Wivenhoe Pre-School

Wivenhoe Pre-School Wivenhoe Congregation Church, 101 High Street, Colchester, CO7 9AB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/01/2014 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

 The teaching supports children to develop the characteristics of effective learning because practitioners pose problems that promote children's thinking skills.  Children learn in an enabling environment that appeals to their interests and supports them to become explorers.  Children are suitably safeguarded as the practitioners are knowledgeable about how to protect children from harm.  Parents are fully involved in their children's learning and this supports them to make good progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, the opportunities for children to develop their independence are not fully maximised.

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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 hall and in the outdoor area.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke with the practitioners.  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 a selection of policies.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Wivenhoe Pre-School was originally registered in 1968 and registered again in 2013 on the Early Years Register as an incorporated company with charity status. The pre-school is situated in a church hall in the Wivenhoe area of Essex. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a church hall and there is an area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens four days per week. Sessions are from 9am to 1pm on Monday and Thursday and 9am to 2.30pm on Wednesday and Friday during term time. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 12 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery 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.

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

 review routines, so that children are fully involved in developing their independence at all times, for example, by involving children in preparing for new activities and changes in the routine.

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who attend

The pre-school provides an interesting and challenging environment that supports learning both indoors and outdoors. Children become absorbed in their play as their interests have been taken into consideration and the activities supplied support their interests. For example, the pre-school provides small turtle figures as it has been identified that some children enjoy these. Children's interests are then captured and their learning is extended as the turtles are placed in different learning environments within the pre-school. Children learn how to count backwards from five to one as they make the turtles jump into the air. They then develop their communication and language skills as they explore the texture of flour as the turtles drop into it. The practitioners fully understand how to promote the learning and development of young children. Regular observations are collected on children that are linked to the areas of learning and their next steps are identified.

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who attend

Children's next steps are then clearly displayed in the pre-school, so that all practitioners know the children's targets. The planning further supports children's learning as activities are devised, such as counting with small figures, to promote mathematical development. Practitioners ably support children's learning as they play alongside them and sensitively support their thinking skills. At snack time, a child from each table is asked how many children need a bowl. The child solves the problem by counting the children and counting out the required number of bowls. The teaching, therefore, supports children to develop the characteristics of effective learning and good progress is made.

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who attend

The activities provided support children's development in the seven areas of learning. Children acquire communication and language skills as every opportunity is taken to encourage them to communicate. During registration, a game is played and children work out which colour object has been removed from beneath a cloth. Children are eager to participate and often correctly identify the colour that has been removed. Children who speak English as an additional language are very well supported and with gentle encouragement also supply the correct answer during the game. There are a variety of books in different languages to further support children's language skills. Children have the opportunity to develop their physical skills and they are closely supervised as they practise cutting pictures from a magazine. Children have outdoor play and there are a selection of ride-on cars and bikes to support their gross motor movements. Further skills

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who attend

are developed as they roll objects down a pipe and become builders as they stack large wooden blocks together. Children play very well with each other as the pre-school supports social play. Throughout the pre-school, there are small groups of children playing together harmoniously at the various activities. Children are, therefore, developing the skills they need to be ready for school and the next stage of their learning.

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who attend

The pre-school works well with parents and on entry parents complete a form detailing children's development. This provides a good overview of what children can do and what they are interested in, so that appropriate activities are offered as soon as they begin. Parents are also provided with a booklet about the areas of learning when their child begins to fully inform parents about the care and learning that takes place in the pre- school. A diary is shared between home and pre-school, which keeps parents informed of the learning that is to take place. For example, the diary lists the themes that are planned as well as the names of the songs that the children will be learning. Parents also make notes in the diary, which further strengthens information on a child's learning. There is a 'wow' board and parents are encouraged to add to this board with children's learning at home. Practitioners also write 'wow' moments and one explains how a child has completed

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who attend

a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle. Parents are invited in regularly to look through their children's learning journey and discuss their learning with the key person. The progress check at age two years is completed and shared with parents. This identifies any areas where a child may need further support and the pre-school is proactive at working with parents and securing support from outside agencies where necessary. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are, therefore, well supported and good progress is made. Parents are fully supported in their children's learning and this supports them to make good progress.

