Comeytrowe Under Five Group

Comeytrowe Under Five Group Comeytrowe Community Centre, Galmington, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4TY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/09/2013 23/01/2009

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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

 Children enjoy their time in a well-organised and attractive pre-school as they independently access an interesting range of learning opportunities.  Children develop good independence, self-esteem and self-confidence as they are continuously praised and encouraged. Children form secure, emotional attachments because of the sensitive and skilful support they receive from the staff.  Staff work very well as a team and have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements enabling them to deliver a stimulating learning environment.  Staff keep parents well informed about all aspects of their child's care and learning. This builds trusting relationships and provides continuity in children's care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not provide consistent opportunities for children to explore letters, words and numbers in the garden. This means they have fewer opportunities to extend their mathematical and early reading skills here than indoors.  Children have fewer opportunities to explore natural and everyday objects in their play, which slightly reduces opportunities for them to develop their understanding of the world.

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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 spent time observing in the main play room and in the garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journeys, planning documentation, the setting's risk assessment forms and a selection of policies and children's records.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and chairperson and spoke with staff and children.

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Information about the setting

Comeytrowe Under Five Pre-school is run by a voluntary committee and operates from a community hall in Comeytrowe, on the outskirts of Taunton. The pre-school has use of the main hall, kitchen, committee room and toilet facilities, and there is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The pre-school serves the local and surrounding areas.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school offers places for children aged between two and under five years. There are currently 45 children on roll. The pre-school provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school opens five days a week during school term time only. Sessions run on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am until 4pm and each Wednesday from 9am until 12 noon.

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Information about the setting

There are eight members of staff working directly with children, six of whom have relevant childcare qualifications. The pre-school also employs two staff who are unqualified and eight bank staff, as well as an administrator.

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

 strengthen opportunities for children to explore natural and everyday objects in their play

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

 enhance the outdoor environment in order to further support children's awareness of letters, numbers, names and labels

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who attend

Children feel safe; they are comfortable and confident in the environment that has been created for their different needs. Children eagerly participate in a good balance of adult- led and child-initiated activities. The experienced and skilled staff support children's learning well through their play. This support helps children to make good progress from their starting points. Staff monitor and assess the progress the children are making through regular observations in all areas of learning. Planning develops through staff observations and the children's individual interests. As a result, staff plan effectively to meet children's identified next steps of learning and take good account of children's ideas. The required progress check for two-year-olds has been completed and shared with parents, which helps to keep them informed and included in their child's progress.

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who attend

There are lots of interesting activities at the pre-school to promote children's creativity and to ignite their interest and exploration of different art and crafts materials. As part of the paper mache project, children used a pictorial instruction sheet to learn how to cut the strips of paper, and in doing so discuss the differing lengths, and how to paste the paper to form a paper mache air balloon. After the children had decorated the air balloons, these were hung from the ceiling at the pre-school. Children develop their understanding of mathematical concepts by taking part in exciting experimental activities; for example, to determine which objects float or sink. Children learn about the different reactionary processes of adding water, ink and paint together and discuss the changing colours and patterns this creates. Staff teach the children what happens when they add washing up liquid to milk and watch the emerging colour changes. Children love playing with cornflour

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who attend

and water to make 'gloop' and staff use this, as well as dry and wet sand, as different mediums for children to practise their early writing skills. Children have many opportunities to explore a varied range of information, communication and technology resources. As a result, children are able to practise and develop their skills by using varied programmable toys and computer resources. All children have the experience of engaging in cookery sessions. Children learn how to use spoons to stir and measure cake and biscuit mixtures. They discuss the texture and changes as these occur during the making and cooking process. Books are used well and the children are able to snuggle in the book corner to look at books or to sit and listen to a story being read to them. Children have many opportunities to become aware of the written word and numerical representation inside the pre-school. However, the garden offers few opportunities for children to develop

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who attend

their awareness of literacy and numeracy; for example, by extending their understanding of letters, numbers, names and labels outdoors.

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who attend

Children explore the natural world on 'Woodland Wednesday' when they go to the woodland area at the local school and take part in Forest school activities. Here, they hunt for bugs using magnifying glasses and have great fun playing hide and seek or climbing on the logs and tree stumps. However, there are fewer opportunities at the pre-school for children, especially those who do not attend the Forest school, to explore natural and everyday objects through play. This slightly reduces their understanding of the world around them. All children have very good opportunities to develop their communication, language and literacy skills and this is prevalent throughout many aspect of the children's learning and development, for example, in songs, labeling, displays, stories and circle time. Staff use the range of teddy bears, complete with their own basket and diary as a way of encouraging children's to speak confidently about the bears' adventures at circle

