Hamble Village Playschool

Hamble Village Playschool The Memorial Hall, High Street, Hamble, Southampton, Hampshire, SO31 4JE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/03/2014 05/03/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The leaders monitor the delivery of the educational programmes, planning and assessment effectively so children's needs are well met through good quality teaching.  Children's needs are quickly identified and addressed through effective partnership working.  All staff are highly skilled and sensitive in helping children form secure emotional attachments.  Leadership have a good understanding of their responsibility to ensure that the pre- school meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and has effective systems to monitor their implementation.  A good system of self-evaluation informs the setting's priorities and supports the identification of challenging targets for improvement.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasion, opportunities are missed to help children identify and manage risks relative to their ages  Opportunities for physical exercise, channelling energy and noise, rely too heavily on use of the outdoor environment.

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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 a wide range of activities across all areas of the setting and talked with staff and children about what they were doing.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents and procedures relating to safeguarding, staffing, supervision, risk assessment and health and safety, and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of children's records, the setting's systems for planning, evaluation and exchanging information with parents and external professionals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and reviewed written responses from parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and supervisor and observed practice with them throughout the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Hamble Village Playschool is a parent committee run setting that registered in 1999. It operates from the memorial hall in the village of Hamble, Southampton, Hampshire and serves the local area. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The playschool is registered on the Early Years Register. The playschool is open each weekday during school term time from 9am to 3pm, apart from on Mondays when it closes at 12.30pm. Children may attend for a variety of part-time and full-time sessions. There are currently 56 children from two years and nine months to five years of age on roll. The playgroup is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year old children. The playschool welcomes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who are learning English as an additional language. There are eight members of staff and of these, seven have appropriate qualifications at level 3 of above.

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Information about the setting

The manager has completed a foundation degree in Early Years Education.

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

 increase opportunities for children to assess small risks, relative to their ages, and help them think through what they can do to make their play and new outdoor environment as safe as possible

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

 explore further opportunities for managing physical exercise and fitness indoors to help balance noise and energy levels through the day.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning and development in this stimulating village pre-school. Staff are welcoming and soon put children and parents at their ease. Children can start at 9am or 9.30am. This flexibility not only supports busy parents, it also helps children who prefer a quieter entry or who benefit from higher levels of adult support. As a result, children soon settle into the pre-school activities, following their own interests as they choose from a wide range of possibilities. For example, children's imaginations are quickly excited by attractive home corners, cosy dens for role play and stories, small world farm play or a computer game. Alternatively, children may show interest in measuring, mixing and colouring ingredients to make play dough. Staff thoughtfully model the language children need to weigh and estimate quantities, to add a little more, or take some away. This provides a strong practical foundation for children to understand

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who attend

mathematical concepts they will learn more about at school. Children also learn to handle and manipulate everyday tools and understand how following a sequence of events, leads to a material they know and enjoy playing with. Staff patiently give children time to work things out for themselves, waiting until children are ready before adding a suggestion or new strategy. This makes the learning process as enjoyable and satisfying as the creativity and discovery that follows. Children are highly involved; they concentrate for lengthy periods and show pleasure in their accomplishments. Skilled staff create quieter periods in the day where they develop children's skills in listening, speaking and literacy. They use a range of strategies and techniques to boost the communication and language skills of children who start at the pre-school with delays or gaps in their learning. Staff are particularly effective in supporting children who are learning English as an additional

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who attend

language or who require help developing listening and speaking skills. Staff use effective systems of assessment to identify the skills children need and target areas where additional support is required. Initial forms are completed with parents to establish clear baseline information on children's current achievements. Staff routinely observe, record and assess children's rate of progress across all areas of learning and development. Next steps in children's learning are identified by each key person, who plans and tailors activities to meet children's individual needs. Staff share their aspirations for the children in their care with each other. This ensures that whenever opportunities arise during the day, every member of the team is ready to help each child achieve and progress towards their early learning goals. Consequently, gaps in children's learning are rapidly closed and they are well prepared for their next steps in learning at school and elsewhere. Staff and

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who attend

parents share information on children's progress through informal daily updates, 'wow' moments, newsletters and termly meetings. Together they also prepare progress checks for two-year-old children and termly written summaries of achievements. These more formal updates are available to support families' link in with healthcare professionals, other nurseries and school placements. The key person system helps ensure continuity in children's learning across home and preschool, so individual needs are met in a timely and effective way. Parents commend the staff for their skills in developing their children's learning through varied, playful and challenging activities. They comment that children enjoy attending the pre-school and they feel confident their children are happy and being well prepared for school.

