White Rock Pre-school

White Rock Pre-school Hookhills & Broadsands Park Community Centre, Freshwater Drive, PAIGNTON, Devon, TQ4 7SB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/11/2014 20/01/2011

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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

 The pre-school provides a safe, welcoming and stimulating environment where children feel secure and eager to learn. As a result, they make good progress.  Staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements and promote children's learning well.  Children gain confidence when attending the pre-school. Staff encourage them to be independent and this raises their self-esteem.  Partnerships with parents, carers and other professionals are good. This supports a shared approach to meeting children's care and learning needs.  The management is committed to improving outcomes for the children at the pre- school.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff interact well with children, however, they do not always give children sufficient time to think and respond to the questions they ask them.  There are occasional minor inconsistencies in sharing observations made by other staff when some children's key person is absent.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities inside and outdoors. She spoke to the manager, staff, children and parents and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed a range of policies, documents and procedures, including those relating to safeguarding, supervision and risk assessments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a range of children's records and reviewed the pre-school's systems for observing, assessing, planning and sharing information with parents and carers.  The inspector studied the pre-school's written self-evaluation form.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

White Rock Pre-School registered in 1992. It is managed by a committee and operates from Hookhills Community Centre, in Paignton, Devon. It has its own room and access to an outdoor area that is also sometimes used by community centre members. The pre- school is registered on the Early Years Register. Currently, there are 34 children on roll aged between two and five. The pre-school is open between 9am and 3pm on weekdays, during school term times only. It receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who are learning English as an additional language. Seven members of staff work with the children, all of whom hold appropriate childcare qualifications. The pre-school also employs an administrator.

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

 enhance staff expertise in using questions more effectively to further support children's thinking skills

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

 strengthen arrangements when key persons are absent for other staff to share information with them about their observations of children's achievements to provide further continuity in planning for children's progress.

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who attend

Children are happy at the pre-school and make good progress in their learning and development. This helps children to build their skills for their future learning effectively. Staff provide children with a good range of activities in a well-organised and welcoming learning environment. They ensure that the resources are accessible and that they are clearly labelled. This enables children to be independent when they are choosing their activities.

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who attend

Staff promote learning in a fun way. They teach children about the days of the week, the months of the year, the seasons and the weather through songs and rhymes. They play memory games by hiding objects, shapes and numbers. The children enjoy looking carefully, remembering and then identifying what is missing. Staff also encourage them to describe the items and this develops their communication and language skills very well. Staff create different imaginative role-play areas for the children. There has recently been a fruit and vegetable stall, and a castle for 'Jack' in the story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. During the inspection, the role play area was a vet's practice. Children enjoyed wearing the vet's outfit and pretending to make the sick animals well. There are good opportunities for imaginative play both indoors and outside.

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who attend

The outdoor area is well equipped and staff skilfully use this to extend all areas of learning. Children read books in the sheltered area, and they use musical instruments to tap out rhythms and to sing songs. The whole environment is rich in print and there are many opportunities for children to express themselves through painting, collage and other materials. Children experiment with their early writing skills during their play. They experiment with rhymes and they link sounds to letters. Children self-register on arrival and learn to recognise their names, which they later learn to write. As a result, staff promote children's literacy development very well.

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who attend

Staff promote mathematical concepts in an interesting way. Children learn about shapes, space and measure. For example, children learn about capacity as they fill a variety of containers with water, and they identify shapes hidden in the sand. Children become aware of the space around them as they learn to move the wheeled toys around the outdoor area. Staff teach children to count, for example, children enjoy singing number rhymes. In addition, children count the scales on the fish and the tentacles on the sea creatures they have made for their display. They learn to recognise numbers as they fish with magnets in the water.

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who attend

Staff are inclusive in their practice. They teach children about their own community and cultures. In addition, they raise children's awareness of different countries and lifestyles through books, posters and small-world toys. They teach children about nature, including different landscapes and seascapes, and about the wildlife that live in these environments. For instance, children have recently been learning about the sea and they have conducted an experiment to find out how and why a volcano erupts. This promotes children's understanding of the world securely.

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who attend

Staff build on the information which parents and carers provide before children start at the pre-school. They find out about children's interests, and what they can do. They then know how to extend children's learning and motivate them to try new things. Overall, staff develop children's communication and language well, expanding their sentences and pronouncing words correctly for them. However, although staff interact with children very well, they do not always extend children's thinking skills or give them sufficient time to think and respond to questions asked. For example, staff often comment on children's activities rather than encouraging children to talk about these to further support their thinking skills.

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who attend

Staff use regular observations to plan for children and identify their next steps in learning. They also identify strategies that they can use to help the children to experiment in activities across all areas of learning. They monitor this very effectively. However, in the absence of children's key person, occasionally some information about observations of children's learning is not always consistently shared. Staff work very well with parents and carers, who say that they feel very involved in their children's learning, which they continue at home. The staff encourage children's learning at home, such as taking books home to enjoy with their families. Parents share their observations of their children's activities and achievements at home and these are recorded in the learning diaries. This gives a wider view of children's development and progress.

