Union Corner Pre-School

Union Corner Pre-School Union Corner Hall, Hawks Road, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1ND

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/10/2013 17/07/2013

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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 have strong opportunities to be independent, active learners because staff maximise the time children spend in good quality free play.  Children can shape their learning by choosing a wide range of activities, and staff base their plans on children's interests.  Staff and parents have a strong partnership and meet regularly to review children's progress.  Staff are skilled in the use of open questions to support children's critical thinking and build a wide vocabulary.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Minor weaknesses in the evaluation processes mean that the opportunities for everyone to be involved are limited.

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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 children's play in the main playroom and in the garden.

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Inspection activities

 In the manager's absence, the inspector met with the deputy manager and chairperson to discuss management issues and evaluate the activities.  The inspector examined a range of documentation.

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Information about the setting

Union Corner Pre-School registered in 1982. It is run by a committee and operates as a registered charity. The pre-school operates from two rooms in Union Corner Hall, located next door to Hawks Road Primary School, in Hailsham, East Sussex. There are kitchen and toilet facilities, an outside play area and a wildlife garden. The pre-school serves families from the local community and beyond. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school is open on a Monday from 9am to 3pm and Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 1pm, during term time only. There are currently 28 children on roll in the early years age range. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years and for some children aged two years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or

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Information about the setting

disabilities. The pre-school employs seven members of staff. Of these, six work directly with the children and one member of staff deals with finance matters. Five staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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

 involve staff, parents and children in the evaluation process to create challenging action plans which incorporate all views.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop. They skilfully facilitate children's interests so that children are absorbed in their activities and consistently engaged in purposeful play. Staff monitor their planning so that they can be sure they are covering all areas of learning in a broad and balanced curriculum. They closely monitor children's achievements and, as a result, children make good progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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who attend

Staff have good teaching skills. They encourage children's language development by continually talking with children as they play. In conversations, children learn how to express what they think and feel, and they pick up a wide vocabulary. Staff skilfully use open questions to help children consider what they are doing. For example, in a construction activity, staff ask 'how could you make it taller?' or 'how can you help it to balance?' Children have time to think and respond which helps to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Children who have additional needs quickly pick up language skills using sign language to supplement their speech. Staff are skilled story tellers, and keep children engaged in the story by encouraging the children to join in the repetitive phrases. This inspires children to look at books on their own in the cosy book area. Children can also explore home made books that show how they made soup or how

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who attend

they planted the garden. Alongside the frequent opportunities to write and work with letters, children gain good literacy skills. Staff are skilled at differentiating activities for children with different skills. For example, some children build complex structures with simple construction bricks. One child talks about the shapes and the roof and staff bring out the mathematical aspects of the construction. Younger children build simple tall towers, and staff use vocabulary about shape and colour. This means that children can play alongside each other at the same activity and learn at their natural pace. Children gain a strong understanding of the world as they can take part in nature projects in the garden and wildlife area. For example, children have a 'bug hotel' where they can examine the creatures that live inside. Children carried out the planting in the garden and continue to water and care for the plants. Staff make sure that the resources reflect a diverse world

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who attend

Staff work with parents to gather children's starting points and make sure that children are well settled and secure before making any assessments. Staff make regular observations and include a lot of detail to make sure they can accurately reflect each area of learning. Each term, staff review children's progress against their expected levels of development and meet with the parents to establish the next steps. This builds a strong partnership. Staff plan activities to facilitate children's next steps. The rising fives session is used to concentrate on more complex games and activities that provide a good level of challenge for children going on to school. Children make good progress given their starting points and capabilities.

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

Staff act as key people for a number of children in the pre-school, but the size of the pre- school means that all staff know children very well. Children have as much time as they need to settle in and staff are very considerate of children's feelings. For example, they have a 'feeling of the week' which helps children to explore and understand feeling anxious, happy or excited. Children have an interest table and their own pre-school bag which gives them a strong sense of belonging. Their key person oversees their development and works with the parents to provide consistent care. Staff organise the learning environment very effectively to maximise children's independence and choice. They plan activities to meet children's immediate interests, such as providing play dough with the play kitchen when children start pretending to make cakes. Children ask for different resources and activities and can be confident that staff will respond quickly.

