The Cabin

Far Bank Pre-School The Cabin, Shelley First School, School Terrace, Shelley, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 8HU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/05/2014 19/11/2008

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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

 Staff at the pre-school know all children very well so they are able to plan interesting and challenging activities that meet their individual needs and promote each child's progress.  Partnerships with parents are strong because staff use a variety of effective strategies to engage them in their children's learning and development.  Children are kept safe at the pre-school because staff clearly understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children from harm.  Children's development is tracked and monitored across all the areas of learning. As a result, staff ensure that progress is being made by all children and additional support is provided when necessary.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to further develop their independence at snack time are not maximised because children do not prepare the fruit and pour their own drinks.  The pre-school does not use sharply focused evaluations of staffs' practice to support their professional development. Consequently, opportunities to embed high quality teaching strategies for all staff are not yet 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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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities in the playroom and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the manager, staff, key persons and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at various documents, including a sample of policies and procedures, children's records, planning and assessment and evidence of staff suitability.  The inspector took account of parents and carers views.

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Information about the setting

Far Bank Pre-School was registered in 1991 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is a voluntary organisation and is managed by a committee. The pre-school operates from a portacabin in the grounds of Shelley First School, to which most children transfer. It serves the rural village of Shelley, which is on the outskirts of Huddersfield. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The pre-school is open term time only, Monday to Friday from 9am until 3.15pm, including a breakfast club from 7.30am until 8.50am and an after school club from 3.30pm until 6pm. They also run a holiday club during school holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 48 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides

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Information about the setting

funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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

 provide even more opportunities for children to develop their independence, for example, by allowing them to prepare snack and pour their own drinks

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

 embed high quality teaching strategies, for example, by maximising opportunities to observe and evaluate staff practice.

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who attend

Staff at the pre-school provide a broad and stimulating educational programme because they have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. They combine this with detailed knowledge of the children so that the resources and activities they offer children are interesting and challenging. Staff facilitate children's play by making resources accessible and using sensitive interactions. For example, children's interest in the natural world is supported through small world resources and discussions with interested and knowledgeable staff, about jungle animals. Staff extend their play and introduce other areas of learning by asking children to count the legs on model beetles and suggest they build it a home. Children work together with the staff as they think about what the building needs and staff ask questions to make children think about which bricks will make the best roof. Children are able to further develop their play because they can access the

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who attend

resources they need to make a leaf for their beetle's home and seek advice from staff when they encounter a problem. They demonstrate their skills at drawing and cutting to achieve the result they had planned. Staff provide a balance of adult-led activities based on children's interests. For example, exploration of the senses includes making shakers with different contents and listening to the different sounds they make. Staff ask questions to make the children think about what the shakers sound like and which is the loudest. Displays on the wall provide prompts to staff about questions they can ask children to support thinking and help them develop the characteristics of effective learning. Staff are beginning to use them effectively.

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who attend

The pre-school use a comprehensive planning system that incorporates information from all staff, children and parents. Staff make regular observations of children, recording insightful comments about what children do and what they achieve. Observations are linked to different areas of learning and to the characteristics of learning the children display during the activity. This enables staff to assess how children are progressing in their learning and to plan further activities based on how children prefer learning. Staff record their assessments using information about how children develop and that helps them plan suitable next steps for children's learning. Staff use record sheets that support them to follow through children's next steps and monitor their progress. For example, they track the development of children's fine motor skills as they use different tools, such as brushes, baking implements and pencils. Parents supply staff with information about what

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who attend

children are doing at home through 'wow' notes, comments on review sheets and through informal daily discussions with staff. Children are regularly asked what they enjoy at pre- school and staff use the information provided to plan topics and activities that will engage children. Plans include details about how staff will support particular activities and information about what additional resources can be used to enhance the provision across all areas of learning. These are shared with parents so they can talk to their children about what they have been doing at pre-school and continue learning at home. Staff support this by providing information about rhymes and letters they have been focusing on. Parents are kept well informed about their children's progress through regular review sheets, parents' evenings and conversations with staff. They are all encouraged to stay and play once a term to further engage them in their children's learning.

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who attend

Children are well prepared for school because staff have a clear idea about the skills they will need before they start. Staff encourage all children to try and write their name and praise everyone's attempts. Older children demonstrate their abilities to form the letters of their name and practise recognising the letters painted on the ground outside. Staff develop children's listening skills at music time as they are encouraged to sit still and follow instructions about when and how to shake their instrument. They are learning how to listen to words by shaking in time to the lyrics of songs and staff use rhymes to familiarise them with the phonics they will learn in school.