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

Children starting at the pre-school settle quickly due to the care and commitment of staff who prepare the way. New families are invited to induction meetings where they meet the staff and are introduced to the systems that support children and parents at the pre- school. Children are allocated a 'key person' who meets with parents to gather information about family routines, children's likes and preferences, needs or dietary requirements. Each key person is then in a good position to create activities that engage and challenge children. They also provide the security children need to explore their new environment and reach out to new friends. Developing children's personal, social and emotional skills is a high priority for all staff, who thoughtfully nurture and model effective ways of doing things. Children learn to behave well and rise to the expectations of the staff around them. Children learn to work as part of a group and begin to understand the need for

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

rules. Staff help them celebrate diversity and tolerate differences among themselves. They bring children closer together as they help them express their own feelings and recognise how others feel. Staff also use group circle times as opportunities for children to talk about their ideas in a familiar group. Ways of asking for help and asserting one's needs politely are modelled by staff for children to try out in practice. Children learn to play cooperatively and form positive relationships with adults and other children. They are emotionally well prepared for their next steps both at school and elsewhere. Children remember the importance of keeping healthy and hygienic as they join in a song staff use to embed hand washing routines. Staff encourage children to choose to purchase healthy food from the role-play area and plant their own vegetables to eat fresh. Children help wash and prepare fruit for snack time and try new flavours or local products as the seasons change. This

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

helps children review the content of their own lunch boxes and think more carefully about how to keep their bodies healthy. Staff arrange the pre-school for children to become increasingly independent in managing their personal needs. Small steps are in place for children to reach toilet facilities and wash basins. Portable sinks and tissue stations are strategically placed for children to use independently. Children learn to clear away and wash their hands following messy play, so they may choose a new game or book and handle it well. Staff work hard at this pack away pre-school to make both the indoor and outside learning environments interesting and varied, so all children develop new skills. Water play is a great favourite outdoors as there is space for experimenting with water runs and all sizes and shapes of containers. Children learn to manipulate different types of brushes as they dip them in water to clean and paint, match dots and write numbers on

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

walls, floors and fences. They can develop pre-literacy skills while chalking, playing in the sand or finding letters hiding in troughs of shells or wood shavings. Children are ably supported by staff and have plenty of space to learn to pedal tricycles and first bikes. They learn to balance on stilts, take turns with equipment or try something new instead. Staff, who are ever watchful of children's safety, help them construct obstacles and castles out of tyres and planks of wood. On occasion, opportunities are missed to help children identify and manage risks relative to their ages. The redevelopment of the digging and sensory garden area around a permanent climbing frame provides new possibilities. Strategies to help children stop and think about staying safe in an exciting environment encourage good habits for future explorations. Indoors, every day routines support children's growing awareness of how to stay safe as they learn to mop up spills, bin

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

tissues, and put scissors away carefully. Staff are very attentive to children's safety and well-being and children flourish in their care. The pre-school meets in the village hall, which is a typically large area with hard surfaces on all walls, floor and ceiling. This does not make it an easy environment to learn to listen, communicate, or link sounds with speech or letters. Staff are good at managing to balance high activity with calm, quieter times. Free-flow to the outdoors also helps to reduce noise levels within the hall. However, during such a wet winter, opportunities to cover all aspects of learning outdoors are more restricted. The pre-school does not follow a programme of physical exercise to music. This type of activity provides a channel for children to release noise and energy in a safe and controlled way in the indoor environment.

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provision

The manager of the pre-school has recently completed a degree in early years education. She has a very good understanding of how to meet the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The supervisor compliments her skills with a detailed knowledge and interest in identifying and meeting all children's needs promptly and effectively. They are ably supported by an experienced, dedicated and skilled team of staff, and the parent-managed committee. Children at the pre-school tend to move on to the local primary school. Staff at the pre- school are in regular contact with the early years teachers at the school. They are also beginning to work together to streamline monitoring and assessments. This supports children's moves to school, as their teachers already know something of children's interests and achievements. They use this information to help children settle into school

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provision

life smoothly. Staff at the pre-school use a new system to monitor all areas of children's learning and development. This means they identify children who need an additional focus in specific areas quickly. Staff share what they know with parents and support families when they need further guidance from other services. Children therefore tend to receive any extra help they need to make good progress before they move on to school. Staff supervision, performance management, training and on-going professional development is effective and has a positive impact on children's well-being and learning and development. Staff are particularly enthusiastic to implement ideas from a recent training course. These aim to create more cosy spaces to help children listen and attend undisturbed by the activities that surround them. Children's care, welfare and learning are significantly enhanced by the highly effective way in which the nursery evaluates all that it does. The

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provision

manager has a very strong drive for improvement and is systematically working through development plans at a keen rate. The parent committee includes a wide range of expertise to support such initiatives and share ideas and progress with parents. Parent questionnaires are circulated and evaluated to take account of their views and the changes they would like to see at the pre-school. Staff are also sensitive to the children's ideas and find creative ways to secure and take note of their views. Systems for vetting and recruiting staff are robust and help to ensure only suitable staff are employed to work with children. There are clear procedures for ensuring that staff who work at the nursery remain fit to do so through induction training, appraisals and supervisions. Staff regularly update their training in safeguarding children and the subject is included on the agenda of every staff meeting. This keeps all staff clearly focused on making every effort to keep

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provision

children safe and feeling secure at all times. The nursery has clear and well understood policy and procedures for assessing any risks to children's safety. Routine procedures for risk assessments for all rooms, outside areas and outings are regularly updated and completed. All mandatory documentation on the safe management of the nursery is in place and is accurately maintained. Parents note how reassured they feel when leaving their children at the pre-school. They observe the enthusiasm their children express when entering the preschool and the good relationships they have with staff. Parents also appreciate the progress their children have made at the pre-school and their readiness for 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 511086 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 843326 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 56 Name of provider Hamble Village Playschool Committee Date of previous inspection 05/03/2009 Telephone number 07708 426134

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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

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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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