Seaton Delaval Pre School

Seaton Delaval Pre-School Seaton Delaval Community Centre, Elsdon Avenue, SEATON DELAVAL, Northumberland, NE25 0BW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/10/2013 20/11/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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's needs are quickly identified, and very well met through effective partnerships between parents and external agencies and services.  Children develop an understanding of their natural world and how things grow. This is because they make regular visits to their immediate local area with staff and engage in activities to examine changes to plants and trees over time.  Children are well supported when they prepare to move into maintained nursery and reception classes. This is because strong relationships are formed with local schools and children have good opportunities to become familiar with teachers and their new environment.  Children understand how to keep themselves safe in the pre-school as the manager and staff consistently give high priority to the safety of children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to further enhance their early writing skills are not fully developed. This is because staff do not always maximise opportunities for them to write their own name.  There is room to strengthen partnerships, when children attend childminder settings, so that there is an increased sharing of information about children's learning and a more consistent and complimentary approach to the support children receive.

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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 play and learning activities in the main pre-school rooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a question and answer style meeting with the manager and staff and looked at a range of documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Seaton Delaval Pre-School was registered in 1993 on the Early Years Register. It operates from Seaton Delaval Community Centre in Northumberland. It is managed by a voluntary management committee. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. The pre-school has access to an outdoor area.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs three members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 12pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 15 children attending who are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who have children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 develop further opportunities for children to enhance their early writing skills. For example, by encouraging them to write their own name on pictures they have created

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

 reflect on and further develop ways to strengthen the relationship with childminding settings children attend so that there is a more effective method for sharing knowledge and understanding about children's learning and development.

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who attend

The manager and her staff team have good knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use this information well and interact sensitively and skilfully with children to support and enhance their individual learning needs. They provide a broad range of activities and experiences, based on children's needs and interests, to inspire their learning and challenge thinking. For example, staff provide a variety of toys and equipment when children show an interest in tractors. They play with small world resources and sing songs which help to develop their knowledge and understanding further. As a result, children become deeply involved in their learning and maintain focus on their activities for sustained periods of time. Staff support children very well as they play. They sit alongside them on the floor and help them as needed, without taking over or directing their play.

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who attend

This encourages children to show curiosity about resources and objects and develops an interest in toys with buttons and simple mechanisms.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is consistently good. Staff have a secure understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children. As a result, children make good progress in the learning. Staff support children's communication and language skills very well. They introduce new words into the context of play. For example, when children make an axe using magnetic equipment, staff talk about 'lumberjacks' and their role in chopping down trees. This helps children to build up their vocabulary and supports their understanding and meaning of new words. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are equally well support in the pre-school. Staff make very good use of advice from external agencies, such as the Portage team. This ensures children receive the support and intervention required and they make good progress, based on their starting points. Staff promote early writing skills, generally, well in the pre-school. A wide range of

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who attend

equipment is available throughout the provision and children enjoy activities, such as painting, drawing and printing with sponges. However, opportunities to develop children's skills even further are not always provided. This is because, occasionally, staff write children's names on the pictures they have created. This does not fully support children to do this for themselves. Children are provided with a broad range of experiences to develop their physical skills. In the indoor environment, children enjoy fixing magnetic equipment together, travel with confidence on ride-on bikes and cars and hold pencils, pens and paint brushes correctly. In the outdoor environment, children enjoy walking through their local area, plant trees and seeds and wash their role-play cars. 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

The manager and her staff team complete regular and precise assessments of children and use these effectively to plan suitably challenging activities. Individual learning journals are completed for all children. 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 there is shared knowledge about children and a complete picture of children's learning and development is obtained. Parents spoken to on the day of inspection describe how much they value the opportunity to understand the progress their child is making and welcome opportunities to contribute to their learning and development overall.

