Aveley Pre School

Aveley Pre School Aveley Children's Centre, Stifford Road, Aveley, SOUTH OCKENDON, Essex, RM15 4AA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/06/2014 22/01/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 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

 Children's learning and development is effectively supported in all areas by the good quality of teaching used by the staff team.  Children's confidence is carefully supported encouraging them become active learners who enjoy exploring their environment.  Partnerships with parents are actively promoted, enabling parents to be well informed about their children's progress and to take part in pre-school life.  The management team monitors the pre-school effectively, through comprehensive evaluations and by ensuring the continuing professional development of staff.  Children's safety is very well supported as staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and carry out a wide range of daily and ongoing checks.  Children are well settled in the pre-school and the staff team take great care to ensure that all their transitions are well supported.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the staff's use of mathematical language to further develop children's mathematical development.  There are opportunities to strengthen the way in which staff make best possible use of all opportunities for children to learn through their own interests, such as during physical play activities.

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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 carried out observations of activities in all areas of the pre-school and the garden.  The inspector held a meeting with the managers and spoke to members of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journals, planning documentation, a selection of children's records and the pre-school policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of recruitment, suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through feedback on children's records and parents spoken to on the day.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Aveley Pre School was registered on this site in 2006 but has operated for 23 years. It is privately owned and operates from Aveley in Essex. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school serves the immediate locality and also the wider surrounding areas. The pre-school opens five days a week, session are from 9am until 12 noon and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm during school term times. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre- school operates from a large play room within the children's centre and they have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 72 children attending in the early years age range. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, three staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4,

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Information about the setting

six staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and the manager holds Early Years Professional status and a degree in Early Years studies. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance the staff's use of mathematical language to further develop children's mathematical development

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

 strengthen the way in which staff make best possible use of all opportunities for children to learn through their own interests.

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who attend

The staff's secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and child development effectively supports them to ensure children progress well in all areas of learning. The management team uses effective monitoring systems and well-established training programmes to support the staff team to develop high quality teaching methods. The management team has developed good systems to support staff to record individual observations and assessments of children's learning. The effective monitoring systems ensure the staff team maintains consistency in completing a record for each child. Children's learning and development records provide a very clear and focussed picture of each child. This ensures that the staff are able to identify any gaps in children's learning and effectively plan to swiftly close them. The information gathered through the records is used to provide effective planning for children's individual next steps in learning. Staff

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who attend

provide a stimulating environment where children of all ages have activities and experiences to successfully support their learning and development. The children's records are made accessible for parents and they are encouraged to add comments and information about learning at home. The well-planned support of children throughout the pre-school ensures that they have both the skills and confidence that they need to be ready for school or their next stage of learning.

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who attend

Staff plan a wide range of activities designed to ensure that all areas of learning are well met. Staff support children to explore and investigate through play in the indoor and outdoor areas. For example, children are painting in the garden, they can choose how to use the paint and how to mix the colours. Children experiment with the feeling and texture of the paint, watching the patterns the brushes make as they move the paint on the paper. Staff support children's investigations, encouraging them to mix the paint to see what different colours they can make. The staff's interaction with the children supports their language development and extends their vocabulary. Staff use a wide variety of words to describe the movement of the paint and how it mixes together. Children's early literacy skills are well supported. For example, children are encouraged to find their names for registration and early writing skills are encouraged as children write

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who attend

their names on their own work. At a key-person group-focussed activity, children identify the letters in their own names and match them to the alphabet. Staff use both the name and the sound of the letters to further support good development in linking sounds and letters. Children's mathematical development is well supported during adult-focussed activities. For example, children count the number of boys and girls present at registration. Staff encourage them to count together which they do with increasing confidence. However staff's use of mathematical language is not so extensively at the full range of free play activities. As a result, they do not exploit teaching opportunities to comprehensively extend children's mathematical skills. In the garden, children can choose from a variety of different activities, they paint, play in the water and sand and have physical play equipment to use. At the water play, children are using different-sized

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who attend

containers to fill a jug. The staff encourage them to work together and praise their team efforts. All efforts and achievements are supported by lots of praise from staff and children are clearly delighted with their achievements. s Children have a balance of adult-focussed activities and free play time. The play spaces are set out so that children can easily access activities and experiences across all areas of learning. Children move freely between the indoor environment and the garden using the good range of equipment to develop physical skills. For example, children play with the hoops with increasing skill and they are enthusiastically praised and supported by staff. Children push the dolls in the buggies, using their imaginative skills to develop and create play. Children have a range of different-sized balls which they throw and kick, supporting them to develop good physical skills. The children are passionate about in playing football

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who attend

in the garden especially as it is World Cup time. However, on the day of the inspection the staff are discouraging the children from kicking the balls and encouraging different types of play with the balls. As a result, children are not actively supported to follow their own interests and some abandon their play. Children make regular visits to the pre-school's allotment where they take part in planting and growing, supporting them to develop their understanding of the world.

