Vale Community Pre-School

Vale Community Pre-School Hampton Vale Community Centre, 1 Stewartby Avenue, Hampton Vale, PETERBOROUGH, PE7 8NJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/10/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The wonderfully inclusive attitude of the joint owners ensures that parents and children alike receive a superbly warm welcome. This creates a highly positive atmosphere within the pre-school, which children reflect in their interaction with one another.  Children's language and communication skills develop superbly as practitioners offer added value in every exchange with them, thereby adding to their vocabulary and helping them make sense of their immediate environment and what they are doing.  Practitioners provide imaginative, active experiences for children providing them with memorable experiences to recall and furthering their learning. They offer children stimulating opportunities to use their skills and explore new concepts and ideas through their play.  Children learn about the relationship between healthy eating, exercise and physical health through the innovative 'Snack Shack' eating area. This helps them learn self-help

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This provision is outstanding

and social skills, develop an awareness of recycling and their literacy skills develop as they read recipes and related signage.  The superbly resourced and labelled environment and the highly skilled and professional staff team offer children a positive and enabling learning community. Parents enjoy many opportunities to be involved in their children's learning and pre- school experience.  The drive and commitment of the enthusiastic joint owners of the pre-school is impressive. Their dedication has resulted in the very high standard of provision being offered and they have many plans for further improvements.

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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 activities in the main playroom and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the joint managers of the provision and spoke to children's key persons as appropriate during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, planning, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting, the provider's self-evaluation evidence and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of three parents/carers spoken to on the day as well as information included in the settings parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Vale Community Pre-school was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register. It is situated in the Community Centre in Hampton Vale, Peterborough and is owned and managed by joint registered providers who worked in the previous pre-school, registered on this site. The pre-school serves the local area and surrounding villages. It is accessible to all children and there is a fully enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs five members of childcare staff, four of whom hold an appropriate qualification at level 3 or above. One member of staff is working towards a higher level qualification.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is open Monday to Friday of each week, term time only. It operates from 8.45am until 11.45am each day. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 34 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education places for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. They receive support from the local authority and have undertaken the local authority quality assurance scheme.

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

 offer children more opportunities to experience risk and challenge in the outdoor area by, for example, providing children with a climbing frame and other equipment, which challenges them physically and mentally.

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who attend

Children are highly motivated learners at this inspirational and inclusive pre-school. Practitioners consider them unique individuals with specific learning needs, which relate to their personalities, families and learning styles. As a result, they plan superbly targeted activities. These are designed to help children make optimum progress during their time at the pre-school. A detailed analysis is made of each child right from the start. Parents complete a comprehensive 'All about me' booklet when children first begin attending, which includes information about learning to date and languages spoken. Further information is gained through the helpful conversations that take place between practitioners and parents. This begins the continual open dialogue that takes place throughout each child's time in the pre-school. The introduction to pre-school is managed in conjunction with parents who can stay with their children for as long as they like to help

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who attend

them settle. The key person stays close to their new key child, so that both can get to know one another and, through continuous interaction, closely observes them. As a result, practitioners know each child very well, for example, noting cultural nuances, such as the side of the page a child reads from or the delicate initial letter formation they use. Children, therefore, make excellent progress in their learning and development due to the fantastic support and teaching provided by all practitioners. Thorough assessment and tracking of children's development means that next steps in their learning are very precise and prepare children extremely well for their next stage of their learning, such as starting school.

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who attend

Links with parents are further encouraged as practitioners talk to them all the time, from the initial 'meet and greet' they offer each parent every day, to the communication diary each child has. Throughout the week, each child's key person observes the child. On Thursday, their notes are written up into the diary. The diary is then sent home on Friday so that parents and children can look through them over the weekend, adding their own comments about what children do at home. On Mondays, the setting has a regular 'news item' at circle time. Children draw a picture of what they have been doing over the weekend. This inclusive activity enables all children to tell their news, even if their language development does not allow them to. These are linked to comments in the diary and children are invited to come out and share their news with their friends. Practitioners further extend this activity for children as they use the computer to create their own

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who attend

'newsflash'. Together, they 'write' the article and children are delighted as it is read out to them in an animated voice. Children's developing literacy skills improve as they read the 'news alert' for the day posted next to the computer news desk and begin to recognise the date, which is also displayed.

