Christ Church Pre-School

Christ Church Pre-School Christ Church Pre-School, Gally Hill Road, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire, GU52 6LH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/11/2014 07/07/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff offer children extensive and exciting opportunities to learn. They encourage them to investigate, create and rejoice in their achievements.  Highly experienced staff make accurate observations and robust assessments of children's learning and development. This supports the planning and delivery of high quality teaching so that all children make the best possible progress given their starting points.  An excellent range of initiatives engage parents and fully involve them in promoting their children's development.  The manager has a strong drive to improve all aspects of the pre-school and has engaged an inspiring, committed, and enthusiastic team of staff to work with her.  Staff help to prepare children well for changes in their lives. Children are socially, emotionally, and developmentally ready for their moves to 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 a wide range of activities across all areas of the pre-school and talked with staff and children about what they were doing.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the leadership team and conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Christ Church Pre-school registered in 2000. Crookham Parochial Church Council have managed a pre-school from the church hall adjacent to Christ Church in Church Crookham in Hampshire since 1977. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area within the church grounds. Children come from the surrounding areas. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is open each week day during term time from 8.50am to 11.50am on Monday and Thursday and 8.50am to 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. There are currently 40 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four. There are currently eight staff working with the children, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff holds a level six qualification and qualified teacher status.

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

 enhance the opportunities for children to explore and investigate the natural world in their free play.

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who attend

Staff at the pre-school are highly effective at meeting the needs of the range of children who attend. Children happily enter the bright and well-organised church hall and become completely absorbed in the vast array of activities staff prepare for them. Parents say this is because staff know their children exceptionally well and provide them with a wealth of different learning experiences that excite their curiosity. For example, during the inspection children concentrated for long periods as they moved shells and pebbles back and forth between containers of different shapes and sizes. Younger children enjoyed handling the resources with developing coordination. Older children explored mathematical ideas as they experimented with capacity and sorting, and used the balance scales for weighing. Committee members note, that the previous week children were having enormous fun experimenting with floating and sinking in just the same area. Staff give

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who attend

children plenty of time to investigate and pursue the challenges that interest them and, as a result, they become highly creative in their play. They have time to make mistakes, review their work, change strategies, and try again. Staff are always nearby and aware of children's activities. They notice when they struggle and are ready with some reassurance, a new idea, or some practical help, depending on children's needs. As a result, children make secure and highly effective relationships with all the staff, and develop excellent skills that they apply to their learning.

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who attend

Underpinning the calm, friendly, and relaxed atmosphere across the pre-school is a highly professional team of experienced and well-qualified staff. They have high aspirations for the children they teach. Staff begin by getting to know the children and their families well. They learn all they can about children's achievements before they start at the pre-school. They work with parents to identify and facilitate children's next steps in learning. For example, while some children need encouragement to voice their ideas, others are learning how to moderate their ideas to take account of their friend's wishes. Staff ensure that children have opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge through careful planning and regular evaluations. They use children's spontaneous play and interests, small group activities and pre-school routines to help them achieve new skills. For example, children use torches and battery-operated toys independently. They receive help

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who attend

logging onto computers and routinely use cameras to record their activities. Daily evaluations, written observations and formal reports contribute to staff's evaluation process.

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who attend

Each term, staff review children's progress with their parents or carers. Together they continue their celebration of children's achievements and check for any gaps or delays in their learning and development. This enables them to identify where children need more help or focus, and to develop ways of meeting children's needs both at home and at the pre-school. All staff prepare materials to support specific aspects of children's learning at home, when appropriate. Staff also keep parents informed of topic work and children's interests at the pre-school through their daily log and regular newsletters. Staff very successfully engage parents, inspiring them to provide photographs and offers of help for different projects and cultural festivities. Parents spoken to also commented on the value of the activities staff ask them to complete with their children at home. A simple cutting and sticking activity or conversation about a national event gives them a much greater

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who attend

insight into their children's learning, which they greatly appreciate.

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who attend

When parents and staff recognise that children need additional help from outside agencies, they work together to secure referrals. Highly effective parent partnerships, combined with excellent co-working with external agencies, generally secure the help children need in a timely fashion. Staff are acutely aware of their role to specifically tailor teaching and care to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to reach their full potential. Consequently, all children make excellent progress towards the early learning goals given their time at the pre-school and their starting points.

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

Exceptionally caring and committed staff learn about children's likes and dislikes, needs and preferences before they start at the pre-school. They use this knowledge to make children feel safe and secure when they separate from family members. Each child's key person quickly distracts them with favourite toys and activities. When children need additional reassurance, sensitive staff play their favourite music or read a familiar story to soothe them and boost their confidence. Children thrive in the warmth and trust of staff that care deeply about their welfare and happiness.

