Curdworth Pre School

Curdworth Pre-School St Nicholas Church Hall, Glebe Fields, Curdworth, SUTTON COLDFIELD, West Midlands, B76 9ES

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/01/2014 10/03/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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

 Skilled staff observe and reflect on what arouses children's curiosity and interests, resulting in the planning of activities that promote children to learn through play. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development.  The pre-school places a strong emphasis on building strong relationships that impact well on all children's emotional well-being, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  High priority is given to forming partnerships with parents, external agencies and other providers, ensuring that all children receive the support they need.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is further scope for regular reflective practice, supervision, coaching and performance management in order to further enhance individual staff personal development.  Staff have not fully considered how they can overcome the building's storage restrictions to extend children's play and development by supporting free choice of resources.

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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 church hall.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager of the provision and spoke to staff throughout the inspection when appropriate.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the provider's evidence of self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from contributions made in documentation.

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Information about the setting

Curdworth Pre-School was registered in 1993 and is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. It operates from the church hall of Saint Nicholas Church, Curdworth and serves the local and surrounding areas. The setting is open term-time only, Monday to Friday from 9.30am until 12.30pm and a lunch club until 1.00pm. There are currently 25 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are three members of staff who work with the children. Of these, one holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Early Childhood Studies and two hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3. The setting receives support from the local authority and holds Pre-School Learning Alliance accreditation.

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

 develop further opportunities for children to make independent choices from the setting's extensive resources, taking into account all children's interests, to encourage learning through play

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

 enhance systems for performance management and how staff are monitored to develop their skills and attributes to further enrich practice for all children.

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who attend

Teaching and learning is strong and children are well-supported to make good progress, taking into account their starting points and capabilities. During the settling-in period staff collect extensive base line information from parents and use this information as a starting point to map children's progress. A well-organised mix of adult-led and child initiated activities means that children's communication and language is skilfully supported. For example, children share their holiday experiences, listening and taking turns in a large group, while a smaller group enjoy contributing to a popular story about three bears. Acutely skilled adults use props to support key language and children confidently anticipate the flow of the story. During activities, children who have been involved in similar activities before, support their less experienced peers through the activity, demonstrating a mature confidence. Staff ensure children remain appropriately challenged

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who attend

and stimulated, clear systems for evidencing and tracking children's learning show that key persons have an understanding of individual children's learning needs. Identified children working at higher levels than expected for their age are well- supported, through additional activities. For example, staff, planning in partnership with the reception class teacher of the nearby primary school enhance the use of phonics and children's understanding of how to blend different sounds within words. As a result, children are gaining the required skills to prepare them for the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

Parent's feel very well-informed about their children's progress in a variety of ways. They benefit from regular chats at the ends of sessions, the use of diaries and regular updates following the settings assessment process. Open morning events are also arranged when parents are invited into the setting to speak to the manager and staff see their children enjoying activities. Various documents include evidence of parent's contributions to their children's learning. Staff routinely request updated 'all about me' information, highlighting the high value the setting places on gaining the most accurate picture of children's all- round development. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is consistently highly effective. The pre-school's special educational needs coordinator has recently attended training and works closely with the manager, parents and other professionals. As a result, children are supported in making good progress in all areas of

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who attend

development, in particular their personal, social and emotional development. Parents confirm their confidence in the staffs' knowledge and skills in supporting their children, while documents and observations support teaching that is rooted in a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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who attend

Well-organised routines ensure that children have the opportunity to use the whole room space following tidying away at the end of the session. Children move around freely and follow the adult's instructions in negotiating changing direction and sitting down with the use of a tambourine to gain their attention. Children work cooperatively in all areas of the setting, with adults using open-ended questioning to support children's problem solving. For example, children are motivated while building a tower that continually falls over as it reaches a certain height. Staff reinforce their learning by skilfully asking 'what would make the base more secure?'. This allows children to continue purposefully with the activity, using mathematical language to describe their actions.

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

Children and parents know who their named key person is and parents comment that they find the staff extremely supportive. Efficient communication ensures an individualised settling-in process and regular detailed progress updates are shared. A number of parents say they would definitely recommend the pre-school to others. Staff show a high level of awareness of children's social and emotional needs. For example, children who are not yet ready to join in large groups are encouraged to play alongside others until they are more confident. At the end of the session when the majority of children are collected, staff use purposeful strategies to support transitions, for example, providing children with large egg timers to support their understanding of the timings of the routine.

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

Weekly physical education lessons in the nearby school and the manager's relationships with other settings in the area result in, children being very well-prepared for the transitions to other settings. Parent's spoken to explain that their children are excited about going to school. The environment allows children to attend to their own personal care routines, with those who need help supported sensitively by staff. A snack area is set up in the reception area, where children visit in small groups and have access to a variety of healthy snacks. Some children also bring in a healthy lunchbox for lunch club and are encouraged to sit together with an adult joining them for this sociable occasion.

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

The environment is stimulating and well-resourced with a strong relationship ethos that promotes an effective learning environment. Staff's understanding of the characteristics of learning is highlighted by their careful choice of resources, activities and interactions. However, when children are asked what they would like to play with tomorrow, not all children are able to contribute without a reminder of the resources available, thereby impacting on their ability to make independent choices about what they play with. A strong emphasis is placed on promoting positive behaviour and setting high expectations, therefore, minor disagreements are quickly resolved and behaviour is good. Children are encouraged to keep each other and themselves safe and demonstrate a clear understanding of the safety rules and routines of the pre-school. The result is a positive atmosphere of mutual respect and trust between children, adults and parents alike.

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provision

Leadership and management is good. Staff have a strong understanding of their role in ensuring children are protected and safe from harm, including the procedures they should follow if they have a concern about children's welfare. The pre-school records this information in a written safeguarding policy that is shared with parents and staff. Appropriate checks on adults are carried out to be sure of their suitability, which safeguards children. Documentation and records are well-maintained, indicating that practice underpins children's safety and welfare. For example, a tree in the outdoor space, has been assessed as a risk and therefore, alternative arrangements for accessing outdoor play have been organised until this can be addressed.

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provision

The manager and staff team share a passionate goal to having a positive impact on children's development. Staff have an annual appraisal with the manager and the pre- school chairperson, setting training objectives and a six monthly review. Staff also make use of time when setting up or packing away to discuss any arising situations. However, there are less opportunities for regular individual reflection on their practice in supervisions that allows for personal professional development, in order to take the quality of practice to the next level. The monitoring of children's progress is strengthened by the use of a local authority computer programme assessment tool. Graphs showing children's good progress are shared with parents termly. The manager and staff use this and their secure knowledge about how children learn to plan activities to support individual children's progress. Self-evaluation focuses very much on the needs of the children,

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provision

highlighting the complications of a 'pack-away' setting. However, staff are fully committed to providing a broad range of purposeful and developmentally appropriate activities.

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provision

The small team has extremely effective working relationships with each other, parents and other professionals. This promotes a collaborative approach towards ensuring that all children achieve their full potential. Feedback from parents is overwhelmingly positive, confirming the very good relationship that the pre-school team strive to create. Relationships are a definite strength of the pre-school resulting in children achieving highly in personal, social and emotional development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well-supported. There are clear procedures in place for meeting children's particular health needs and staff have attended advanced training to provide them with the skills and knowledge to do this.

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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 200565 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 875005

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 25 Name of provider Curdworth Preschool Committee Date of previous inspection 10/03/2010 Telephone number 07443 467197

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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

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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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