Alne Preschool Playgroup

Alne Pre-School Playgroup Alne Primary School, Main Street, Alne, YORK, YO61 1RT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/09/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 A variety of stimulating activities are provided to promote the prime areas of learning and expressive arts and design. Children progress well in these areas of learning.  Staff create a warm, positive environment. This means that children are settled, happy and engaged in the activities.  Parent's knowledge of their children's learning and development at home is used well by staff to provide many appropriate activities to meet children's needs.

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It is not yet good because

 Assessment is not yet accurate enough, this means that some activities lack sufficient challenge to extend the learning of older or more able children. For example, in reading, writing, mathematics and understanding of the world.  There is an imbalance of child-initiated and adult-led activities and insufficient attention is given to ensuring that each child experiences the full range of activities, both indoor and outdoors. This restricts the learning of some children.  Systems of staff appraisal are not robust enough to ensure they can improve the educational programmes and children's 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 outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the deputy managers and children at appropriate times throughout the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records and a sample of documents, including children's assessment books, planning documentation, policies, procedures and the provider's self-evaluation information.  The inspector took account of the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

Alne Pre-school Playgroup has moved to a purpose built building. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school is in the grounds of Alne Primary School in the village of Arne, near York. It is a single storey building and is managed by a voluntary committee. It operates from the main room with associated facilities on site and the pre-school have sole use of this. There is a rear and side enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre- school serves the local and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school currently employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 to 6. The manager has Early Years Professional Status. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday all year. Sessions are from 8am to 6pm. Children may attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 36 children attending who are all within the early years age group. The pre-school provide funded early education for three- and four-year-old children and care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They are members of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and the Early Years Partnership.

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must:

 improve the effectiveness of assessments to accurately identify the next steps for learning and ensure sufficient challenge for older or more able children, particularly in the areas of reading and writing, mathematics and understanding of the world.

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

 provide a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities and monitor the movement of children around the environment to make sure that each child enjoys a variety of play experiences

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

 extend the system of appraisal to ensure staff understand how to improve the educational programmes and to ensure that activities provide sufficient challenge for older or more able children

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

 review and improve the use of the outdoor area to support a broader range of experiences to promote the areas of learning and development.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate an appropriate understanding of the seven areas of learning in the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Activities to promote learning and development in the prime areas of personal, social and emotional development, communication and language and physical development are appropriate and stimulating for all children. As a result, children make satisfactory progress in these areas of learning.

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who attend

On entry to the pre-school staff pro-actively seek information from parents about their child's interests and learning at home and this information is used appropriately to establish each child's starting point and to plan appropriate activities. Every half term parents are asked to fill in a 'gingerbread man' template, which indicates what their child likes to do at home and this is used to build upon children's needs and interests. Staff regularly undertake observations and the manager is supportive to staff in discussing their observations of children. As a result, staff demonstrate a sound knowledge of most children's needs. Assessments of each child's learning and developmental stage are recorded in an individual learning journal book, which is personalised with photographs and contributions from parents. Each child has a key worker who knows what they understand and what they can do, this means that many activities are well matched to

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who attend

children's needs. However, assessment of the needs of older or more able children is not yet detailed enough to promote their early reading and writing, and some aspects of mathematics and understanding of the world. This means that some activities lack sufficient challenge to extend the learning of these children.

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who attend

Staff effectively develop children's communication and language skills, through role modelling good use of language and questioning children skilfully to develop their thinking and speaking. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are provided with good opportunities to listen to and copy spoken language. For example, as one child plays with a telephone and pretends to talk to mummy, staff skilfully extend the play, joining in the imaginary conversation. Staff provide good models of spoken language, such as 'four potatoes please mummy, we are going to bake them' and children effectively learn to copy speech and extend their vocabulary. Children speak openly and freely and as two children enjoyed leaping between tree stumps, they chatted constantly to each other and laughed as they gave the tree trunks the name of 'monk trees'.

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who attend

Provision for children's personal and social development is a particular strength of the pre- school. Children confidently move around the playroom, demonstrating good levels of independence, selecting activities of their choice. They concentrate for good periods of time and are happy, calm and busily engaged in their activities. Staff are very attentive to the children and listen carefully to them and create a warm, positive environment. Children play well together and a small group of children enjoyed using the computer, chatting happily as they watched a video of a dog going for a walk. There are positive relationships between children and adults and children demonstrate confidence in speaking to staff to make their needs known. As one child changed his shoes he spoke with self-assurance and asked, 'Can you help me please?'. There are many good opportunities for children to develop their play around their interests. However, staff do

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who attend

not take every opportunity to extend children's learning as there is insufficient attention to providing a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities.

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who attend

Children enjoy free access to the outdoor area and their physical skills are developing well as they jump between stepping stones and learn to balance using their arms. They experience a good variety of toys and equipment, such as construction toys, water play, small world toys, sand, hoops, a rocker and role play resources in the outdoor area. This effectively develops their large motor skills and imaginative play. Children enjoy lying in the grassy area for sensory experiences and quiet activities. However, the outdoor area is very muddy at present and this currently places some restrictions on the breadth of activities that can be provided to support the areas of learning. Therefore, children's learning is not promoted as well as possible in this area. Children's fine motor skills are developing well as they skilfully manipulate pencils to draw round shapes, scissors, rolling pins and paint brushes. Providing opportunities for children's creative expression is a

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who attend

strength and children freely express themselves through a wide variety of mediums, including collage, painting and play dough.