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who attend

A tracker is used to know where each child is in their learning and this is posted on the wall in the pre-school as a reference for all practitioners to use. This enables them to support all children's learning during each session. Careful observations of children are carried out daily and added to their learning journals. Parents are invited in to discuss progress each half term and summary reports are shared. As many children are learning English as an additional language, everything the pre-school do is translated into their home language. The owners feel passionately about this and want everyone to feel welcome and included. Communication with parents takes place in whichever way they feel most comfortable and texts and e-mails are also used. A variety of questionnaires are also sent home to seek parental views and find out more about them and their children. For example, an 'English as an additional language' questionnaire is used to find out which

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who attend

languages are being spoken. This enables the setting to meet children's specific needs and every language spoken is meaningfully represented within the pre-school. For example, alphabets in Chinese, Mandarin, Spanish and French decorate the wall in the writing corner and books on the bookcase represent each language spoken. Additionally, practitioners use Makaton to communicate with children so easing the difficulties face, when children either are not speaking yet or speak little or no English. Every available space is used to promote children's early literacy and the child's voice is immediately apparent within the environment. For example, children make their own sensory bottles, which they fill with coloured water and other objects they select and labelling, adjacent to where they hang outside, shows children's comments.

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who attend

All sessions are led through child-initiated play and guided by loosely followed general themes. For example, the setting always starts with 'All about me' as a theme as children and practitioners are often new to one another at the start of a term. This is an ideal way for them all to get to know one another better. Key persons plan highly effectively for children's next steps in their development, while also taking account of their thoughts, ideas and interests. For example, children gather at a table to use the life resource boxes. Some children request shaving foam play and the practitioner skilfully promotes related language as she sprays the foam into the tray for them. Children ask for glitter to add and select pink when asked to choose. As they mix it in they learn new words, such as 'glittery' and 'sparkly'. As they become more engrossed in their play they decorate the tray further with coloured pegs. Another child, who loves to count, chooses a related activity involving

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who attend

pots and matchsticks. She carefully concentrates as she picks ten matchsticks out of one pot and transfers them to another with her fingers. The practitioner responds to her comment that it is 'quite fiddly', noting her frustration, and offers her some 'special tongs' to use. She helps her change her grip to manage them more skilfully, showing her the 'special finger grip' pad on them. The child shows pleasure in her new found skill as she perseveres to master the transfer of more matchsticks. All children at the table sustain interest and concentration in their chosen activity for some time and the practitioner supports each of them inclusively.

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who attend

Children's learning journals provide an excellent account of children's time in the setting and are regularly shared with parents, to help keep them abreast of their progress. Parents are encouraged to contribute to their children's assessment through sharing observations from home in their communication diaries. Parents are also given children's sound books, which show the initial sounds children learn as pre-reading skills. These are offered in conjunction with the catchment school reception teacher and follow the writing scheme used there. Similarly, children who show a readiness to read begin with books the school use for early readers. Additionally, when group stories are read, children often choose one from a well-known reading scheme and relish carrying out activities in the back of the books.

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who attend

The setting is superbly resourced and organised to promote children's independence. All children move freely between indoor and outdoor play areas as they wish and select and use resources to support and extend their play. For example, children spend time outside in the big top tent, enjoying the cosy atmosphere and looking at books together with their friends. They select play food from the table to create a picnic for themselves and decide to take their 'pet Dalmatian' with them 'because he likes a run every day'. Children happily explore the environment at their own pace, identifying where resources live and learning to solve their own problems. For example, they line up small world people and sea creature figures, showing curiosity as they ask for the names of those unfamiliar to them. Their play is extended as they search out additional figures and liken them to members of their own families. Children are encouraged to make their own decisions and are

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who attend

exceptionally well-supported by practitioners who talk to them and ask open questions to expand their thinking skills. For example, a practitioner talks to a child preparing to go outside to play, suggesting they need a coat to keep them warm today. They talk about the child's Mummy and discuss the fact that she likes to drink coffee as the child puts their coat on. They become frustrated as their sleeve gets lost inside the coat arm and the practitioner calmly explains how to hold onto the sleeve so that this does not happen. She describes this as 'a new skill' and the child shows immense pride in their achievement as they skip off out to play.

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who attend

Practitioners work very closely with children's families to fully support their learning and development. Although they have no children attending with special educational needs and/or disabilities, both owners have vast experience of caring for children in this category. Children gain a superb understanding of diversity and an appreciation of other people through their play, discussions with staff and the variety of resources provided. Practitioners place high value on children's backgrounds and skilfully embrace their beliefs and cultures within planning, to further enhance this aspect of children's learning.

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

Professionally managed key person arrangements enable practitioners to get to know children and their families very well. The in-depth induction procedure means they develop a deep appreciation of children's home environments, their stage of development and interests. Consequently, they support and promote children's well-being and welfare to a very high standard. The secure, warm and trusting relationships which develop enable all children to feel safe and included within the setting. For example, they nestle into their key person's arm for comfort and reassurance as they come out to tell their friends their news at key group time. They flourish as they take part in these small group activities as they discuss feelings and behaviour and sing songs and rhymes. The meaningful discussions that take place each day as children arrive and depart allows the exchange of useful information so that their changing needs can be met. Children display high levels of

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

confidence and self-esteem. They approach practitioners with ease and work cooperatively with their peers. For example, children liaise well with one another as they use the raised roadway in the sand tray. They demonstrate patience and dexterity as they lift the bridges and lower them, allowing trucks and cars to cross and travel in different directions. Children enjoy close relationships with each other and offer one another affectionate hugs and cuddles during their play. Three children are seen to be deeply involved and engrossed in their play, as they help each other create healthy meals in the play kitchen.

