St Anne's Pre-School

St Anne's Pre-School Pickering Green, Harlow Green, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE9 7HX

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/11/2014 28/06/2010

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 All staff have high expectations of children. As a result, children are progressing well towards the early learning goals.  Partnership with parents and other professionals is good and the information shared benefits children and families who attend the provision, supporting children's well- being.  Staff are enthusiastic. They have a good understanding of where children are in their learning and plan activities based on children's individual interests.  The pre-school leaders and staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard children and use their skills and knowledge to keep them safe from harm.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Children have less opportunity to explore and follow their own interests because staff sometimes intervene too early in their play.  Staff do not take every opportunity to fully promote children's independence skills, for example, as they do not encourage children to pour their own drinks.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playroom and the outdoor area.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with one of the pre-school leaders.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector had discussions with both pre-school leaders and talked to staff and children.  The inspector took account of parents' views, including written comments.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documents, including assessments, tracking, planning, qualifications of staff working with children and their records of suitability.

p.2

Information about the setting

St Anne's pre-school was registered in 1992 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in adapted premises in the Harlow Green area of Gateshead, and is managed by Committee. The pre- school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a demountable classroom in the grounds of St Anne's Catholic Primary School and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are from 8am until 3.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 27 children attending who are in the early years age group. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three-

p.3

Information about the setting

and four-year-old children. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

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

 strengthen teaching to maximise opportunities for children to engage actively in their learning by ensuring they have time and space to follow their own interests for extended periods of time

p.3

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

 enhance snack time to encourage children's independence and preparation for school, for example, by regularly providing the opportunity for children to serve themselves.

p.3

who attend

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which they use effectively to promote children's learning and development. Staff provide children with a wide range of interesting and enjoyable experiences to cover all seven areas of learning. Observations and assessments are carried out regularly, and staff use the information effectively to identify children's progress and plan weekly activities. The planning is shared with all staff and each key person completes a weekly planning sheet identifying the focus of development for each child. This ensures all staff know how to plan opportunities for children to make good progress. Learning journals and diaries contain observations and photographs, showing that all children are generally working comfortably within the typical range of development expected for their age and are making good progress, based on their starting points. Systems are in place to track

p.3

who attend

children's ongoing progress, which enables staff to quickly identify any gaps in learning. Parents are well informed about their child's learning. Progress checks for children aged between two and three years are completed and shared with the parents. They have regular opportunities to share information about their children's progress with staff and are able to view their child's learning journal and share examples of their child's learning at home. The staff complete a report for every child in the summer term and a number of parents commented on how much they enjoy reading the reports and looking at the children's diaries.

p.4

who attend

The atmosphere in the pre-school is calm and relaxed. Children come in happily and quickly settle into their play. They take part in a range of adult led activities, but also have some opportunities to lead their own play, choosing from the range of resources and materials on offer. However, sometimes staff do not allow the children to actively engage in their learning, by ensuring they have time and space to follow their own interests for extended periods of time. For example, when the children have free play they go into the home corner, where a member of staff follows them and begins directing the play by asking questions, without giving them the opportunity to follow their interests. Staff know children well and respond to their interests, making a good range of activities available and encouraging them to stay engaged and motivated to learn. For example, staff explain that the children are not always interested in painting at the easel, so they put out a

p.4

who attend

painting activity on the table where the children share a large piece of paper and choose to join in the activity. The children start to paint their hands, a member of staff joins in and the activity then moves to the easel, where children paint the bottom of moulds and then print with them on the easel. Consequently, staff motivate children to try new experiences, and they thoroughly enjoy their play and extend their own learning.

