Wollaston and Strixton Preschool

Wollaston and Strixton Pre-School Wollaston Community Primary School, College Street, Wollaston, WELLINGBOROUGH, Northamptonshire, NN29 7SF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/11/2013 23/09/2009

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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

 Children feel safe and secure within the pre-school as staff provide a warm and caring environment. Children have familiar routines and talk regularly about their home life. This means they have a strong sense of belonging.  Teaching is good as staff fully understand how to support children's learning. They readily support children's individual development by providing challenge, so that children become even more involved in activities.  Partnerships with parents, schools and outside agencies are well embedded. Personalised support is provided for all children, particularly those with additional needs, ensuring they settle into the pre-school and confidently transfer to school.  Staff successfully identify and minimalise risks inside and outside of the pre-school. Children are safeguarded because staff are aware of their responsibilities to supervise and protect them from potential harm.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to provide further opportunities to support and extend staff's understanding of how to use a variety of teaching methods to support children's learning, in particular their ability in creating and thinking critically.  The outdoor area could be further enhanced to create a more highly stimulating environment that provides increased opportunities for all children to practise their physical skills, promote creativity and support understanding of the natural world.

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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 activities throughout the pre-school in both the indoor and outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the nominated person, the manager and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation including children's records, learning and development information, evidence of the suitability of staff and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector spoke to the children during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation in the pre-school room with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Wollaton and Strixton Pre-School was registered in 1965 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is managed by a voluntary committee and is situated in purpose-built premises attached to Wollaston Community Primary School, Northamptonshire. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during term time from 9am until 12 noon, and from 9am until 3pm on Wednesdays, with children attending for a variety of sessions. There are currently 51 children on roll, 46 of whom are within the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school also operates an out of school club during term time.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, the manager holds a foundation degree, one member of staff holds Early Years Professional Status and another is working towards a degree, four members of staff hold a level 3 qualification and one is unqualified.

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

 enhance the outdoor environment, to provide children with further opportunities to develop their physical skills, creativity and understanding of the natural world

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

 extend children's learning potential by providing staff with additional opportunities to develop their teaching, to more effectively support children thinking critically.

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who attend

Children are well supported in their learning and development because the pre-school staff have a good understanding of how children learn. Parents and children are warmly greeted by staff, so that they feel welcome. Staff provide a wide range of activities and experiences for all children who attend, covering all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage, including both inside and the outdoor environment. The staff ensure a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led experiences are available for all children to participate. The children are encouraged and supported to make independent choices from a good variety of resources. As a result, they thoroughly enjoy the time spent at the pre-school and are enthusiastic and motivated to learn. Staff support children well to achieve, praising their efforts, which encourages them to persist and concentrate during activities. Therefore, children display a high level of involvement and focus. For example,

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who attend

they are captivated during an adult-led activity, spending a great deal of time putting the pieces together. When achieved, the staff member thanks and praises the children for their efforts. All children make good progress with their listening, understanding and speaking skills, including children who have identified speech and language delay. Children make good contributions during circle time, sharing their experiences from home. For example, children are excited to take home 'Travelling Ted', a soft toy that is used to provide opportunities for children and their families to share experiences from outside of the pre-school. Parents often supply photographic evidence and written annotations, which are shared with others in the group.

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who attend

The quality of teaching across the nursery is good with some elements of outstanding practice, and all children are happy to engage with staff, who are extremely knowledgeable of individual children and ways to support all areas of learning and independence. Staff make precise observations of children's achievements, including the progress check at age two. The staff help to create next steps in the children's learning and implement these within the children's individual learning plan; this ensures that each child is supported and challenged in their learning and development. For example, staff use picture cues and simple word sentences to support a child with a speech delay; this aids understanding and encourages speech. Staff use similar methods to effectively support children who speak English as an additional language. Staff demonstrate excellent teaching skills that support children's learning well, ensuring opportunities for children to

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who attend

access adult-led and child-initiated experiences daily. For example, children are given the responsibility to self-select snack and independently pour themselves a drink, while the younger children are supported by a known adult, if required. Staff listen to children, developing their thinking by asking relevant questions about what they are doing and why they are doing it. However, staff do not always give children time to think about their reply or give thought to their responses. As a result, children's critical thinking is not fully maximised. That said, children use language well during play and use their imaginations. Children have opportunities to develop their physical skills and have a good understanding of mathematical concepts, for example, selecting the size of paper to paint on.

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who attend

Children's starting points are attained on entry to the pre-school from detailed conversations between the child's key person and family members. Parents are given periodic reports of their child's achievements and progress towards the early learning goals, highlighting how the family can support the learning and development of their child. As parents are valued as active contributors to their children's learning, they are encouraged to share relevant experiences that happen outside of the pre-school, supporting their child's achievements so these can be included in their child's learning journal. Children within the pre-school are making good progress as staff are very skilled at identifying the interests of individual children and how they learn. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as the staff take full regard of the focus of their individual needs and next steps in learning. Parental partnerships are well

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who attend

embedded within the pre-school, keeping them informed about their child's learning. For example, parents are invited to stay and play sessions where they learn how the Early Years Foundation Stage supports their children's learning and development. Parents have continuous access to their child's learning journey and are encouraged to make their own contribution, sharing activities undertaken outside of the pre-school. The out of school club documents complement the children's progress and support learning in school.

