Christchurch Hall Pre-School

Christchurch Hall Pre-School Christchurch Hall, Lime Grove Avenue, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 4AR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/11/2014 21/10/2011

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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

 Children are well protected and cared for in a safe, calm, learning environment. They are happy and show a high degree of confidence because of the strong bonds they have formed with the staff. Children's independence is well promoted.  Children enjoy a wide range of stimulating and engaging activities. They are always involved in fruitful activities and learn through play as staff engage with them, using good teaching strategies to extend and promote their skills.  The key-person system is effective in engaging parents in their children's education. Parents appreciate the quality of care and education provided for their children. Good partnerships with external agencies mean that children are well supported in their learning and development.  Systems for monitoring staff performance are good. As a result, the manager and deputy have identified the strengths of the staff team and can therefore plan

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This provision is good

professional development which is well focussed and to improve outcomes for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to extend the outdoor provision to enable children to explore and investigate the natural world.  Not all staff consistently use effective questioning to maximise children's already good language and communication skills.

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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 activities in the playroom, hall and outdoor area.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the manager and practitioners at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of practitioners working within the setting and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Information about the setting

Christchurch Pre-School was registered in 1967 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a church hall in the Chilwell area of Nottingham, and is managed by a voluntary committee of parents who are elected annually. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from two rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualifications at level 6, one at level 5, three at level 3 and one at level 2. The pre-school opens Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday all year round. Sessions are from 9am until 3.15pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 38 children attending who are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of

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Information about the setting

children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 develop the outdoor environment further to provide more opportunities for children to explore the natural world and use equipment, such as, magnifying glasses

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

 extend children's language, communication and critical thinking skills to the optimum levels, for example, by improving the questioning skills of some staff.

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who attend

Effective systems for observation and assessment enable staff to plan suitable activities for the children. Children's progress is tracked in their developmental journeys, which indicate where there are gaps in children's learning and development. This information is used to plan the next steps in their learning. Children's learning journey records are well documented and show that they make good progress towards the early learning goals. Parents have regular access to their children's learning journey records and have the opportunity to comment and contribute to their children's profiles. Children happily engage in a range of interesting activities, such as, role play, construction, a range of creative activities to choose from, and sorting activities. Staff provide many opportunities for children to communicate. For example, whole group discussion times are an opportunity for children to talk about their personal experiences. Children participate in a group circle

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who attend

time, which they thoroughly enjoy. Children are eager to contribute and talk about the pictures, signs and symbols. Effective questioning enables children to think about and discuss their own experiences. Older children are confident to ask questions. Opportunities for children to develop an understanding of basic phonics are also in place. Children link sounds to letters, which encourages their early literacy skills. Children who have English as an additional language are well supported through the use of a variety of strategies including seeing words in a variety of languages. Children have access to a good range of mark-making resources, developing their fine motor skills. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and make steady progress. Parents are pleased with the specialist support that their children receive. The statutory progress check for children aged between two and three years is firmly in place and

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who attend

Children's mathematical skills are developing as they count, sort and match shapes. Children enjoy playing in the space station and engaging in imaginative play as they practise building and flying the rockets. Staff are sensitive and know when to join in children's play but on occasion, some staff do not seize the opportunity to fully question, extend children's vocabulary and challenge their thinking to the optimum level. There are good opportunities for children to develop their creativity through painting, play dough, messy play and music sessions. Children choose materials to create their own pictures independently. Percussion instruments are used to lead a movement session, which provides children with the opportunity to explore sounds from different musical instruments and to sing in unison. There is a good variety of resources to develop physical skills, such as, balancing steps, tunnels to slide through and climbing equipment.

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who attend

However, the outdoor learning area does not facilitate children exploring or investigating the natural world.

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who attend

Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education because of the good transition arrangements that exist. Children visit their new schools and meet their new teachers. Teachers also visit children at the pre-school. Children are developing a good range of skills to help them learn and develop, ready for the next stage of their education. Relevant information about children's learning and development is shared with the receiving schools, which supports the transition process further.