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

There is a clear key person system at the pre-school that supports relationships with children and their families. Children form secure attachments to staff and as a result, are happy and confident at pre-school. Children arrive enthusiastically because they are welcomed by staff who are interested and ask them questions about what they did at the weekend. Relationships are strong because staff are attentive to individual children and their needs. Details are collected from parents about children's preferences and current abilities so that staff can provide appropriate support and interesting activities from when children start. As a result, children settle quickly at the pre-school and can immediately start to make progress. Staff respond sensitively when children are hurt and children say staff make them feel safe because they cuddle them when they are upset. Children behave well and staff praise their good manners as they say please and thank you at

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

snack time. Children are able to resolve disputes in games themselves because they know staff are close by and will provide support as necessary. Staff actively reward good behaviour, such as sitting nicely during a story, by giving children pieces of treasure that they collect as a group and exchange for new games.

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

Children are learning how to manage their own risks because staff talk to them about the consequences of carrying out certain activities. At the simplest level, staff explain to children why they must not run inside and that the big frisbee will hurt someone if it hits them. Physically confident children explain they must hold on tight when they climb small trees and staff talk to them about the greater risks of falling from higher up the tree. Children are encouraged to develop their independence by putting on their own coats and changing their shoes depending on the weather. However, staff do not maximise the opportunities for children to demonstrate their independence at snack time because children do not prepare their own fruit or pour their own drinks. Children understand they must wash their hands with soap before they eat to get rid of germs and they can manage their own personal needs according to their age. Daily outdoor play is strongly encouraged

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

and parents are made aware of the benefits of it. Rain does not stop play because staff advise children to put on their coats and additional spare clothing is available. Staff promote a healthy diet by providing parents with information about balanced lunch boxes and children are reminded to eat their healthy items first.

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

Staff work hard to support children's personal, social and emotional development. They build children's self-esteem and confidence because they value all children's contributions. Staff display children's work on the walls with comments describing what children said as they made their picture. Children are listened to attentively both individually, as they talk about their family and pets, and in a group where they talk about their favourite foods. In large groups, staff support younger children to participate and have their opportunity to answer questions. Staff support children to take turns during their role play and play games, such as dominoes, with children so they learn to play by the rules. As a result, children are learning to cooperate and tolerate each other. Overall, children are becoming confident and developing the social skills they will need when they start at school. Staff complement these strategies by utilising the close links they have with the local school.

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

The pre-school is situated in the grounds of the school where the majority of the children transfer and staff take small groups of children to visit their new classroom. Teachers also visit children at the pre-school so children can get to know them in familiar surroundings.

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provision

Managers and staff at the pre-school have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. They understand and implement suitable policies and procedures to keep children safe. Staff are supported to complete regular safeguarding training and know what they should do if they have concerns. For example, all staff are involved in detailed discussions about how the collection of children is managed at the end of a session to ensure children leave with the correct adult. Staff regularly review procedures to make sure all staff, especially newer staff, have a clear understanding of their roles. The manager has clear procedures in place for the safe recruitment of staff because she takes several references and staff must complete a number of interviews that include observations of their interactions with children. All staff are subject to checks on their suitability to work with children and make regular

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provision

declarations about their continued suitability. Risk assessments are completed for all aspects of the pre-school and regular reviews of accident information directly inform additional risk assessments. A number of staff have completed health and safety training and achieved food hygiene qualifications. Consequently, they implement clear health and hygiene routines to minimise the risk of cross-infection.

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provision

All children's assessments are recorded on tracking sheets that allow staff and the manager to easily review children's progress. These sheets are used to monitor the educational programme and make sure that children are receiving a broad programme and making progress across all areas of learning. The manager is beginning to collate this data so she can analyse how different groups of children perform. Staff quickly identify any children who are not making expected progress because they know the children well and regularly review each child's progress. The manager monitors the accuracy of assessments made by staff and provides additional support for new or recently qualified staff. Although the manager works closely with staff, she does not yet maximise opportunities to use observations of staff practice to highlight and embed high quality teaching strategies across the pre-school. A number of staff are either working towards, or

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provision

have achieved, a relevant degree qualification and the impact on children is seen in the examples of good quality teaching. Staff access training when necessary and share information with their colleagues, taking the lead to implement new ideas. For example, staff's attendance at outdoor play training has developed their understanding of how to use natural resources and renewed their enthusiasm for the outside area. Additional training is accessed as needed enabling staff to develop strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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provision

The pre-school uses a number of strategies to build and use partnerships with parents. They are involved in their children's learning but also take a dynamic part in supporting and developing the provision through volunteering and supporting the committee. The views of all parties are actively sought when purchasing new resources. For example, parents and children are provided with examples of a range of new sandpits and asked their opinion. The pre-school work with the local authority to evaluate the provision and plan improvements for the pre-school and all staff are involved in working towards those developments. Staff work with professionals from other agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that all children are included and their progress promoted.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register 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 311309 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 868014

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 48 Name of provider Far Bank Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 19/11/2008 Telephone number 01484 600519

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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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