Barrow Hill Pre-School

Barrow Hill Pre-School The Tenant's Hall, Barrow Hill Estate, Allitsen Road, LONDON, NW8 7BD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/11/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 A well established key person system helps children form secure bonds and this help further supports children to become independent and school ready.  Staff are good role models. As a result children are well behaved and care for their own environment and learn to help each other.  Staff are patient and allow children time to respond to questions. This enables children to become critical thinkers.  Staff plan exciting and challenging activities, based on the children's interests and accurate observations of what they can do. This helps children become eager learners and progress well in all areas of learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always use praise purposefully and explain why they are praising children's achievements to reinforce what they are doing well.

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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 the main room where children played and the outside play space.  The inspector held long discussions with staff and the manager.  The inspector sampled documentation, and policies and procedures.  The inspector spoke to parents.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Barrow Hill Pre-School registered in 1992 and re-registered in 2013 due to a change of ownership from committee to a private company. The pre-school operates from the first floor hall of a community building on the Barrow Hill estate, in St. Johns Wood, London. The pre-school is open each weekday from 8.45am to 3.30pm term time only. The pre- school is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 24 children on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions each week. Systems are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school employs four full-time staff, including the manager, of whom all hold appropriate early years qualifications. There is an additional lunch time worker.

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

 improve ways staff use praise purposefully by providing an explanation for what children are doing well or achieving.

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who attend

Children make good progress in the pre-school, as staff provide a wide and exciting educational programme that covers all the areas of learning. They plan and provide a wide variety of interesting and challenging activities supported by good quality resources. When appropriate, staff observe how children's play develops, interacting occasionally to encourage or extend learning. Staff take positive steps to find out what interests each child and how much they know and can do. They observe children regularly and use these achievement records to monitor children's progress and plan the next steps in their learning.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. The quality of teaching is good because, staff continually attend a variety of courses, make improvements to their practice and use effective strategies, to support and match individual children's needs. As a result, this has positive impact on the outcomes for all children, including those with special educational needs and /or disabilities and those learning English as a second language.There is a robust key person system in place, that includes gathering detailed information from parents. Parents are required to complete an 'All about me' booklet, which is used during settling in of children. The pre-school is very proactive in including parental input and using shared home experiences that inform future planning. In addition, parents are invited in regularly to look at assessment documents and talk about their children's progress, in particular, the progress checks for

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who attend

children aged two years. Parents report that this is very useful as it helps them understand how children learn from activities and develop their skills. Staff effectively use all the documentation gathered to accurately monitor and identify any areas where children need further support. As a result, children consistently make good progress and are gaining the key skills needed for their next stages in learning, in relation to their starting points. Consequently, children are preparing well for school.

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who attend

Children show an eagerness to learn and are engaged in activities for long periods of time. Children select, look at, and read books of their choice and some older children correctly identify some letters in the alphabet. Younger children enjoy listening to staff read familiar stories to them. Staff skilfully read the stories repeatedly, however, leaving out words and some longer sentences, and waiting for children to eagerly shout out the correct words. This enhances their understanding and listening skills.

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who attend

Children enjoy playing with a good variety of resources that they can investigate and explore at their leisure. Staff respond well to children and listen to their thoughts and ideas. Staff ask questions that extend children's experiences and learning. For example, as children use clay to make create models, staff ask them to describe exactly what they have created. Children talk about the shape, smells, likes and dislikes as they activity progresses. Staff make very good use of questioning as they challenge children to recognise and compare colour, number, shape and size to support their mathematical development.

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

A well-established key person system helps children relax and settle quickly. This enables them to make good progress in their personal, emotional and social development. Staff support children well as they develop a sense of security and confidence as they progress well in their communication and physical skills. Staff are genuinely interested in what children want to say and do. Staff talk to children and greet them with warm hugs and warm smiles. As a result, children talk happily about their play, make decisions about what they want to do, and are confident to ask for what they need.

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

Children are given time to develop their ideas and interests, enabling them to practise skills they already know and try new ones. For example, staff give clear instructions to young children about how to use the scissors correctly when cutting shapes out. Staff wait and watch children giving them plenty of opportunities to think about how to hold them correctly, before rushing in and helping them. This helps them become confident to take risks and further encourages their independence.

