Netley Abbey Pre-school

Netley Abbey Pre-school Netley Abbey Infant & Junior School, Westwood Road, Netley Abbey, SOUTHAMPTON, SO31 5EL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/11/2013 27/01/2009

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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

 Staff use effective teaching methods and a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated play, enabling children to be motivated and make good progress.  A strong partnership with parents enables them to contribute to children's learning, at home and in the pre-school.  Staff model good behaviour and children are caring and supportive of each other so they enjoy their learning experiences together.  The outdoor environment is well resourced with a good range of equipment and activities to promote all areas of learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, large group activities do not take into account children's varying levels of interest to make the best of the learning opportunities.  Children learning English as an additional language do not have extensive opportunities to hear and use their home language in everyday play.

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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 gained the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed and spoke to staff and children inside and in the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, including children's development records, safeguarding and behaviour policies.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with management to discuss recruitment and safeguarding procedures.

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Information about the setting

Netley Abbey Pre-school registered in January 2009 and operates from Netley Abbey Infant School. The provision is open from 8.45am to 3.15pm from Monday to Thursday, and until 11.45am on Fridays. Children have use of a classroom with adjacent toilets and a fully enclosed garden area. The pre-school is easily accessible. Children also have use of the library, playground and hall in the infant school. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as children for whom English is an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 57 children on roll. The setting is in receipt of nursery funding for two-, three- and four-year-olds. A total of seven staff work with the children, some of whom are part-time. Of these, all but one hold relevant qualifications to level 3. Two members of staff are working towards a level 3 qualification and one is working towards an early years foundation degree.

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

 adapt large group activities to more fully include those children who are less interested or younger to promote their learning at all levels

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

 enhance the opportunities for children to hear and use their home language in their play.

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who attend

Staff enable all children to make good progress in their learning given their starting points. Children are provided with an effective balance of adult-planned and child-initiated activities. For example, staff help children to develop their mathematical skills by sorting objects and small figures. Staff teach children about simple concepts, such as 'same', 'similar' and 'different'. Children are then motivated to extend their learning as they move to another part of the pre-school and begin to sort other toys independently. Staff provide good opportunities for children to be independent learners. At the painting easel staff provide a range of resources, such as textured rollers and different sized brushes, to promote children's creative development. Staff encourage children to choose their own paint and squeeze it from the container. Children enjoy experimenting with mixing colours, making the green darker. They show real excitement in this achievement telling an adult

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who attend

'Look. I've made army green!' Staff respond positively to children's interests. The member of staff says 'I have a friend in the army. Shall I ask him to visit wearing his uniform?' Staff make and record regular observations of children's play to assess their progress. These development records provide comprehensive information about children's development and inform planning for each child's next stage of their learning.

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who attend

Generally, staff plan activities to include all children. For example, they talk to the children about 'superheroes', to encourage more active boys to extend their learning. Many children become instantly engaged in the whole group discussion, using descriptive language and vocabulary, such as 'flying' and 'swooping'. They talk about each hero's super powers with interest, ready to act them out in the school playground. However, some children, particularly those who are younger, begin to lose interest, so learning opportunities for those children are missed. Children learning English are generally well supported. Staff use key words in the child's home language to greet and praise them. Labels around the room are in dual language. However, staff do not provide extensive opportunities to enable children to hear and use their own language as they play, to enhance their acquisition of English. For example, they do not play recordings of familiar

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who attend

songs and rhymes in their home language.

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who attend

Staff provide a range of activities in the well-resourced outdoor area, which is used throughout the session. Children can develop their physical skills by balancing on the bendy balance bar, or climb and jump on the play equipment. Staff extend opportunities for children to practise early writing skills or make models with construction equipment outside. In addition, they teach children about the world around them as they plant and grow vegetables in the school garden. Consequently, children who learn best outside have good opportunities to do so.

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who attend

Staff enable parents to be involved in their children's learning. They are encouraged to completed 'Wow' forms to capture and record any of their child's achievements at home. This information feeds into the child's development record to provide a complete picture of their progress. Parents are also encouraged to provide familiar objects, toys and photographs for their child's 'Chatter Box'. Staff then use these objects to prompt discussion, to promote children's language and vocabulary and enhance their communication skills. This enables children to be well prepared for their next stage of learning at school.

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

Staff welcome children warmly on arrival, and children quickly find their friends and choose an activity. This shows that they are happy and settled. The key person system is very effective, and children relate very well to their special person. Consequently, even children who have been attending for a short time feel emotionally secure. The key person plans activities to help their children make the best progress, and liaises closely with the child's family to promote their welfare. This helps to ensure that every child's individual needs are met.

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

Staff are good role models for children's behaviour. Children meet staff's high expectations of behaviour and minor disputes are rare. As a result, children develop strong relationships with the staff and their friends. For example, when a child has trouble squeezing the paint bottle, a member of staff goes to help. Another child quickly says, 'Don't worry. I'm helping her'. Resources are plentiful and of good quality. Most toys and equipment are stored in low-level units, enabling children to make choices in their play. Staff label toys with writing and pictures. Consequently, children of all abilities can find what they want, and learn that words carry meaning.

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

Even the youngest children are helped to be independent in their personal care. Staff teach them about keeping themselves healthy from the outset. When children are asked why they are using soap to wash their hands, they reply 'We need to wash the germs away before we can eat the fruit!' In the school playground, children demonstrate a secure knowledge of safety. Staff enable children to take considered risks, such as running with a stick, because they provide clear explanations about how to manage their safety, and that of others.

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provision

The joint managers fully understand their responsibilities to meet safeguarding and welfare requirements. They work closely with the staff team to provide a safe and secure environment for children. Regular and effective risk assessments are used to create a safe place for children to learn and development. Staff fully understand the procedures to implement to protect children. Some have completed child protection training and all staff demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of the pre-school's safeguarding policies.

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provision

Robust recruitment procedures are followed to help ensure all staff are suitable for their role. Good induction systems enable new staff to become familiar with their roles and responsibilities. Management provide less experienced staff with a mentor to help them develop their practice, to ensure children's progress is consistently good. The managers complete staff appraisals every six months to identify any training needs and to celebrate achievement. The team demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been addressed in full and self- evaluation is accurate, and includes the views of parents and children. Staff regularly attend training events. They make full use of what they learn to provide good learning opportunities for children. For example, staff have attended 'Keep on Talking' training and implemented ideas from this to enhance children's communication and language skills.

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provision

The team discuss proposed improvements at regular meetings. They are currently piloting a new snack system to help them use all routine activities to provide additional learning opportunities for children.

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provision

The joint managers effectively monitor the educational programme through regular observation of staff practice and reviews of children's development records. Records show that the assessment of children's progress is consistent. All staff know children well and are involved in planning activities for them that meet their individual learning needs. Staff liaise well with other early years providers who share the care and education of children attending. Written progress reports are exchanged and in some cases, children's key person from another setting will visit. This provides a good level of consistency and complements children's learning experience. The pre-school has good links with the school. As a result, children become familiar with the school environment and enjoy visits from the reception and head teachers. Management and staff have developed strong partnerships with parents. They involve parents fully in their children's learning by keeping

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provision

them well informed of their progress and next steps. Newsletters keep them up to date with events and planned changes, but parents also welcome the daily informal discussions with the approachable staff.

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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 EY379201 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 844469 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 57 Name of provider Lesley Dunn and Teresa Chalk Partnership Date of previous inspection 27/01/2009 Telephone number 07880 591 946

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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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