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

Staff have created a caring and nurturing environment for children. As a result, they enter extremely happy and settled in this welcoming pre-school. Children have developed strong relationships with key adults and have bonded well with other children. The highly functioning key person system supports the child and their family, giving them a sense of belonging because staff are observant to their individual needs and value their ideas. Staff collect high quality information from parents during the initial stages of entry and use this to support the children's transition to pre-school. All parents are offered pre-visits, so that they can stay with their child until they feel they are ready to be left. Feedback is given daily to the parents about their child's day, and staff listen well to what parents have to say.

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

Children are seen to be confident and self-motivated learners who develop the necessary skills to prepare them for their future transition to school. This is achieved because the manager and staff have devised the classroom to enable children to become active learners and independent. They have ensured that there are plenty of accessible resources, and that all children have access to the inside and outdoor environment. Staff undertake risk assessments to help safeguard the children as they move freely throughout the pre-school. The vibrant classroom and vast range of resources and experiences provide a highly enjoyable and challenging environment for children. That said, there is scope to further enhance the outdoor area to create a more highly stimulating environment, providing increased opportunities for all children to practise their physical skills, promote creativity and complement the children's understanding of the natural

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

world to their full potential. Children learn to cooperate and negotiate with their peers because staff implement a consistent behaviour management system, which takes in account the children's level of maturity and understanding. Those children who require support to understand and follow rules about, for example, sharing and using kind hands, are supported very well and praised for their efforts and achievements. As a result, children gain a high sense of self-esteem because they know they are appreciated. Children are polite and play very well together. They follow instructions and display the ability to sort out any minor disagreements. These skills make a good contribution for when they move on to more formal learning.

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

Children's health and well-being are promoted successfully. Systems are embedded to identify and inform staff of any health or dietary issues that children may have, and there are concise records of any accidents or medications administered. All children are encouraged to enjoy food and make healthy choices in order to promote their growth and development. For example, the pre-school ensures that they are offered a variety of healthy choices for their snack, such as fresh fruit. Staff have applied effective hygiene routines, supporting children to develop healthy habits, such as washing their hands before eating their snack and after using the toilet. This helps to prevent the spread of infection.

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provision

The manager and staff have a high aspiration for all children to achieve their full potential. The manager fully understands her responsibilities with regard to the implementation of the welfare reuirements and the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The manager and staff regularly review nursery systems during staff meetings to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the families using them and to support continues improvement. All staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and their duty to protect children. Child protection and first aid training are mandatory for all staff, and all policies and procedures are reviewed annually by the manager and committee. This ensures that knowledge is constantly refreshed and updated. New staff, students and volunteers undertake induction training, so that they know what is expected of them from the start, and all staff are checked for

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provision

suitability to work with children. Staff undertake daily risk assessments to ensure that the premises, equipment and outside environment are safe. This ensures that children can play in a secure, safe environment where risks are minimised. All documentation is in place, for example, records of individual children's needs and their attendance, and any accidents or incidents are accurately recorded. The manager displays a strong understanding of how to manage complaints in line with the requirements.

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provision

The pre-school is well organised and staff work collaboratively to provide an inclusive environment to support all children's learning and development. Staff are organised effectively so that children's learning and development is supported consistently, for example, staff meet after each session to share information. Regular peer observations and supervision meetings work alongside annual appraisals. This is used to monitor the quality of staff practice, helping to identify strengths of staff or areas that may require support. For example, staff that are currently working towards a formal qualification are mentored in-house. Since the last inspection, the staff have undertaken a great deal of training to enhance their existing knowledge of effective teaching and learning. Some staff have completed early years degree qualifications and others have completed training around the needs of two-year-olds, to ensure meeting their needs, due to current demand

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provision

for this age group. The manager and staff work closely with the committee, keeping them informed about where improvements are needed to benefit the children, ensuring a positive impact on all children's learning and development.

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provision

Parents speak highly of the pre-school, with comments such as 'I feel respected, valued and my contributions are heard', 'I love the fact that leaders welcome the children by name' and 'my child's key person supported my child through transition from home to pre- school, identifying that he like cars and dressing up'. Parents are very positive about the dedication of the manager and staff, using phrases like 'good role models'. The manager ensures the parents understand how learning is promoted to their children, and they have good information available about how they can support this within their home environment. The manager has established good relationships with other providers, often coming together to use local facilities, such as sport day or opportunities to share training needs. Partnerships with other specialised services have also been embedded, supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children have lots of

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provision

opportunities to visit the adjoining school, where most children transfer. The staff complete an assessment for the reception teacher, so that children have continuity when they begin school. Staff work alongside the parents and children, seeking their thoughts or comments through questionnaires and ongoing discussions. Their views are compiled into the self-reflection and improvement plan for the pre-school.

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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 EY390774 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 879089

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 51 Name of provider Wollaston and Strixton Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 23/09/2009 Telephone number 01933664551

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Type of provision

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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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