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

Children have secure attachments with their key person and staff work hard to ensure that children settle well when they join the pre-school. Staff establish good relationships with parents and carers through the key-person approach. If for any reason, a child does not settle quickly then the key person visits the child at home to observe and interact with them in their own environment. This helps to build a stronger bond if the child is unsettled. Most children generally settle very quickly and parents comment that their children sometimes do not want to go home at the end of the session! Parents are asked to complete an 'all about me' form before children start, which means that information about individual needs can be shared effectively. When children have attended a different setting, staff work with the setting to find out about the child's interests and aptitudes. This helps to make the change of environment easier. Having established children's likes

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

and dislikes, the staff try to ensure that children's interests and favourite toys are available for when they arrive. As a result, children quickly find activities and become involved in their play. This makes them feel more secure and promotes their well-being effectively.

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

Staff are flexible in their approach in that they regularly evaluate and adapt their routines to meet the needs of the children in their care. For instance, recently they have incorporated more structure so that when children arrive they initially spend time with their key person. Once they feel secure and settled, the two-year-olds feel more confident to explore and engage in the activities on offer, both inside and outdoors. Children say that they enjoy going to the pre-school and they are keen to share their experiences of their favourite activities, such as the role-play area, painting and playing with the pirate games.

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

Children learn to behave well because staff support them to express their thoughts and feelings. Children confidently ask for what they want or the younger ones indicate by gesture that they want to paint or join in an activity. Staff encourage the behaviour they want, for example, through group activities to encourage 'good listening' or 'taking turns'. Staff suggest that children use an egg timer to ensure that children share a favourite activity or toy fairly. Children learn to cooperate, to help to tidy up and to respect their environment. This gives them confidence in their abilities and raises their self-esteem.

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

Staff at the pre-school promote independence very well and parents value this. They say that their children have become much more independent since starting there and that they can dress themselves, go to the toilet on their own and wash their hands afterwards. Staff follow good care practices and maintain a safe and hygienic environment. Children sometimes help to prepare their snacks and they pour their own drinks at snack time and help themselves to fruit and toast. These activities support children's developing self-care skills well. Staff join the children at mealtimes to extend conversation and develop their social skills. They are good role models. For example, staff are kind to the children and they remind them to have good manners and to respect each other.

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

Children have free access to the enclosed outdoor area which means that they are able to make choices about where they play. They enjoy being outdoors and they benefit from fresh air and energetic play, such as climbing, using the slide and developing their throwing, catching and target skills with the balls. Staff encourage children to be active, they do stretching exercises and move to music indoors. They take advantage of the large play equipment in the adjacent park to provide more challenge to children's physical development. Staff ensure that they supervise children very well when they are playing outdoors. They also carry out daily safety checks and regular risk assessments to minimise any hazards.

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

Staff prepare children well for starting at the local school by organising visits to the new environment before children start. This helps children to become familiar with the new environment and meet the teaching staff, which supports them socially and emotionally. The staff also hold discussions with the teachers at a later date to evaluate how well each child has settled at school.

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provision

The committee and the management understand their responsibilities to ensure that the pre-school meets the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Effective procedures are in place to implement and monitor these. There are clearly defined procedures for vetting, recruiting and inducting new staff and students. Regular staff supervision sessions and staff meetings provide support for staff and identify any training needs. The manager evaluates these processes regularly and staff report that they feel well supported in accessing additional training to improve their practice. Management and staff work closely with the local early years advisory staff and seek advice when necessary. This helps the staff team to identify and work towards further improvements.

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provision

Staff prioritise keeping the children safe. The premises are secure, and the manager ensures that the outside area is safe and very well supervised. Most members of staff have completed recent training in paediatric first-aid. As a result, a first-aid trained member of staff is always available to promptly respond to children's accidents and injuries. Staff regularly practise fire evacuation procedures so that children become familiar with the routine.

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provision

Staff are securely aware of their responsibilities to protect children. They regularly attend safeguarding training and they clearly understand how to recognise a child who may be at risk of harm. They are confident to instigate the correct procedures should they have any concerns. The manager ensures that staff discuss safeguarding issues regularly at their meetings. This keeps staff's knowledge and understanding current.

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provision

The managers and staff work well together as a team to ensure that the setting operates smoothly on a day-to-day basis. Managers have a good overview of the skills of the staff and the staff team meets regularly to review the provision and to plan. Management and staff regularly review policies and procedures. This helps to ensure that they all fully understand and implement these. Management share policies and procedures on the pre- school's website, which means parents can easily find and read these.

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provision

The staff use good systems to monitor the learning programmes, to ensure they identify children's needs clearly and that each child is sufficiently challenged. The manager monitors the service well through use of a detailed self-evaluation form. Staff and parents contribute to this process through regular questionnaires and staff also ask the children for their views. This shows that management has a good understanding of the strengths of the pre-school and areas for improvement.

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provision

The staff pay a high regard to establishing and maintaining effective relationships with parents and other professionals to ensure that children's individual needs are met. For example, they work well with the local health visitors to support families in the care of their children. There are also close links with the local children's centre and this approach ensures continuity of care for children and their families. Parents comment that they are very happy with the pre-school and that the staff work very hard for the benefit of their children.

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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 139447 Local authority Torbay Inspection number 841363 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider White Rock Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 20/01/2011 Telephone number 01803 845989

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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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