learning through play, eagerly choosing what they wish to do from the varied range of resources offered. Children demonstrate a positive approach to learning, supported by the cheerful interactions of the practitioners caring for them. Attentive staff play alongside the children offering gentle support and encouragement, extending their learning with individual attention. Staff have a good understanding of the seven areas of learning, which ensures they are skilled in planning to meet each child's individual needs. Teaching is effective as staff use their knowledge to identify specific starting points for each child and maintain detailed records on how well they are progressing. They carefully evaluate each activity to help identify and narrow any gaps in the children's learning. Consequently, children thrive and make good progress in

p.3

who attend

their learning and development. Effective systems to engage parents in all aspects of their child's learning are in place. Parents complete detailed records with staff on their child's admission to the setting, so that a robust assessment of each child's abilities is made. This ensures staff can plan specifically for individual children. The strong key person system ensures parents are well informed about their children's achievements and progress. They have regular meetings with staff to share information about their child's development and share their own observations from home. This effectively involves parents in their child's learning.

p.3

who attend

Children are relaxed and eager to learn and embrace new experiences with excitement. They participate in a varied range of activities both indoors and outside and these include a good mix of adult-led and child-initiated play. Children play outside on a daily basis and the outdoor area promotes their skills and confidence. They have access to a wide variety of physical play equipment, including wheeled toys and balls. Here, staff help children to safely take risks and explore through play, with learning extended through playful teaching. For example, searching for a hidden toy bear, staff support children to count and use terms, such as 'behind' and 'higher' to describe where they find it. This successfully supports children's mathematical skills.

p.4

who attend

The indoor environment is effectively organised, allowing children to freely access a developmentally appropriate range of toys and resources covering all areas of learning. However, there are fewer resources in the role play area that fully reflect diversity, to help children learn about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among different families and communities.

p.4

who attend

Staff are skilled at supporting children's communication skills. For example, children are confident enough during registration time to respond to their name. They know and are able to recite enthusiastically the days of the week, supported by staff. Staff show children how to pronounce some words by responding and repeating what they say in the correct way. They listen intently to what children say and do, ensuring they feel valued and boosting their self-esteem and confidence. Staff encourage children's development in early literacy as children are eager to share books with them. They enjoy snuggling up together to share a favourite book, establishing children's interest in reading for pleasure and purpose. Staff give younger children the space and time to explore what they are interested in, so that when older, they concentrate and persevere in their learning. Consequently, children are gaining skills, which help prepare them for school.

p.4

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

Children play a full and active role in their learning in this warm and welcoming environment. Upon arrival, children settle swiftly to an activity of their choice and confidently seek assistance and reassurance if needed. Regular praise and encouragement from attentive staff helps to promote children's self-esteem. The effective key person system supports children to feel valued and promotes a sense of belonging. Caring staff warmly welcome the children and their families. New children and parents are well supported by staff to ensure a successful settling-in period that is tailored to the needs of each child and family.

p.4

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

Staff support children's emerging understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle that involves physical exercise and a healthy diet. Staff prepare nutritious snacks, which include fruit and vegetables and children's individual dietary requirements are met. At snack time, children sit in sociable groups joined by attentive staff. These small groups successfully promote children's conversation skills very effectively as they talk happily with their friends. Children are learning about the need for good hygiene practices as they routinely wash hands before touching food and after visiting the toilet. Children benefit from regular fresh air and exercise during outdoor play.

p.4

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

Children play cooperatively with their friends, taking turns and demonstrating respect for each other. They demonstrate they can negotiate and solve problems as they confidently inform staff if another child has upset them. Children are learning to understand that their actions can hurt other children's feelings. Their behaviour is good, as staff share consistent expectations and are good role models themselves. Children willingly take on responsibility, for example, tidying away toys and resources at the end of the session. The daily routines include regular safety reminders to raise children's understanding, such as learning to take care with simple tools and follow rules when going outside. Regular fire evacuations enable staff and children to know what to do in an emergency. As a result, children enjoy their experiences in the pre-school and learn skills that help them manage their move to school.

p.5

provision

The provider has a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Arrangements for safeguarding children are good as staff understand their responsibilities and are aware of the procedure to follow should they have a concern. Robust vetting procedures check staffs' suitability to work with children. Effective induction procedures are in place to support new staff to fully understand their role. All staff play a part in assessing and minimising any potential risks to children and this is detailed on the thorough risk assessments put into place. Staff follow effective procedures to ensure that children's individual dietary needs are met.

p.5

provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are a clear strength of the pre-school. Parents warmly praise the 'caring and friendly' staff team and the progress their children are making. Parents continually receive high levels of information about their child and are actively encouraged to be involved in their progress. Their views about the provision are actively sought through discussion, questionnaires and the parents' committee. Staff promote good links with other early years providers, which further aids children's progress and development. Information sharing is effective and this eases the move to other settings or to school for the children.

p.5

provision

The manager and her team demonstrate a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and their responsibility to promote the learning and development of all children. They monitor the levels of planning and assessment to make sure these are consistent and display an accurate understanding of all children's skills, abilities and progress. The manager monitors staff performance both informally through working alongside the staff and more formally through annual appraisals. Staff are supported to attend relevant courses and gain additional qualifications. The manager uses regular staff meetings to discuss and share any ideas and practice issues to further promote effective outcomes for children. Self-evaluation processes actively contribute to sustaining the effective provision and the very good service they provide. This evaluation fully incorporates the views of children, parents, staff and other professionals.

p.5

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

p.6

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.

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number 203840 Local authority Essex Inspection number 911798

p.8

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 77 Name of provider Our Lady of Ransom Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 14/10/2008 Telephone number 01268 780050

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10