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who attend

Children enjoy stories that are read to them. As a member of staff enthusiastically and engagingly read a story to one child, other children gathered round until a small group were eagerly listening as the story unfolded. Opportunities for older or more able children to begin to read and write their names, words and simple sentences and to use phonics are limited. This restricts the development of their early literacy skills.

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who attend

Children use mathematical language as they play, such as 'bigger' and 'smaller' and they recognise patterns, shapes, numbers. They count confidently to ten and sometimes beyond. However, there are limited opportunities to develop further mathematical skills, such as solving simple problems and simple addition and subtraction as staff do not challenge the children to think about such aspects as they play together. Children's learning is restricted as a result.

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who attend

Children effectively learn about change and growth as they grow tomatoes, potatoes, peas, strawberries, pumpkins and peppers in the outdoor garden area. They have recently explored how and why things happen, for example, through a topic about volcanoes. Children enjoy visits to the local village and places of local interest. They appropriately learn about people and their roles and people from differing backgrounds through visitors and stories. However, opportunities to further their understanding of communities and traditions and to explore similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things are limited. This means children do not make more than satisfactory progress in this area.

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who attend

Staff create a very welcoming environment and parents stay to settle their children in and to talk to staff. Parents are kept regularly informed about the daily activities and children's progress through sharing of information slips, learning journal books and assessments. This means they can be involved in children's learning. They can also attend parent's evenings and open days.

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

Staff are skilled in creating a culture of safety in the pre-school. They relate to the children in a caring, warm and supportive way at all times and, consequently, children are settled, emotionally secure and self-assured. The key worker system is working well so that staff know and understand the children well and children approach adults confidently if they need help. Key workers work closely with parents to ensure all children's needs are met appropriately. Expectations of children's behaviour are clear and consistent. Consequently, children behave very well at all times, showing respect for each other, sharing and taking turns well. Children are developing good levels of independence and personal hygiene as they visit the toilet and wash their hands in the new child-friendly toilet area. Staff provide a supportive environment in which children are confident to develop their skills of looking

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

after themselves. One child demonstrated his desire for independence as he concentrated and persevered to successfully secure the fastening strip on his shoes. All children show skill in taking coats on and off and changing from shoes into wellingtons to go in the outdoor area.

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

Staff provide appropriate activities and support that allow children to learn to manage risks and challenges safely. They are learning to keep themselves safe in the outdoor area with appropriate support from staff. For example, staff hold hands with younger children as they jump between the stepping stones, while older children jump confidently between the tree trunks unaided. Staff further encourage children to learn to keep themselves safe through the use of a video about health and safety and discussions. Staff undertake daily risk assessments, based on the age and stage of children, for example, appropriately limiting the height of building blocks to the height of the child. More detailed risk assessments are undertaken annually and specific risk assessments are carried out relating to outings so children's safety is promoted.

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

Children eat well and enjoy healthy snacks of fruit and lunch time choices of either a school dinner or packed lunches. They visit the snack table when they choose to do so and pour water for themselves and this further encourages independence. They learn to place their cups and plates in the washing up bowl after use and this promotes good practice in hygiene routines. The meal times are well structured and sociable occasions when adults and children sit together. Children learn about healthy eating as they talk about and enjoy their food.

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

The staff create a secure, safe, well ordered environment with a wide range of resources that are mostly, easily accessible to all children. Children, generally, move freely around the indoor and outdoor areas, following their interest, using the resources safely and with care. They enjoy helping to tidy up their environment while music is played at the end of the session.

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

Children are well prepared for their transition to school or to other settings through the appropriate use of photographs, puppets, stories and discussions. The new building is conveniently situated in the grounds of the primary school and good links are developing between the settings. Visits to the school are arranged for children in the summer term and staff from the school visit the children. In these ways children are effectively introduced to the school before they move there.

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provision

The safeguarding and wlefare requirements Of the Early Years Foundation Stage are well understood and staff effectively ensure that all children are safe. There is a clear policy and documented procedures to safeguard children that are shared with parents and these underpin effective daily practices to ensure that children are safe, happy and well. Procedures for recruiting and selecting staff are rigorous and a member of the management committee acts as the Safeguarding Officer for the pre-school. These measures strengthen the provision for children's safety.

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provision

Staff regularly reflect on their practice and share this through daily conversations and regular staff meetings. The manager has written a self-evaluation document, which provides useful information about strengths and areas for development. There is a setting improvement plan, which is currently focussed on improving the outdoor area. There are strong links with the local authority advisors and specialist services and the committee is very supportive in promoting the aims, purposes and development of the pre-school. This means there is good capacity to improve. The manager provides regulare supervision for staff and monitors practice on a daily basis. A system of staff performance appraisal is in place. Through attendance on training courses staff have developed an adequate awareness of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage educational programmes. Documentation has been revised and updated to reflect the seven areas of learning and there is an appropriate system of short

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provision

and medium term planning. A system for monitoring the educational programmes is in place. This is effective in ensuring that personal, social and emotional development, communication and language and physical development are well provided for. However, the monitoring of the educational programmes is not yet sufficiently effective to ensure that all aspects of children's learning in mathematics, literacy and understanding the world are well promoted.

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provision

The manager and staff recognise the importance of involving parents in their children's learning and development. A comprehensive range of policies are usefully displayed for parents in the entrance foyer. Parents speak highly of the pre-school and the positive views of parents recorded in a comments book, show that they value the supportive and caring environment in which their children are very happy. There are good opportunities for parents to be involved in the management of the pre-school through representation on the management committee. Close links are maintained with schools children will move on to so there is continuity in their care and 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 EY460779 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 912923 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 36 Name of provider Alne Pre-School Playgroup Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01347830011

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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

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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