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

Children are welcomed into this warm and friendly pre-school, where their emotional and physical needs are very well met. Staff ensure all children are supported to form appropriate attachments and recognise their individual needs when they are tired or upset. Children show they are happy when they sit alongside staff, initiate conversations with them and smile affectionately when they receive praise for their efforts. Consequently, children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the pre-school, enjoy the variety of experiences on offer each day and play cooperatively with their friends. Staff encourage children to develop their independence skills. The environment is well organised and resources are labelled clearly with photographs and words. This enables children to seek and find what they need to meet their own requirements. Independence is further developed when children wash their own hands and put on their hats and coats.

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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 set, explain and maintain clear, reasonable boundaries so that children can feel safe and secure in their play and other activities. Children enjoy giving cuddles to their key person and demonstrate friendly behaviour towards each other. The rationale of behavioural expectations is shared with parents, to maintain a joint approach. Staff have a good understanding of and give high priority to the safety of children. As a result, children show a good awareness of safety in the indoor and outdoor environments. For example, children hold the hand rail when walking down the stairs into the large hall area and walk safely along pathways when walking in their local area with staff.

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

Daily opportunities are provide for children to be physically active and enjoy energetic play. Good use is made of a large grassed area attached to the community centre building and regular visits are made to local facilities, such as the park, library and post office. Children are provided with excellent opportunities to become involved in their local community. For example, children planted trees with the local park keeper as part of a national programme. Regular visits are made to view the trees. This supports children's understanding of the natural world and how things grow. Staff extend children's knowledge of growth even further when they grow their own fruit and vegetables. Children thoroughly enjoy the experience of watching their produce grow and take part in cooking activities, such as making soup. This helps children to develop an understanding of the importance of eating fresh, balanced and nutritious food, supporting their physical

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

Children are well supported when they begin attending the pre-school. Good quality information is gathered from parents, including medical needs, allergy information, likes, dislikes and family set-up. This ensures continuity is provided in children's emotional and physical well-being. Children are equally well supported when they prepare to leave pre- school and move into school. Teachers from local schools visit children in the group and information is shared regarding children's individual needs.

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provision

Children are safeguarded because the manager and staff have clear policies and procedures embedded within their practice and know what action to take if they are concerned about a child. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures are in place. As a result of comprehensive induction to the pre-school, staff and students are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. The manager ensures that staff's knowledge is secure and uses regular staff meetings and ongoing discussions to review policies and check understanding. Children are safeguarded further because all areas accessed by children are safe and secure at all times.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are well established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. A wide selection of cards are available to view and parents write comments, such as 'Thank you so much for everything you have done for my child, they have come so far' when describing the quality of provision and care provided by staff. Partnerships with external agencies and services, such as Portage, are equally well established and information received is well used to ensure children get the help and support they need. The manager and staff team regularly attend network meetings in their local area with school teachers. Information about learning and development is shared, ensuring continuity for each child. However, there is room to improve information sharing with childminders who also provide care for some children, so that there is a more effective shared knowledge about children that will support continuity in their learning and

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provision

The manager maintains a good overview of the curriculum and monitors educational programmes to ensure children are helped to make progress in all areas of learning. She has secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and uses this well to support her staff team. As a result, staff are enthusiastic and clearly enjoy working in the pre- school. Performance management is well managed within the group and staff training needs are identified through regular supervision and appraisal. Planning and assessment systems are monitored effectively and the manager works in the pre-school room to gain first hand knowledge about what is working well and address issues raised. Documentation for tracking children's progress is in place. This information accurately identifies children who are working below expected levels of development in the prime and specific areas of learning. Consequently, appropriate interventions are secured and

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provision

Self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, children and parents. Views are sought through regular meetings and discussions with staff, ongoing observations with children and opportunities for parents to talk openly to staff or provide written comments in yearly surveys. The manager has a strong drive to improve the pre-school and has a clear and successful improvement plan that aims to support children's achievement over time. For example, there are plans to further enhance opportunities for children's all-round development in the outdoor area. The manager works well with local authority professionals 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 301821 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 876665

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 15 Name of provider Seaton Delaval Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 20/11/2009 Telephone number 07980 205590 upto 1215

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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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