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

All staff are very good role models, and provide clear guidance for children as they explain about what is acceptable behaviour. Staff have built strong relationships with the children and model respect and thoughtfulness for all children. Staff talk with great care as they address children with kind words and regular praise which reinforces their emotional attachments towards all the staff at the setting. However, staff do not use purposeful praise to describe and explain what exactly children have achieved to promote their understanding of what they are doing well further.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of how to safeguard children and teach them understand about keeping themselves safe in and out of the pre-school. The effective deployment of staff, robust risk assessments and purposeful daily routines that involve children taking part in keeping their environment safe, show that children are actively understanding how to manage themselves well. For example, during tidy up times, children are very proud of placing all the resources in the correct areas, and understand that keeping them out could result in someone tripping over. Children take a very mature approach to looking after their pre-school. They clear away toys and make sure the role area is attractively presented for the next child.

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

Through good daily healthy routines, staff make children aware of how to look after themselves and manage their personal care. For example, children independently sweep sand from the floor, lay the snack tables with personalised table mats with the names of all their peers, wash their hands after messy activities and after going to the toilet. In addition, children are always able to help themselves to water, when they become thirsty. Staff talk to children about why it is important to provide a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, and request parents provide wholesome balanced packed lunches. This further contributes to children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle.

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

The pre-school has access to a community play area that is located at the rear of the building. Staff ensure all children are safely taken down the flight of stairs as they enter the outdoor area. Staff fully risk assess the area prior to children's arrival, as it is shared with the residents. Staff are very vigilant as children play and have regular head counts to ensure their safety when playing outdoors. Staff plan exciting and challenging physical activities, such as kicking different sized balls and playing catch with bean bags, while others simply run around in the fresh air, or sing songs in small groups, as they play musical instruments. Children have good opportunities to explore the wider world, as they visit the fire station, the local zoo, or simply visit the local shops to buy food or post letters in the box. All children are prepared for their next stage of learning and school as they

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

show high levels of maturity, independence and secure emotional attachments are formed.

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provision

Staff have a clear understanding of how to deliver an exciting and broad educational programme that help children to have good experiences in learning and enjoy their time at the pre-school. The staff team all have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements and how children learn and develop. There are robust arrangements to monitor and evaluate children's progress, and staff act on their findings, so that gaps in learning are closing. Staff enhance their skills by attending courses on specific areas that interest them and improve their practice. Staff hold relevant qualifications and use their knowledge effectively to plan for individual children's needs. In addition, the key person system ensures all children receive individual support, which means that they make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

The manager has given a high priority to staff development and supervision, as she is clearly focused on improving outcomes for all children. The manager is very keen that senior leaders continue to further their qualifications. For example, the deputy has attended a full time course in leadership and management, which has enhanced her understanding of the management of the pre-school.

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provision

The management have a good understanding of their responsibility in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Arrangements for safeguarding children are robust. Risk assessment and thorough daily checks ensure that all areas of the indoor and outdoor environments are safe for the children to attend. All required child record forms and documentation are in place to support children's well-being and maintain confidentiality.

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provision

Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff go through the necessary checks to be working directly with children. Good induction systems for new staff and regular supervision enables the manager to observe staff interactions with children and ensure staff's suitability for their role. There is a strong focus on child protection procedures, that staff may have to follow if they are required to report any concerns. The management monitors staff performance through regular appraisals and checks on the children's learning journals. This ensures that staff are able to correctly monitor and identify children's current stages of learning. The management seeks the views of the parents through verbal feedback and comments are noted in self-evaluation documents. Staff have opportunities to put forward any suggestions through staff meetings and appraisals. This ensures all users have an input into the continuous

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provision

Partnerships with parents are positive; parents arrive at the pre-school and share a range of information with their children's key person. This supports continuity of children's care routines, especially for the youngest children, whose routines frequently change. Parents comment that they are happy with the care their children receive and like being able to see the learning journals regularly and contribute to their children's learning. Wider partnerships work effectively to support children's care, learning and development. This enables staff to seek advice or support, which ensures that all children make good progress in relation to their starting points and receive the support they need.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY462135 Local authority Westminster Inspection number 912218 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider Barrow Hill Pre-School Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 02077225455

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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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