Thornhill Community Pre-School

Thornhill Community Pre-School Thornhill Sure Start Childrens Centre, Edge Lane, DEWSBURY, West Yorkshire, WF12 0QT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/11/2013 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

 Practitioners fully understand the arrangements for safeguarding and are confident in their convictions that they will be able to implement them effectively if necessary. This ensures children are safeguarded.  There is a good overview of the curriculum and educational programmes are well monitored. Assessments are accurate and next steps are clearly identified and planned for. This ensures children are well challenged and continue to make good progress.  The setting is fully committed to working with parents and other professionals. This means that appropriate support is sought and makes a good contribution towards meeting children's individual needs.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to improve the use of signs that are aimed at encouraging children's interest in numbers and counting.  There is scope to provide more opportunities for children to see their home language within the setting.

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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 activities in two play rooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day, and from information included in the setting's own parent questionnaires.  The inspector carried out a joint observation and held discussions with children.

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Information about the setting

Thornhill Community Pre-school was re-opened in 2013 on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose built premises in the Thornhill area of Dewsbury and is managed by a company. The setting serves the local and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children. It operates from rooms within the Thornhill Sure Start Children's Centre and there is an outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one at level 2. The setting opens Monday to Friday term-time only. Sessions are from 8.40am until 11.40am and 12.40pm until 3.40pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 90 children attending who are in the early years age group. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The setting is a member of the Pre- school Learning Alliance.

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

 enhance the way signs are used to encourage children to recognise and count numbers in order to enrich their mathematical understanding

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

 enhance the use of children's home language in the setting to further support the development of English by, for example, displaying more written captions or adding labels to food packets.

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who attend

There is a very good balance of adult-led and child-initiated play activities that are very well planned, purposeful and developmentally appropriate. Skilled practitioners regularly observe and analyse children's progress and their developing interests. They are efficient at identifying the correct development bands that children are working within, and subsequently their next steps in learning. Practitioners use this information very effectively to plan for children's individual learning needs. As a result, children make good progress in all seven areas of learning and this prepares them for school. Practitioners are committed to supporting the development of children's personal, social and emotional skills, physical skills and communication and language. This helps children make the best progress they can relative to the initial assessment carried out by practitioners once children have settled. The systems in place very effectively promote partnerships with parents and other

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who attend

early years providers. Parents contribute to their children's progress records by sharing what their children are learning at home. They know who their child's key person is, attend a parents' evening once a year and regularly discuss their child's development and what they are learning. This helps them to support their children's learning at home and their continued progress towards the early learning goals.

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who attend

The environment, resources and activities are interesting, varied and well planned. As a result, children develop a good disposition to learning. Teaching is good because practitioners demonstrate a good understanding of how children learn; they model the use of sustained shared thinking and use open-ended questions. For example, children watch as practitioners demonstrate how weigh scales work. They ask children 'what can we do to make the scales go down?'. As children take over adding and removing weights, practitioners introduce words, such as, 'up', 'down', 'heavy' and 'light', encouraging children to describe what is happening and why. They ask 'what flavour buns are you making?' and 'what shape is this?'. As a result, children continue to develop their skills in communication and maths. Practitioners use simple statements that encourage children to listen and follow instructions, such as 'put the red keys onto the ring'. Children become

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who attend

engrossed, grouping the different colours together and the practitioners skilfully introduce numbers and counting. As a result, children are learning to count. However, the use of signs is not always fully embraced in order to promote the already good learning experiences that promote children's interest in numbers and counting. For example, the number lines used within the setting are very crowded. Consequently, children are sometimes unable to distinguish how many items there are in order to deepen their mathematical knowledge.