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

Staff are sensitive to parents' needs. Where appropriate, they electronically send them a reassuring photograph of their child happily engaged and smiling within a few moments of their departure. Staff also find that short video clips of children at play are immensely helpful when working with children learning English as an additional language. Parents and staff can see clearly how children are managing to communicate and make friends. This also helps them know how to support them further with homemade books of photographs or stories with captions in both languages.

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

Staff design each aspect of the pre-school to facilitate children's increasing levels of independence. A rolling snack time respects children's choice to finish off, or tidy away, an activity before they eat. Staff sensitively support children to learn how to manage their own needs. For example, they show children how to wash their hands or put their tissues in the bins so that these behaviours become good habits. Parents donate food for snacks. This helps children take an interest in choosing from the varied array of fruit, seasonal treats, and other high-energy foods. Staff also develop projects on shopping, and growing fruit and vegetables. These help to teach children about making healthy choices and caring for their bodies. The manager deploys staff effectively to ensure there are enough staff to supervise children as they begin to take risks, appropriate to their ages and abilities, in the outdoor area. A new sun sail fitted in the outdoor area protects children

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

from the hot summer sun and from driving rain. This means that children enjoy being outdoors for long periods and get plenty of fresh air. The outdoor area does not lend itself to investigation of the natural world because it is mostly paved. Staff have added an insect house and take children on nature walks around the churchyard and down the lane; however there is potential to enhance this aspect of children's learning further.

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

Staff fully exploit the opportunities that arise from their strong links with the host church and make use of extra space in the church, as needed. Children learn first-hand how to ring the church bells to mark significant events in history and announce good news. Staff are exceedingly good at developing children's listening, musical, and singing skills. Children hear choirs practising, organs playing, and opera singers rehearsing. This inspires them to use their voices creatively. Children learn to cooperate as a group, and work together to play their part in communal activities, such as nativity plays and library projects. They show self control and kindness, for example, helping younger children with aprons and paint bottles. Staff quietly acknowledge and praise children's thoughtful and caring behaviour. Children feel good because they know their choices and actions are helpful.

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

The pre-school team includes a qualified teacher who has an endless supply of ideas to meet the needs of the high achievers and prepare children for their moves to school. Staff teach children to listen to, and discriminate between, sounds in words to help them learn to link sounds with letters. They also focus on developing children's personal skills so they arrive at school able to find their peg and put on their coats. Staff work very closely with colleagues at the local infant schools to prepare and welcome children. They provide comprehensive reports to help reception class teachers to settle each child in their new class. Children make collages showing who is going to which school and make visits with their teachers. Staff are particularly thrilled when children who have started school make return visits in their new school uniforms to read stories to the pre-school children. This pre-school is at the heart of the community and is very successfully nurturing the next

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provision

The manager and her team have an excellent understanding of their responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The outgoing chair of the committee has been instrumental in helping the manager raise standards in recruitment, induction, and staff supervision. This helps to ensure that the people looking after children are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their roles. A strong deputy supports the manager in all aspect of the provision, but especially when addressing challenging issues around child protection. All staff regularly refresh their safeguarding training. The manager refreshes their knowledge with updated policies, procedures, and quizzes during staff meetings. These measures keep staff alert to potential concerns and ensure they act appropriately should the need arise. The management committee continue to improve security and safety measures for the benefit of all the children who use the

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provision

church premises. For example, new gates secure the children's outdoor play area, a refurbished kitchen supports excellent levels of hygiene, and a new bathroom includes thermostatically controlled taps. Staff also access a more adequate storage area, which helps them keep hazards indoors, and outdoors, to a minimum. Children's safety is of the highest priority at all levels of the pre-school.

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provision

Three members of staff hold current certificates in paediatric first aid, and there is a programme in place for all staff to refresh their training in this area. Staff keep and review detailed records of accidents, incidents, and any medication they administer. Two members of staff countersign medical forms and parents sign to confirm they are fully aware of all the care staff give to their children. There are clear systems to ensure staff manage and respect children's dietary needs and preferences. Staff undertake risk assessments throughout the pre-school, and complete routine checks to identify and minimise potential hazards. Staff create a high quality setting which is welcoming, safe, and stimulating, and where children flourish.

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provision

An ethos of self-reflection and evaluation informs the staff team's priorities for improvement and drives them to maintain the highest levels of achievement for all children. For example, they use a computer programme to add precision to their evaluations of children's progress across the pre-school and the impact teaching. This enables the manager to identify and promptly address any areas for staff training or specific teaching strategies. Excellent relationships with outside agencies, and diligent consideration of their guidance, encourage staff as they aspire to provide the very best for children. These practices ensure the manager and her team meet the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage to a very high standard.

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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 109909 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 845970 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 40 Name of provider Crookham Parochial Church Council Committee Date of previous inspection 07/07/2011 Telephone number 01252 617130

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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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