Olney Pre-School

Olney Pre-School The Olney Centre & Library, High Street, OLNEY, Buckinghamshire, MK46 4EF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/10/2014 20/09/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 The leadership team support staff to make expert use of information, from observations of children's activities, their interests and information from parents.  Pre-school children excel in all areas of learning and development.  Staff make excellent arrangements for children; they tailor children's care to meet their individual needs.  Leadership and management of the pre-school are robust. There are established and effective systems and procedures, which supports the effective management of the pre- school.

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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 both indoors and outdoors and spoke to children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and discussed activity plans with senior staff.  The inspector tracked children and carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documentation, and discussed self-evaluation processes and improvement plans with the manager.  The inspector spoke to parents.

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Information about the setting

Olney Pre-School opened in 1968 and is managed by a committee of volunteers. It is located in a self-contained unit, which forms part of the Olney Centre. The Pre-school premises are comprised of two rooms, a kitchen, washing and toilet facilities, a reception area and a garden. The front entrance is reached via steps. However, level access can be gained through the Centre. Opening times are 9.15am until 3pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9.15am until 11.45am and 12.30pm until 3pm. The pre-school opens term times only. It is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Currently, there are 69 children on roll, and they are all in the early years age range. The pre-school supports children who are learning English as an additional language. The pre- school receives funding for free early education for two-, three- and four-year olds. The

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Information about the setting

pre-school employs 10 staff, all of whom hold relevant qualifications in childcare and education. The pre-school manager holds Early Years Professional Status and the deputy holds Qualified Teacher Status.

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

 Provide more opportunities for children to see numbers in the outdoor classroom.

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who attend

Staff plan and deliver a wide range of activities that are of excellent quality. Staff make expert use of information from observations of children's activities, their interests and information from parents. These elements work extremely well together to provide children with excellent learning experiences across all of the seven areas. Staff plan precisely for individual children. This enables them to meet children's individual needs and helps children to make excellent progress in learning and development.

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who attend

Staff in the pre-school track children's progress extremely closely and act quickly to close gaps in children's learning and development. It is a part of staff's strategy to use information about children's interest to build children's language skills and to promote their personal social and emotional development. For example, staff may use the picture on a child's tee shirt or a toy from home to make the activities more meaningful for individual children. For instance, the roar of the dinosaur enticed the child who is learning English as an additional language to experiment with sounds. The stories centred on a favourite toy help new children to feel that they are at the centre of learning from the start. This entices them to listen and to engage positively with staff and other children. Staff support children extremely well to develop wider friendship groups. As a result, the atmosphere is busy and purposeful, and children are sharing extremely well and learning

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who attend

Staff plan meticulously and deliver activities that are exciting for children. They demonstrate deep understanding of how children learn. They use inspirational ideas and activities to make learning extremely enjoyable and fun for children. For instance, staff support children to bring the topic about autumn to life. They use conversation, books and pretend play resources to teach children about changes in the season. Staff extend children's understanding with bug hunts in the garden, helping children to use reference books to identify the insects and bugs they find. To fully experience the activity, staff provide children with resources such as magnifying glasses and tools for digging. Children tested their strength as they turn the logs over. Staff ask open questions and challenge the children to think about sights and smells in the garden. Children speak clearly and give explanations that show clear reasoning. They explained why they think there were no

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who attend

butterflies in the garden at this time. Children extend their understanding of the world as they learn about different ways to reuse everyday items. For example, they know that the fruit peel is good for composting and the cereal boxes are useful for making models. Staff support children to gain deep and broad knowledge through sustained excellent teaching and learning in readiness for school.

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who attend

Children demonstrate very good mathematical knowledge, for example, children are learning to recognise that numbers are used widely in the environment, such as for vehicle registration plates and prices in the shops. However, there are fewer numbers for children to see in the outdoor classroom. Even so, children routinely learn about shape, space and measure. They and show their creativity by creating interesting three-dimensional designs in their exploratory play and show their spatial awareness as they work together to manoeuvre vehicles at speed without causing accidents.

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who attend

Senior staff closely monitor the learning and development arrangements for every child. This ensures that the pre-school staff and leadership team makes excellent arrangements to sustain children learning at a consistently high standard. This keeps helps children to excel in their learning from their starting points.

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

Every child is allocated a key person when they start. Children's key persons gain in-depth knowledge about children. They engage fully with parents to find out essential information about individual children. This makes children's starting points clear and provides essential information during the settling-in period. Staff use the information to meet children's individual and emotional needs when they need it most. For example, staff make it their absolute priority to give new children the support they need when they arrive at the pre- school; staff are helping children to develop secure emotional relationships. This reassures children and gently eases them into play. This helps children to feel secure and assures parents of staff's kindness and positive interactions with the children. Parents provide a wealth of information about children's personal care needs, health conditions, home language and cultural observances, which staff use to fully promote children's well-being.