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who attend

Practitioners are enthusiastic and actively encourage children's vivid imagination. Children carefully negotiate an obstacle course as they run away from aliens and practitioners encourage them to make use of wooden blocks to build a space ship. They talk about different planets and remind children to fasten their seatbelt before prompting them to count down from ten to zero before blast off back to earth. As a result, children remain motivated and interested in learning. Practitioners support children with English as an additional language well. They teach children to use single words and visual signs to help them to communicate. Practitioners listen to children very carefully and acknowledge what they are saying. This helps to develop children's use of English and consequently they become more confident to express themselves. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to explore written captions or print in their home language alongside English to

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

Good health and well-being is very well promoted through effective planning that teaches children about the benefits of fresh air and exercise through appropriate challenges. For example, a themed activity about space is extended as children use crates, planks and wooden blocks to build a space ship. They run from aliens and learn to balance and negotiate different obstacles. This also teaches children to learn how to manage risks and behave in ways that are safe for them and others. Practitioners are good role models and talks to each other with respect to help children learn. They gently remind children not to throw, to be careful when running and climbing and encourage them to share and take turns. Consequently, children are very well behaved and have learnt to respect one another.

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

Children are provided with a healthy balanced diet that takes account of specific dietary needs and include a combination of lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, some of which children have planted, grown and helped to prepare. This helps to teach children about healthy eating. Practitioners teach children the importance of good hygiene practices. As a result, children quickly learn to wash and dry their hands after using the toilet, before snacks and after craft activities. Practitioners teach children about good oral hygiene through encouraging them to brush their teeth after snacks. An exclusion policy is implemented for children who are infectious, which helps to protect others. Children move freely within an environment where they independently select resources and activities that interest them and keep them motivated to learn.

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

The key person system is well embedded and the settling-in process is particularly well managed. Changes to a child's initial key person are very rare and parents say they find the flexibility of the settling-in process very reassuring. This ensures that a strong partnership is quickly developed and onward transitions, such as from home into the setting are well managed. As a result, parents and children develop the confidence to separate. Children show through their body language that they are happy, safe and secure. They have quickly developed strong bonds with their key person and look to them for reassurance and quickly seek them out for support. This shows children have built trusting relationships with adults. Practitioners have established firm links with other early years settings children attend. For example, assessments of children's progress are shared and teachers visit the setting to observe children. Practitioners from the setting visit the

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

schools with children to help them become familiar with the new environment. This promotes and supports children's transition into school and helps teachers develop an understanding of what children can do on entry.

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provision

The manager has reflected critically on the quality of the setting and the impact of teaching on children's learning. She works closely with her practitioners and encourages parents to share their views through questionnaires to help identify priorities for improvement. Good partnership working with children's parents has been developed. This has resulted in parents contributing to their children's progress records. Consequently, there is a more accurate record of children's development. This helps practitioners plan more effectively for children's individual learning needs. As a result, children continue to make good progress. Effective partnerships with other professionals and outside agencies have been developed and effectively support children and their families. The process for tracking children's progress is constantly reviewed to ensure that any gaps in learning are quickly identified. Consequently, additional support for children and their families who

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provision

need it is quickly sought. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in their learning.

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provision

Practitioners state that they fell well supported in pursuing their professional development and are encouraged to continue to attend appropriate training. Their performance and its impact on children's learning are well monitored, they attend regular staff meetings, supervision meetings and yearly appraisals are carried out. This ensures that practitioners are mentored well and continue to improve their knowledge and understanding of children's development.

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provision

Practitioners demonstrate a good understanding of child protection and are confident in their ability to implement procedures effectively in order to protect children. Recruitment procedures ensure that all practitioners working with children are suitable to do so. All required documentation is in place and include procedures to be implemented in the event of lost, uncollected children and safeguarding. Robust risk assessments clearly identify possible hazards and the action taken to reduce any risks to children. Accidents are clearly recorded and analysed. They identify any actions that have been taken to reduce risks to children. This helps to ensure children's safety.

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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 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 EY465252 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 923321 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 46 Number of children on roll 90 Name of provider Thornhill Community Pre-School Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01924 325281

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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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