Oakley Pre-School

Oakley Pre-School Playgroup Oakley Methodist Church Hall, High Street, OAKLEY, Bedfordshire, MK43 7RG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/01/2014 19/04/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Leadership and management are outstanding. The relentless drive for improvement means that children are given the best possible start to their education.  The quality of staff interaction with the children is excellent. Staff are extremely skilful in their use of teaching methods and questioning techniques. This ensures that children are extremely well supported in their learning.  Precise use of children's assessment information means that the next steps for children's learning are clearly identified. This ensures that further learning opportunities are extremely well matched to the children's individual needs.  The partnership with parents is excellent. There are highly effective communication systems in place, so that information can be shared between staff and parents. This ensures that parents and staff are kept informed about any issues that may affect children's well-being or learning.  Safeguarding practices and procedures are excellent. Up-to-date policies, robust

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This provision is outstanding

recruitment procedures and ongoing staff training ensure that children's safety is maintained as a priority.

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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 areas.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and the Chairperson of the pre- school committee.  The inspector spoke to staff throughout the inspection as necessary.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning, progress tracking data and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the manager's evidence of self-evaluation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Oakley Pre-School Playgroup was registered in 1968 on the Early Years Register. It is run by a voluntary committee and it operates from three separate base rooms in the Methodist Church Hall complex in the village of Oakley, near Bedford. Children have access to a secure outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school receives funding for early education. It is open during school term time only, Monday to Friday from 9.15am to 3.30pm. There are currently 52 children attending who are within this age group, of whom, 44 are in receipt of government funding for nursery education. The pre-school serves the village of Oakley but may take children from the surrounding villages when space is available. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and there are systems in place to support children who have English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are seven staff members, of whom, five hold relevant childcare qualifications. The pre-school is supported by an administrative officer, is affiliated to the Pre-school Learning Alliance and receives support from the local authority.

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

 extend the use of monitoring data to provide information on the progress of specific groupings and cohorts of children.

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who attend

Teaching is consistently of a very high quality and often inspirational. For example, staff lead an outstanding whole-class activity where children retell a story they have developed collaboratively during the past week. This includes using props that the children have made during the previous week to support the storytelling. Staff skilfully use excellent teaching techniques, such as open-ended questioning, modelling language, recalling and making links with previous learning. These enable the children to successfully contribute and extend their knowledge. Across the pre-school, staff have high expectations of the children's learning and of their behaviour, which is evident in the exemplary quality of staff interaction. This means that every opportunity is taken to extend teaching and learning. This is a strength that is evidenced across the session and across activities. Staff frequently remind children of the learning that has already happened, so that they can

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who attend

begin to make links for themselves with previous learning. During group times, staff are extremely skilful at responding quickly to changes in children's needs. This ensures that the very good pace of learning is consistently maintained for all in the group. Staff use their extensive knowledge of the curriculum and of individual children's needs and ranges of development to plan rich, exciting activities. All children make excellent progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the more able children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are closely monitored, so that the provision precisely meets their needs with highly skilful interventions and methods. Targeted staff support is provided for the children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including support from outside agencies. Older and more able children are given opportunities to extend their learning through additional activities, such

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who attend

as making their own books. There is a considerable emphasis on developing children's literacy skills, including collaborative book-making and a highly enjoyable visit from a local author. Accurate assessment of children's levels of development means that staff can then plan further activities, which enhance children's learning and development. Staff obtain information from parents to identify children's starting points and then use this information to plan a meaningful programme of learning for each child. Staff also use assessment information and data to plan whole-school initiatives. For example, previous assessments of children's attainment led staff to develop a programme of phonics teaching, which is shared with parents via the pre-school's website.

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who attend

Staff plan a rich, diverse range of activities across all seven areas of learning. This includes an excellent balance of adult-led activities as well as open-ended activities where children can pursue their own interests. Outdoor provision is a strength of the pre-school, with a large, well-resourced area where children can develop a range of skills, including growing vegetables, planting bulbs, looking after chickens and activities, such as apple pressing. There have been considerable improvements in the outdoor area, including a greatly extended play area, a new canopy, a playhouse and the provision of haybales to sit or climb on. These improvements means that children have access to an exceptionally broad and balanced curriculum outdoors as well as indoors.

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who attend

The learning environment is well planned and provides for all seven areas of learning. Displays are celebratory and informative. For example, one display tells parents of the importance of play and how this is provided for within the pre-school. This helps parents to understand the purpose of the children's activities in the early years. Another display describes and names how children are feeling on a particular day. This acknowledges the importance of each child's personal experience and gives them language to begin to describe their inner worlds. Methods to include parents in their child's education are exemplary and highly effective. In particular, the home/school link book is well used by parents and staff to celebrate children's achievement and to keep each other informed of any issues that may have an impact upon the child's learning or well-being.