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

Children are settled at the pre-school as they have formed secure attachments with their key person and with the practitioners. The settling-in process considers each family's needs and a plan is put into place to support children's transition from home to pre- school. The pre-school visit children in their home and encourage parents to visit the setting with the children before they begin. Parents complete a form about their child's care needs and subsequently, children's needs are identified and provided for. The pre- school is small and has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, which further supports children to feel secure in their environment. The current learning theme explores 'families' and the pre-school have made books about children's families. These are freely available for the children to look through as well as being shown at mealtimes. Children have the opportunity to talk about the people and pets in the photographs and a child smiles as

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

their friends are shown their pet dog. Consequently, children are developing self- confidence and in turn, their emotional well-being is promoted. Children's emotional development is further supported as contact is made with other settings that they may also attend. With parents' permission, children's development is shared and a joint plan for supporting children is put into place. Children's transition to school is supported and visits to and from the primary schools are carried out. The pre-school also offers to visit the school when children have begun to further support their emotional well-being.

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

The practitioners are good role models who provide clear guidance to children about acceptable behaviour. The rules of the pre-school are made by the children and are displayed in the hall, which include that they take turns and be kind to each other. Children show a good understanding of boundaries, for example, before a child enters a play area, they count some dots and explain to the children that only 'three people are allowed'. This is because in some play areas, such as the den, only two children are allowed in at a time and this is clearly marked with a number 'two'. Children behave well as they competently take turns. Resources also support children's behaviour and hand- made books that the children have helped to make, entitled 'What are hands for?' clearly explain how to be gentle. Large posters of people from different backgrounds are displayed on the wall at child height and are examined by the children. Practitioners

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

discuss these with children to help them gain awareness about differences and respect for people that are different from themselves.

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

Children are learning about risk as they have regular trips in the local environment where practitioners remind them about road safety. This is further promoted as the pre-school arranges visits from the road safety team, the police and the fire service. Children learn about the importance of a healthy diet as fruit is included with snack and parents are encouraged to provide healthy lunches. Suitable hygiene practices are promoted as the children talk about why they should wash their hands and know that 'germs make you sick'. According to age, children are encouraged to manage their personal needs, supporting their independence. Children display skills to support their independence as they find their name on a large name card when it is snack time. For children that do not yet recognise their name, they are supported with a small picture, ensuring that all children's development is supported. There are times, however, when children wait

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

patiently for the room to be prepared by the practitioners, rather than helping. This does not fully maximise all opportunities for children to develop their skills towards independence. Children have the opportunity for fresh air during outdoor play and this area is well resourced. They enjoy playing in the 'mud kitchen' and are absorbed in mixing mud to make 'pasta', developing their imagination.

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provision

All requirements are fully met and understood by the pre-school. For example, children are effectively safeguarded as practitioners update their training annually. They are competent to explain the course of action to be taken in the event of a concern about a child in their care. There is a suitable policy that explains that mobile telephones and cameras must be kept away from the children and an explanation of what to do if there is an allegation made against a member of staff. There are daily supervision meetings to discuss children and to highlight any potential safeguarding concerns. Safe recruitment practices are in place and the manager is fully aware of how to assess the suitability of new practitioners. A fire drill is conducted regularly and a risk assessment is carried out daily and a full risk assessment each term. The pre-school environment is safe and children's safety is promoted.

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provision

There are good systems in place to monitor the educational programmes, which ensure that all seven areas of learning are covered. Appropriate steps are taken to rectify any areas of learning that are not supported as well as others. For example, an electronic tablet has recently been purchased to further support children's understanding of technology. The manager monitors the assessments of children's learning and these highlight where children may need an intervention to support their development. The pre- school is currently working towards a bronze award for 'Good Beginnings', an 'autism- friendly' award, which demonstrates their commitment to supporting all children's progress. Practitioners have regular appraisals and these highlight training needs to support their work with children. Recent training attended has included caring for two- year-old children, early language development and supporting children with English as an

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provision

additional language. The training that the practitioners have undertaken, alongside their qualifications, ensure that the teaching effectively supports all children to learn and make progress.

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provision

The pre-school's self-evaluation appropriately identifies strengths and weaknesses in need of improvement. For example, the provision is continuing to develop their outdoor area to fully support an enjoyable learning experience for the children. Parents are invited to give their comments in the form of a questionnaire and this has led to changes in practice. For example, the pre-school hours have been changed and lunch added to the daily routine as a result of parents' feedback. Children's views are collected and their interests inform the planning. The pre-school also plans for children to take a bigger part in expressing their views by introducing visual boards for the children to identify what they would like to play with. Parents are supportive of the pre-school and one parent explains that their child was helped to settle in as the practitioners took time to get to know their child and support

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provision

their interests. Another parent explains that her child talks about pre-school when they are at home and thoroughly enjoys their time at the pre-school. Partnerships with parents are effective and support children's learning. Partnerships with external agencies are in place and appropriate interventions are sought where necessary to ensure children's care and learning needs 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 EY467586 Local authority Essex Inspection number 932465 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 12 Name of provider Wivenhoe Pre-School Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07594580055

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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

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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