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

Staff are confident about equality and they do not treat any child or family more or less favourably. There are prominent displays reflecting positive images of many aspects of diversity. The leadership team and the staff set the expectation for a warm welcome for all. Staff find out about children's home language and they all make concerted efforts to use children's home language as a platform on which to develop children's English and their communication and language skills. Children who are learning English as an additional language do so quickly and this promotes their readiness for school. All children use resources that reflect cultural diversity and disabilities as a core part of the daily provision; staff are teaching them to develop inclusive attitudes towards others.

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

There are ample good quality play resources for children to use, in the pre-school. Deployment of staff is extremely effective; staff consistently meets the needs of the children to high standards. Staff engage with children fully; they are confident to know when to allow children additional time to resolve matters and when they need to intervene. This allows children to take increasing control and they show confidence in their interactions with others. Children are extremely confident to manage risks within their capabilities, they also know when to ask for help. For example, they use resources such as scissors independently; they ask for help to dry water from the climbing equipment as they know that it is slippery. Children are learning to listen carefully and to show consideration for others as staff model behaviour extremely well for children; they are calm and respectful with the children. Children's good behaviour during large group

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

activities enables everyone to get the most from these learning experiences. Children respond positively to the staff's guidance and show them respect and good manners. These are positive attitudes, which serve children extremely well when they go to school.

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

Children are developing a deep understanding of healthy lifestyles through the pre- school's daily practices. Children are learning why daily physical exercise is good for their bodies. Children drink water or milk and eat healthy snacks, including fresh fruits each day. Through thorough hygiene practices, activities and discussion children consolidate their understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, children remember to wash their hands before eating and they are confident to explain the reasons for doing so. Most children use the toilet independently and staff are at hand to give support in this area of children's development when necessary. Staff achieve excellent standards of hygiene in the pre-school and this highly promotes health. Through discussion and practising skills, children are increasing their understanding of personal safety. For example, they are learning that their independence in self-care helps to keep them safe. Children are

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

learning how to use tools, such as gardening tools, scissors and large equipment safely. Children are using their increasing understanding of personal safety to promote their independence.

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provision

The leadership team makes excellent arrangements for meeting the learning and development and the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The pre-school has highly developed systems to implement all aspects of learning and development. There are well-established programmes for the tracking and monitoring of children's learning and development. Additionally the quality of teaching and learning are highly effective, because staff are extremely knowledgeable about how children learn. This enables children in the pre-school to make the most of their natural curiosity to learn. Consequently, children excel in their learning and development from their starting points. Children have exciting learning experiences in the pre-school.

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provision

The pre-school's recruitment and vetting procedures are robust, based on safer recruitment practices. This includes vetting through the Disclosure and Barring Service and full inductions for all staff. Staff have deep knowledge of safeguarding and welfare matters, including child protection and whistle blowing procedures. They are extremely familiar with the pre-school's policies and procedures; this is because staff are influential in the systems for reviewing and updating all policies. Staff know who the designated child protection officers are and they state confidently their responsibility to report any concerns in the pre-school in accordance with the policy. Staff are absolutely clear about what to do if concerns arise about children's well-being. It is a core element of practice for staff to review specific policies at team meetings and training events. The pre-school policies are available to every staff member and parents. Risk assessments and hazards checks are

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provision

effective to create and maintain safe environments for children. The pre-school is safe and secure. Documentation meets requirements, and the leadership team manages them meticulously.

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provision

The pre-school's leadership team are absolutely focused on improvements. They ensure that senior staff are highly qualified and all staff are qualified in childcare and education. There are established and effective staff management systems in place. The leadership team robustly evaluates its performance and priorities for improvement, such as improvement to the outdoor classroom, which ensures that children are able to use the space across the seasons and in all weather.

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provision

The pre-school makes excellent links with parents and other partners involved in children's learning, development and welfare. There are established systems in place for sharing information and involving parents and children to share their ideas. Staff support parents extremely well to extend children's learning at home. Parents speak highly of the pre- school practices and the staff. They state that children are making excellent progress. Parents praise the staff for the range of learning experiences that they provide for children and the wealth of information that the management team provides to help them to engage fully. They value the information, which helps them to build on children's learning at home. As well as the opportunities for children to borrow resources, the parents committee is the pre-school's effective steering group.

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provision

Staff are experienced working with parents to complete the progress check for two-year- old children. There are well-established procedures to share summary information with parents, as well as to support children's transition to full-time education. The pre-school is driving for continuous improvement for children. For example, they share their outstanding practice with other providers in the locality. Additionally, they liaise with the head of the foundation stage in the local primary school to identify ways in which the pre- school can prepare children even more fully for school.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 141861 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 825778 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Olney Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 20/09/2011 Telephone number 01234 240042

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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