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

Standards of care and support are excellent. Parents are glowing in their praise for this highly effective pre-school. Comments include, 'This is a fabulous preschool', 'Staff are friendly and caring' and 'The children love it and are very happy'. Further comments include, 'The staff encourage the children to be independent' and 'The staff are fantastic at accommodating individual issues'. The pre-school has a calm and orderly environment, with excellent procedures in place to support children in daily routines, such as entering the building, coming in from the outdoor area and tidying up time. There are auditory, visual and verbal cues at tidying up time and at times of change of activity, which enables all the children to participate effectively and to feel secure in the knowledge of what will happen next.

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

The pre-school operates a highly effective key person system. Staff know the children extremely well and skilfully plan to meet each child's individual needs. Secure relationships between children and staff means that children are confident and self-assured. An enthusiastic and caring staff use stimulating and vibrant interactions with the children, which actively contribute to their progress. Staff place the utmost priority on children's safety and safeguarding. Meticulous attention to safety practices ensures that those children with allergies or medical needs are kept safe at all times. Children are aware of the need to keep the environment safe and contribute to checking outside gates and keeping the area free from trip hazards. There is a very effective system whereby staff use walkie talkies to communicate between indoors and outdoors. This ensures that any issues around children's safety and care can be quickly dealt with. Children's behaviour is

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

well managed during the session, with staff calmly dealing with any incidents of boisterousness and gently redirecting to more focused activity. During whole-class group time, the extremely interesting and engaging activities as well as high expectations from staff ensure that children's levels of attention and engagement are superb. During storytime and group time, children are encouraged to listen to each other and to wait their turn to contribute verbally. This helps them to develop some of the skills they will need when they transfer to school.

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

Children are happy and relaxed in this welcoming environment. They are confident to approach staff and visitors and to engage in conversation. Staff give a high priority to promoting children's independence. There are highly effective procedures in place to help children make the successful transition when they start pre-school and again when they transfer to school. This includes allocating the pre-school session on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to those children who are transferring to school the following September. This gives the staff the opportunity to plan specifically for the needs of these older children. The children also have the opportunity to practise some of the routines that will encounter at school, such as registration time. This timely tailoring of provision to meet the needs of the older children ensures excellent preparation for the next stage of their education.

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provision

This pre-school is led by an inspirational manager, who works tirelessly in the drive for ongoing development and improvement. She is extremely well informed about current educational development and is committed to ensuring that the children who attend the pre-school receive the very best of learning opportunities. She is ably supported by a hardworking management committee and by a highly skilled and enthusiastic staff team. There is an impressive range of well-documented evidence of improvement and development since the previous inspection. Much of this development has been innovative and exemplary. This includes imaginative development of the outdoor area, as well as a variety of initiatives to improve standards of teaching and learning. As a result, children receive the widest possible range of experiences, which in turn, ensures the best possible start to their education. There are excellent monitoring systems in place for planning and

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provision

assessment, including an electronic system to track children's progress. This ensures that staff are extremely knowledgeable about the children's current levels of development and can meet the changing needs of individual children effectively and promptly. However, in order for the manager to have an even more precise overview of patterns of children's development, there is scope to provide attainment data for specific groupings and cohorts of children. Safeguarding practices and procedures are excellent. Up-to-date policies, robust recruitment procedures and ongoing staff training ensure that children's safety is maintained as a priority.

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provision

Partnership with parents is outstanding. There is a wealth of opportunities for parents to become engaged in their child's education, including home/link booklets, printed suggestions for mathematical activities, an informative website and noticeboard. Staff provide a range of opportunities across the year for parents and carers to take part in the life of the pre-school and to discuss and evaluate the children's progress. Examples include 'Open classrooms', 'Grandparents' day', and 'Bacon butty Saturday'. Excellent communication between home and pre-school is an important contributory factor to the progress that children make. Staff have procedures in place to gather and respond to feedback from parents and carers. For example, the pre-school now opens on Friday afternoons, in response to requests from parents. Partnerships with the local community and the wider educational community are well established. The manager works with

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provision

educational services to ensure appropriate support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff also meet with local settings to share information and good practice. There are extremely effective practices in place to provide induction, supervision and appraisal for all staff. This ensures that all staff are supported in their professional development. This support and development results in a highly motivated, highly professional staff who are capable of delivering a consistently high level of teaching and care to the children at this outstanding pre-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 219186 Local authority Bedford Borough Inspection number 865783

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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 52 Name of provider Oakley Pre-School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 19/04/2010 Telephone number 01234 826 452

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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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