London Road Pre-School

London Road Pre School The Scout Hall, London Road, Dereham, NORFOLK, NR19 1AS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/11/2013 13/07/2011

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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 observations and assessment successfully to plan for children's next steps in their learning; therefore, children make consistent progress in relation to their starting points.  Parents and carers are welcomed warmly into the setting and are involved in their children's learning and development. This results in good continuity of care for all.  The warm, caring interaction of staff and effective team working creates a welcoming, positive environment for the children.  There is a strong commitment to improve the pre-school further by setting ambitious targets and action plans.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to explore technology during their everyday experiences are not fully extended.  There is no cosy area where children can sit quietly and comfortably to talk to one another, or just rest or relax.

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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 activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector held discussions with the manager and staff.  The inspector talked to the children, watched them play and have their lunch.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of the children's development records and planning documentation.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of records including children's details, staff records, accident and medication records, risk assessments, staff supervision procedures and a selection of other documentation, such as the safeguarding policy.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

London Road Pre-School opened in 1968 and re-registered in new premises in 2010 and is registered on the Early Years Register. The pre-school operates from the Scout Hall in the centre of Dereham in Norfolk and serves the town and surrounding villages. Children use a large hall and an enclosed outdoor play area, and have access to bathroom and cloakroom facilities.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is managed by a voluntary committee that employs three members of childcare staff. All staff members hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is open during school term time on Tuesday morning from 9am to 12 midday and on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 9am and 3pm.There are currently 31 children attending who are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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

 extend the opportunities for children to explore technology on a more regular basis

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

 enhance the learning environment further by creating a cosy area with soft mats, blankets and cushions where children can rest, relax or play quietly.

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who attend

The children are happy and settled at the pre-school. They are provided with a wide variety of interesting and challenging learning opportunities and staff get to know them and their families well. This ensures that staff become aware of the children's interests, likes and dislikes, enabling them to feel welcome and become confident and keen to learn. Staff have a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They work well as a team to implement this for each of the children attending. Staff develop a very good understanding of each child's abilities by observing them as they play and through regular discussions with their parents. This enables them to plan experiences, which children enjoy and that offer a good level of challenge.

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who attend

Parents are encouraged to share information about their children in an 'All about me' booklet and through discussions with the key person. This helps to identify children's initial starting points and any additional support they may need when they start attending the pre-school. When staff identify that children need additional support, they work with parents and other professionals to make sure each child's individual needs are met. There are very good arrangements in place to assess and monitor each child's achievements to ensure that they are progressing well. This helps to highlight any gaps in the development of individual children or groups of children. Appropriate arrangements are in place to complete the required progress checks for children aged two years.

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who attend

Children are encouraged to be independent learners, making choices about what they play with, from toys and resources that promote learning in all areas. Children are interested learners who are willing to 'have a go' at activities. They concentrate well and choose their own way of doing things, which are all characteristics of effective learning. Staff also use children's interests to engage them in their learning and ensure that activities are relevant to them. For example, when a child shows an interest in a ladybird, staff provide him with a magnifying glass and bug box; this enables him to examine insects in close detail. Consequently, children make consistent progress in relation to their starting points as they enjoy playing in enabling environments, which respond to their emerging interests.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. Staff support children well as they join in with their learning. They know the children very well and engage in conversations with them about things that are important to them, which supports their acquisition of communication and language skills. The environment is rich in discussion and staff are skilled at introducing new and descriptive words to children as they play. For example, the children enjoy making Christmas decorations, sprinkling glitter onto small fir branches. Staff use words, such as, 'spiky', 'prickly' and 'sparkly', as they explore and describe the textures.

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who attend

Staff provide a well-resourced and welcoming environment to support children's all-round development and emotional well-being. Children enjoy learning about and extending their understanding of the world. For example, they plant a range of herbs in the sensory garden area. They develop their knowledge of the local community and the wider world when they go for walks to the library. Children have some opportunities to learn about technology using items in role-play activities, such as the play hoover. Staff also provide opportunities to extend their understanding of technology with appropriate resources, such as, a camera, torch and computer However, these are not available on a regular enough basis to fully engage and extend children's interest in this area.

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who attend

Staff have high expectations for all the children. Children develop their knowledge of number through play activities and during daily routines. They count in their play and use mathematical language, such as, 'I have made a big tower' and 'I saw a tiny ladybird'. They recognise shape, colour and pattern as they confidently put together jigsaw puzzles, which demonstrate their developing mathematical skills. Children make marks with crayons and pencils, and some show readiness to write their names and other words of interest to them. Staff encourage children to develop their early literacy skills by recognising their name on a teddy as part of the self-registration system when they arrive at the pre-school. They also use them at snack time when children are encouraged to add pictures of food they have eaten to their teddies, which acts as a record that the children have had their snack, and also provides information to parents about what the children

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who attend

have eaten that day. Small world play with animals, people and vehicles allow children to develop their imagination and to explore their ideas and feelings.

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who attend

Parents are actively involved with their children's learning and development. They contribute to the initial assessments of children's starting points on entry and are kept very well informed about their progress. Staff produce well-presented and informative learning journeys for every child. These are regularly shared with parents who are encouraged to contribute to them, sharing their knowledge of their children's achievements and interests at home. Regular newsletters and notice boards inform parents of the activities the children are involved in at the pre-school, which enables them to consolidate their learning at home. Children have many opportunities to practise their skills in all areas of learning. Records show that they make good progress in their physical development, social and emotional development and language. This means they have appropriate skills for their next steps in learning and readiness for school.