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

The pre-school provides a welcoming and secure environment that caters well for children's individual needs and where all groups of children receive a good level of care. Arrangements to help children settle into the pre-school and build secure emotional attachments with their carers are very effective. For example, in order to get to know their key person children have spent time with them drawing pictures of their key person to put on the wall. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure as they approach adults confidently for support. Clear daily structure and well-established routines enable children to be fully aware of what to expect in their day. This also enables them to develop a very good range of skills to support them in future learning, for example, cooperation and independent personal care. Children's behaviour is very good. They respond well to reminders, for instance not to throw the shells in the garden. Children play well together

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

negotiating with each other and taking turns with the resources. Staff praise and encourage the children throughout the day building on the children's self-esteem. This teaches children to understand and respect individuality. Staff promote inclusive practice through the activities, discussion and the celebration of various cultural activities. For example, they had great fun when they learnt 'Bollywood' dancing using scarves, and plotted on a map of the world children's holiday destinations and where their houses are. This sparked lots of discussion about travel to different countries and what the food and clothes would be like there. Resources are very well organised. Low-level storage encourages the children to self-select and make independent choices from an extensive range of high quality resources that offer children exciting learning experiences. Children's sense of belonging is actively promoted through the lovely displays of their artwork,

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

examples of their emergent writing around the room.

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

There are high standards of hygiene throughout the pre-school which helps to ensure that children's health is very well protected. Children benefit from learning the importance of healthy eating and making healthy nutritious snacks provided by the pre-school. Snack and lunch times are sociable occasions with staff and children interacting together. Staff implement effective systems to ensure that any children with allergies are cared for appropriately, including at snack and meal times and where staff provide any cooking activities. Clear records are kept about the children's specific needs and staff have appropriate first aid training to ensure they can deal with any incidents. These effective measures help to keep children safe, ensure that they are included and that their individual needs are met. Children enjoy being outside as much as possible and this is facilitated by daily access to the garden. There are many varied opportunities to develop

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

their physical skills as they competently use a wide range of wheeled toys, bounce on the trampoline and balance on beams. Pre-school has introduced a 'Wake and Shake' session in the mornings to enable children to get moving and to teach children to positively channel their energy, using music and action songs. In addition, a sports coach comes to the pre-school every two weeks and children take part in a warm up, using balls to roll under their legs, or to pass their overheads so they earn to coordinate movement. They use cones for team games and play dodge ball to help them learn about being part of a team. At the end of the session, during the warm down, they learn about the effects of exercise on their body and how this promotes a healthy lifestyle. Children are encouraged to learn about safety when they practise their emergency evacuation procedure and staff teach them the reasons why it is important to wear high visibility jackets when they go on

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

outings. Staff develop effective links with local schools. This supports a consistent approach to children's learning and prepares them for the move to school.

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provision

Children are effectively safeguarded and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of what to do if they have any concerns regarding child protection. Arrangements for safeguarding children are regularly reviewed, carefully managed and understood by all staff. Staff are proactive in ensuring children's safety is maintained and the children are carefully supervised both indoors and outside. Regular risk assessments are carried out to ensure safety of the premises and equipment. The premises are secure and there are robust procedures in place for staff recruitment and the collection of children. Written policies and procedures underpin staff's effective practice and are made available to all parents. This helps the pre-school to be managed efficiently and in the best interests of the children. Leadership and management are good. The pre-school is very well managed by a knowledgeable, dedicated and reflective manager. She is supported by an

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provision

established, friendly staff team who offer great stability to the children in their care and learning. Together the pre-school staff and committee members aspire to providing the very best quality provision for the children in their care. All staff have regular supervision and yearly appraisals, and attend a good variety of training events to enhance their professional development. Staff all have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements and are motivated in their roles. Consequently, they work hard to deliver an enjoyable learning experience for all children. The pre-school provides a welcoming and secure environment that caters well for children's individual needs and where all children receive a good level of care. Staff are deployed well as they are successfully engaging with, and supervising children.

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provision

The setting works extremely closely with parents, valuing the vital role they play in their child's progress and development. Parents spoken to as part of the inspection, speak positively about all aspects of the provision. Parents and carers are provided with good information about the pre-school. For example, they receive regular newsletters and have access to a parents' notice board which enables them to be kept informed about events, activities, and local agencies and information. Parents are encouraged to take an active role in their child's learning and development by completing 'WOW' cards that let the staff know of children's achievements or special moments at home. Staff have recently introduced a book bag so that children can choose books to take home and read with their parents. Staff forge good relationships with other professionals to ensure children's care and learning needs are consistently met.

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provision

Self-evaluation procedures take into account all staff reflections and appraisal of the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. Consequently, there is good capacity for the setting to make continuous positive improvement in the future.

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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 143065 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 931007

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider Comeytrowe Under Fives Group Committee Date of previous inspection 23/01/2009 Telephone number 07960 429130

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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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