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

Activities are enticing because staff pick up on how children use the resources, so children using musical instruments soon become a band marching in and out of cones. Children can move freely between the indoor play room and the outside area. This suits those children who enjoy very active play. Children benefit from a healthy lifestyle. Children regularly play in the fresh air and enjoy a range of physical activities such as using ride-on toys, digging, or exploring the wildlife garden. Children also develop good small muscle control as they manipulate small craft materials to make pictures, or carefully balance construction bricks. Children have healthy snacks and eat the tomatoes they have grown, or try the pumpkin soup they have made. This helps children to know which foods are good for them. Staff support children to eat the savoury items in their packed lunches before anything else and help to make meal

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

times a sociable occasion. Children adopt good safety habits as they understand that toys left on the floor might trip someone up. Staff are skilled at prompting children to consider what the consequences might be, which builds children's ability to consider their actions. As a result, children are happy to take responsibility for picking up things they have accidentally knocked over. Children enjoy being independent in their personal hygiene and have good personal care skills. For example, they learn to put on their coats and manage their lunch boxes.

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

Children are well-behaved. They understand how to take turns and ask to use the sand- timer to help their friends know when a turn has finished. Children are very cooperative in role play and invite their friends to join them, deciding on roles and the story. If children do have a dispute, they can sort it out for themselves and are assertive about what they want. Staff compiled a booklet for children moving on to school which included thoughtful items such as photographs of the school entrance and the friends who would be going to school with them. As a result, children have the skills they need for the next stage in their learning.

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provision

The staff and committee have a good understanding of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. The inspection took place as a result of a notification by the manager to Ofsted of an incident in the pre-school. The manager and chairperson worked together in following their procedures in a robust and timely manner. As a result, the incident was dealt with appropriately and no children were at risk of harm. All staff are checked as to their suitability and they have a thorough knowledge of the safeguarding procedures and policies. Staff regularly renew their child protection knowledge, and they know who to report to should they have concerns about the welfare of a child. New staff have a robust induction and ongoing support in the supervision and appraisal process. The small team work alongside each other continually and frequently share ideas to evaluate the day to day provision. The manager uses supervision and appraisal to build on the

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provision

staff's existing strengths and identify any areas for development. New ideas are considered thoroughly before being implemented so that they can work consistently with a good understanding of the intended outcome. For example, a new system to support children's good behaviour is thoroughly explored and then shared with parents. This means that new systems can be effective, as everyone has a strong understanding of how to carry it out. Senior managers review the learning journals to ensure that staff are maintaining the required standard. This helps them to identify any achievement gaps which may have implications for resources, planning or staff training. For example, they identified that new children or children with communication difficulties would not know what resources were available, reducing their ability to choose activities. As a result, staff have compiled a photo book so that children can look through and select what they would

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provision

like. The committee also evaluates its practice and makes improvements such as producing an induction pack for new members. However, there is less evidence of the committee, managers, staff, children and parents working together to evaluate as a whole. This means that the improvements being made do not always reflect a shared vision.

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provision

Parents have good opportunities to be involved in the pre-school. The committee is made up of parents and they run a number of social events and open afternoons through the year. Parents can stay and help settle their children, or volunteer in the pre-school. Parents describe the staff as being very approachable and working closely with them to meet the needs of the children. Parents greatly appreciate the support they receive using shared strategies to support children's communication and development. They enjoy seeing their children make strong progress. Staff have build good relationships with local schools and other agencies. They work with reception teachers to enable a smooth transition. Staff also work with other professionals to get children the support they need for any additional needs. This means that children enjoy cohesive, consistent care.

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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 109533 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 935534 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 27 Name of provider Union Corner Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 17/07/2013 Telephone number 07980 424579

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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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