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

Children are warmly welcomed by the staff as they arrive at the pre-school. They are well cared for and protected in this stimulating learning environment. Space is used well and good quality resources are well organised so that they are accessible to all the children. As a result, children move around the room confidently, making choices and moving and handling resources independently. The youngest children who have recently started at the setting settled in well, because of the strong, secure relationships they are developing with the staff. Children behave well because staff work well as a team to reinforce and acknowledge positive behaviour. Clear explanations are given to help children develop an understanding of acceptable behaviour. For example, when sand is thrown on the floor the manager skilfully askes the children to think about why it is dangerous to throw it and they are gently encouraged to help sweep it up. Therefore, children are learning to take

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

responsibility for their own behaviour and work co-operatively together. Children are encouraged to develop social skills as they are taught to be considerate of others and praise is used well to motivate them.

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

Staff are highly effective in promoting children's independence within the daily routine. For example, children help themselves to snacks and pour their own drinks. They access resources independently and help tidy up the room. Children are encouraged to have a go and try new things. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are eager to get involved. Children adopt good hygiene practices as they wash their hands before snacks and wash their plates after eating. Gentle reminders from the staff support new children with the hand washing routines. They learn how to keep themselves safe and to use equipment safely. For example, staff support children to learn how to use the climbing equipment safely.

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

Children enjoy a healthy snack of fruit and a drink of water or milk. Children's dietary and medical needs are observed when preparing snacks. The good use of the hall enables children to have ample opportunities to run around, climb, crawl, balance and slide. Consequently, their physical skills are well promoted. The key-person system is effective in sharing information with parents regarding their child's learning and development. Strong links with the school and good transition arrangements mean that the move to primary school is a smooth one. Staff prepare children for the move by talking to them about the changes that might occur and by sharing the transition book with them. As a result, children are self-assured and emotionally ready for the challenges ahead.

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provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children are good. Staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding procedures and are vigilant so children are well protected. All staff understand their responsibility to protect children in their care and know how to report concerns they may have about a child. The premises are secure and visitors are checked before entering the pre-school. Daily risk assessment of the premises and equipment ensure that children can play safely. There are good procedures in place to check staffs' suitability to work with the children. Some members of staff hold current paediatric first- aid certificates, so children are well cared for should they have an accident.

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provision

The manager and deputy manager provide good leadership for an effective team of dedicated staff. Systems for monitoring the educational programmes are effective. Staff performance is managed well and the manager is proactive in identifying when staff need additional training. Annual appraisals and regular supervision meetings are well documented and inform accurate targets for continued staff professional development. As a result, staff are more confident in their role particularly with regards to safeguarding children. There are effective systems in place to monitor children's progress so management have a precise overview of progress. As a result, gaps are easily identified and appropriate support is put in place to support those children with additional needs. The manager and staff team are committed to developing and enhancing the pre-school. They have successfully addressed the recommendations from the last inspection and

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provision

identified areas for future improvement. Good partnership with parents means that parents are fully involved in their children's education. Daily discussions with parents, regular meetings and the pre-school's website keep parents well informed of the pre-school's activities and their children's progress. Parent share information about their children when they first start at the pre-school. Parents are encouraged to offer to support activities within the pre-school by volunteering to work within the setting to engage with the children in their chosen activities. Parents' views are sought through questionnaires and children's views are sort verbally. Parents are appreciative of the care and education provided. They comment that the staff are approachable, very supportive, understanding and willing to help. Strong partnerships with the school enable children to make a smooth transition to their next stage in their

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provision

learning. Good specialist support and advice enable staff to plan effectively to meet children's additional needs.

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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 253126 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 871516

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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 38 Name of provider Christchurch Hall Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 21/10/2011 Telephone number 0115 967 8145

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Type of provision

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

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

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

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Type of provision

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

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Type of provision

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

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Type of provision

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

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

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

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