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who attend

Children play and learn in an enabling environment that supports them to become active learners as they play and explore. Children's transitions and preparations for the next stage in their learning are exceptionally well supported. The pre-school has very close links with the local school. Staff begin to introduce children to the school setting with visits to school events. This is followed up with a book of photographs that children can access at any time. The children make more frequent visits towards the end of the term before they move on and teachers visit the pre-school regularly. This well-planned system clearly ensures that all children have very smooth transitions in to school.

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

Children thrive in this warm and welcoming environment. Children's personal, social and emotional development are a nurtured, supporting them to develop very high levels of confidence. Staff build clear and detailed pictures of each child. The management team invites new families to visit the pre-school for an open day. This allows staff to gather a wide range of information from parents and helps children to become familiar with the pre-school setting. The staff carry out a good range of ongoing observations and assessments to ensure that they continue to have an in-depth understanding of each child's needs. Good systems that are consistently well used clearly support staff's effective behaviour management. Children receive lots of enthusiastic praise and encouragement to support their positive behaviour and help them to develop good skills for self-control.

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

Children have excellent, warm, nurturing relationships with staff that ensure they form good attachments and develop confidence. For example, children are sensitively supported to settle at the beginning of the session. Staff listen to children and provide comfort for them as they engage the children in the registration activity. Children are carefully supported to develop good hygiene practices. Staff establish clear well-used routines to ensure children understand about washing their hands before all snacks and after toileting. Children have a range of healthy and well-balanced snacks and staff work closely with parents to ensure individual dietary needs are met. Children sit in their key-person groups for snack and the staff take time to engage the children in conversation to support good social development. Staff support children to make snack time a sociable and enjoyable activity and help them to develop good independence. For example, children

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

help to clean the tables to prepare for snack. At snack time children spread their own crackers and pour their own drinks. Staff support children with lots of praise and encouragement and talk with the children about the healthy foods they like to eat. Children's growing confidence and developing self-esteem very effectively supports them to be well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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

Children learn about the importance of being healthy and physical play is actively encouraged in the garden area. Children access the climbing frames, they play with the balls and hula hoops with increasing skill. For example, staff encourage children to use the hoops in different ways, rolling them and swinging them, giving lots of praise for the children's efforts and achievements. Children learn about managing their own safety. Staff talk to children about playing safely in the garden and about being careful of others while they play with the footballs and buggies. The staff team's positive attitude ensures children become independent and able to manage their own health and safety.

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provision

The management team has a comprehensive understanding of their responsibility in safeguarding children. All staff have ongoing team training to ensure they understand how to keep children secure and protected. The management team provides an effective range of policies and procedures to support the staff team's practice and to promote the welfare of the children. Staff carry out thorough risk assessments each day, to ensure that all areas of the environment, including equipment and resources are safe, both indoors and outdoors. Excellent staff ratios are maintained at all times and staff carefully supervise and observe the children ensuring children's safety. The managers have completed the safer recruitment certificate and the pre-school have robust recruitment procedures. Effective staff supervision and appraisal systems ensure all staff are and remain suitable to work with children. The pre-school team has worked to ensure they have met the

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provision

recommendation set at the last inspection.

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provision

The pre-school management team provides strong leadership and a clear lead is shown in driving improvement. This is a close knit team whose strong team approach clearly supports good practice. The systems for self-evaluation are exceptionally well used and give an accurate picture of the pre-school with realistic action plans for improvement. The staff team has made very good use of support from local authority development workers to help them accurately identify their areas for improvement and to make effective action plans. Regular supervision and staff meetings, as well as informal discussions with the management team, ensure staff are able to bring forward ideas with confidence. The managers and staff all hold recognised childcare qualifications and attend further training to continue their professional development. For example, staff have been trained to use the Every Child a Talker scheme with very positive results in supporting children's ability to

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provision

communicate well. The effective systems ensure children are cared for by a skilled and knowledgeable staff team, who promote and support their welfare and learning and development successfully.

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provision

The partnerships with parents and with professionals from other agencies are exemplary. The management team makes excellent use of their links with the children's centre to access a wide range of support services for the families who use the pre-school. Staff use a wide range of communication systems to gather and exchange information with parents. Parents are actively encouraged to take part in pre-school life through events, such as the open day before admission, sports day, and helping out at the allotment. To ensure they have good links with home learning the staff use a contact book for each child and they provide children with a story book to take home to read with parents. Further communication includes a closed social networking page where information and reminders are posted for parents and a regular newsletter. Parents make positive comments about both the care and education their children receive.

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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 401544 Local authority Thurrock Inspection number 847889

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 72 Name of provider Linda May Mills Date of previous inspection 22/01/2010 Telephone number 01708 864747

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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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