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

Children enjoy their time at the pre-school and form very good relationships with staff. They receive extremely good support to settle as the manager and staff team are very sensitive to children's emotional needs. There is a well-established key person system in place, which works very effectively. The key person takes responsibility for liaising with their parents, meeting their personal care needs and planning the next steps in their learning. This promotes their well-being and helps children to feel secure and promotes their self-esteem. Links with other early years settings, attended by children, have been developed and relevant information is shared so that parents are well informed and children have continuity of care.

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

Staff deploy themselves so that children are supervised and supported effectively. The staff are all good role models for the children, helping them to learn to be kind and respectful to each other and to look after and share their toys. Children behave well in the pre-school, as staff consistently use clear rules and gentle reminders to support children to manage their own behaviour. Children respond to staff politely, as staff model the use of good manners when talking to each other and to the children.

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

Children learn how to keep themselves safe and are actively encouraged to be aware of danger. For instance, staff regularly practise the evacuation drills with children so they have a good understanding of what to do in an emergency. Children have opportunities to learn about road safety when walking in the local area and also when the local police officer visits the pre-school. Children are beginning to learn about risk and keeping themselves safe through everyday routines. For example at snack time they spread their own crackers using knives and they use scissors in cutting and sticking activities. Staff carry out daily risk assessments of the environment, toys and equipment to help ensure children's on-going safety. All staff hold paediatric first aid qualifications, which means any accidents occurring can be treated effectively to ensure the well-being of the children.

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

Children have daily opportunities to access physical exercise and fresh air in the large pre- school garden. This helps them to develop their physical skills and supports their good health and well-being. Children are helped to develop a good understanding of healthy eating as they are offered healthy foods at snack time. Staff support children well to learn about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. A particular strength of the pre-school is developing children's independence. This is promoted throughout the learning programme as well as the daily routine. For example, children are encouraged to serve their food and pour their drinks at snack time. They help to tidy away the toys, use the toilet and wash their hands with appropriate support. As a result, children develop good self-care skills.

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

The large hall is made welcoming and child-friendly, with a range of age appropriate and interesting resources set out so that they can find their favourites. However, there is no identified quiet, cosy area where they can go to rest and relax, if they are tired. Children are learning about sharing and turn-taking as staff support them when it comes to sharing popular resources. The resources are easily accessible, to enable children to choose what they want to play with. This promotes children's sense of belonging and independence. Children investigate resources confidently and are able to transport items around the pre- school to extend their play. These independent choices support children for their move to school.

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provision

There are very good arrangements in place to meet the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The manager provides strong leadership and the staff team are motivated and work extremely well together. The manager regularly monitors all aspects of the provision and ensures the children are offered a broad range of experiences across all areas of learning. There are clear supervision and monitoring systems in place, which means that staff are well supported and they are encouraged to further develop their professional qualifications. The manager is currently attending training to raise her qualification level, which enables her to update her knowledge and keep abreast of all childcare and educational changes and developments taking place. The staff also regularly access additional training opportunities to enrich their qualifications and experience. The regular staff meetings are used effectively to monitor

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provision

the educational programmes for groups or individual children. The manager also attends cluster groups with other early years professionals to discuss and share ideas about best practice.

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provision

Staff make very good use of guidance documents, for example, when tracking children's progress. As a result of this, assessments are accurate and reflect what children can do and need to do next. Staff are dedicated, enthusiastic and committed to delivering a high quality teaching and learning experience to children through guided play and exploration. This means the staff team are very strong and continually reflect on and evaluate what they are doing. Consequently, all children are consistently supported to make good progress in their learning and development.

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provision

Staff have a good awareness of safeguarding issues and effective knowledge of their role in child protection. All staff have completed the appropriate training to ensure children are safeguarded. The robust recruitment and vetting procedures, alongside effective induction systems, help to reassure parents and carers of staff's suitability and skills. Pre-school policies are consistently implemented and underpin practice. Effective procedures ensure that staff identify and reduce risks to children.

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provision

The inspection took place following a notification that a pre-school child had managed to slip past a member of staff and out of the premises, whilst the member of staff was speaking with a parent. The inspection found that staff were fully aware of their responsibilities and took all necessary steps to ensure children were safe, informing parents and the relevant authorities. The manager carried out a full review of the procedures for collecting children following the incident and has put in place additional arrangements for supervision. Staff are deployed effectively to ensure children's safety and are vigilant about the security of the children. In addition, the manager routinely reviews risk assessments with the committee and staff to make sure risks are minimised or eliminated. For example, the entrance door is closely monitored during arrival and departure times and visitors are required to show identification and sign in and out of the

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provision

visitor's book to ensure there is an accurate record of everyone visiting the pre-school. Staff carry out regular fire evacuation drills which enable children to learn how to protect themselves in the event of an emergency.

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provision

There have been huge changes made to the pre-school, since the last inspection. Many of the improvements are a result of effective self-evaluation and also feedback from parents. Staff reflect on their weekly planning and review this information at staff meetings and take forward any areas that could further improve the provision. The pre-school also receives advice and guidance from outside professionals, such as the local authority early years advisor, so the environment and practice is regularly monitored and evaluated. The manager has a strong vision and high expectations and these are shared by the staff team and committee. There are good self-evaluation practices in place and the pre-school staff value the views of parents and children, when identifying areas of development.

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provision

Staff are committed to working together with parents, to promote continuity of care and learning for the children. For example, staff share information through regular newsletters and there is a parent's noticeboard that displays a variety of useful information. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection feel that their children are progressing very well and are happy with the care and education they receive. They also comment that they enjoy looking through the learning journeys regularly, which enables them to support their children's learning and development at home. Effective relationships with other professionals and external agencies are in place so that children's needs are supported and help them to make progress. These well-established partnerships enables staff to complement and extend children's learning and encourage a smooth transition when they go to school.

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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 EY419260 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 944385

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 31 Name of provider London Road Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 13/07/2011 Telephone number 01362 692139 or 07534499778

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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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