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

Children see their work displayed attractively around the walls, and their comments too, ensuring their voice is heard within the setting. This provides them with a strong sense of belonging. This is all the more remarkable as this is a 'pack away' setting and everything is brought out and put away each time the setting operates. The ease with which children make the transition to other settings and school is considerably increased as practitioners meet regularly with the local school and other early years providers in the local area. Children visit and take part in activities within the school and teachers visit the setting, liaising closely with practitioners regarding children's progress in the year before they begin school

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

Practitioners offer children nurturing and sensitive care, which is targeted to meet their individual needs. Consequently, children are relaxed, at ease and happy in their play. Their specific needs are closely monitored to enable practitioners to accurately address them and they offer much praise for their progress and achievements, which encourages high levels of self-esteem. For example, practitioners and children sing their 'superstars song' each week and award a certificate to the child or children who have stood out. Children behave exceptionally well and practitioners help them explore emotions and how to manage difficult feelings. For example, children choose a 'feelings' cushion as they come in that describes how they feel that day. At key group time, children bring up their cushion and explain to their friends why they chose that particular one. If a child is feeling sad or anxious practitioners explain to them that all feelings are acceptable and ask how they can

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

change this for them. A cuddle or a particular toy usually results in a positive outcome and the child can then choose a cushion describing the positive feeling. Children's confidence is further promoted as they stand in front of their key group and sings songs, such as 'heads, shoulder, knees and toes' and 'the wheels on the bus'. Children respond readily to the rules and routines of the setting, as they enthusiastically busy themselves putting resources away at 'tidy-up time'. This helps them develop a sense of personal accountability.

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

Practitioners give very high priority to developing children's understanding of the importance of a balanced diet and physical exercise play, in developing healthily. They enjoy many activities that promote healthy eating and physical play. For example, practitioners create indoor and outdoor obstacle courses, which provide an excellent physical challenge for children. As they negotiate the equipment, they gain an understanding of how to use it safely. However, there is scope to improve risk and challenge in the outdoor environment as children can only play on one level. Children serve themselves with healthy snacks, such as fruit, cereals and vegetables as they visit the self-service 'Snack Shack'. The lace placemats and flowers on the tables they sit at help them learn social skills, as they sit with friends chatting while they eat. Their understanding is further promoted by signage and healthy recipes from around the world.

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

Self-help skills develop as they scrape their waste into the re-cycling bin and stack their plates and cups in the washing up bowl.

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provision

Leadership and management at this pre-school are exemplary. The owner managers inspire practitioners to work at a consistently outstanding level, resulting in an excellent pre-school experience for all children. Practitioners have a comprehensive understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements. They access frequent training to ensure their continuous professional development to the benefit of the children in their care. Thorough self-evaluation highlights the setting's strengths and areas for development and these are used as part of a continuous tool to enhance the care and learning provided. Monitoring of practice is rigorous and includes peer on peer observations, and weekly staff meetings. These measures offer practitioners support and the opportunity to reflect on the needs of the setting and children as a whole. Robust strategies safeguard children, strengthened by very secure partnerships with

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provision

families and other agencies. All practitioners are trained to a high level and have an excellent understanding of local safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding is regularly discussed during staff meetings and forms part of the regular supervision arrangements. The in-depth induction procedure is thorough, clear and provides new practitioners with comprehensive information, including safeguarding details. Stringent recruitment and vetting procedures ensure children are only cared for by suitable practitioners. Thorough highly detailed risk assessments ensure children play in a safe and secure environment and practitioner deployment across the setting, both inside and outside, ensures that children are constantly supervised as they play. Accidents and injuries are effectively monitored by the owner managers who make any necessary changes at the earliest opportunity.

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provision

Partnership working with other professionals and agencies is well-established and used effectively to provide children who need additional input with timely support. Practitioners have built excellent working relationships with parents and value their active contribution to their children's life whilst at the setting. Parents are keen to be involved and attend activities and events offered by the pre-school. Practitioners demonstrate an astute awareness of the benefits of working closely together to meet children's needs. Parents speak very highly of the setting saying how 'delighted' they are and how impressed they are 'by their attitude and communication'. Children are keen to come each day saying 'I like the ladies' and miss them on days they do not attend.

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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 EY461668 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 913341 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 33 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider Vale Community Pre-School Partnership Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07834 366845

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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

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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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