p.4

who attend

During adult led activities, children play with colour boards games in small groups. Staff skilfully support their play whilst introducing new vocabulary and colours, which helps to maintain their interest and extend their learning. The children then start asking their peers questions, giving them clues about what they are holding. Consequently, children improve their colour recognition while playing creatively and exploring using their imagination. Children also have access to a stimulating outdoor learning environment. They have many activities to promote their learning across many skill groups as they use ride-on toys, paint brushes, water and blackboards, the sand tray and climbing apparatus. The children also have the opportunity to plant outdoors. They are currently growing apple and cherry trees and have previously grown carrots and peas. As a result, they develop an understanding of where the food they eat comes from. Children with special educational needs and/or

p.4

who attend

disabilities are supported well. Staff work closely with parents, external agencies and other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure effective strategies are used to meet children's individual needs. Staff have good links with local primary schools, they share relevant information about children to support their learning and development. They use the facilities within the school where they are based; for example, their Christmas concert is being held in the school hall, so that they can include more parents and family members. As a result, children's future moves to school are managed well and they are developing the skills needed for future learning.

p.4

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

Staff have created a warm and reassuring environment. The key-person system is effective and ensures that children make secure emotional attachments and feel safe and secure. The warm relationships give children a strong base and develop their confidence and self-esteem. Children show that they are happy and content. When they first start, staff gather information from parents, including interests, likes and dislikes, which allows them to gain a clear picture of each individual child. This contributes to them knowing children well and, consequently, staff effectively meet children's individual needs. Therefore, their emotional well-being is well supported because they develop good relationships with staff. Children freely approach staff if they need help or want them to join in with an activity. This provides children with a secure and safe environment for them to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Consequently, they settle well and

p.5

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

enjoy the attention they receive from staff. Staff use sign language with the children. This is done regularly at the beginning of each session when they are discussing what they are going to be doing. The children join in, enhancing the experience for those who have limited language.

p.5

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

Children are kept safe in the setting because staff are deployed well, supervising children at all times and being aware of any dangers to children. For example, they teach children how to safely negotiate the sloped grassed area that leads from the decking to the outdoor play area. Staff speak to children and each other politely and calmly and there are clear expectations of good behaviour. As a result, children's behaviour is good. They are developing key skills, such as sharing and are developing respectful relationships towards their peers. For example, a child, who had brought in two toys from home, was praised when she let the other children take turns with her toys. When one of the toys was misplaced, all of the children kept looking until it was found.

p.5

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

The playroom is well organised with high quality resources and children have plenty of space to play and explore. A wide range of age-appropriate resources are stored at children's level, enabling them to make independent choices about their play. Children self-register on arrival by selecting and displaying their name, which is written on a card and accessible to them. The walls display examples of the children's work and work is also pegged on hanging lines across the room. For example, the children are making Christmas stockings and they are currently displayed for the children and their parents to see. This promotes children's self-esteem and their sense of belonging at the setting. Consistent daily routines, such as washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet, helps children to begin to understand about healthy lifestyles as they have open access to the hand washing facilities and use them confidently. Children enjoy healthy snacks, such as

p.5

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

fruit. However, occasionally, the organisation of snack time does not fully promote children's independence as they do not have the opportunity to pour their own drinks and chop their fruit. The children who stay over the lunch period bring a packed lunch from home. They all sit together with staff while eating their lunch, making it a calm social occasion where all of the children join in lively discussions.

p.5

provision

Safeguarding arrangements for children in the pre-school are good. Good adult-to-child ratios are maintained and staff are deployed well, ensuring that children are safe and well supported in their play and learning. Robust risk assessments are in place for all aspects of the pre-school, including outings. Daily visual checks are made by staff to make sure the environment is safe for the children who attend. For example, a member of staff always checks around the outdoor area before the children go out to play, to ensure that it is safe and secure. The safeguarding of children is given high priority by all staff, who understand their role in reporting any child protection concerns and know how to follow the correct referral procedures. All members of staff have attended safeguarding training and comprehensive policies and procedures underpin practice. Recruitment is effective and all staff have undergone appropriate checks to ensure they are suitable to be around

p.6

provision

One of the pre-school leaders regularly carries out peer observations of staff working with the children. This means that practice is evaluated and advice is given about adapting activities, so that staff develop effective teaching practice, for example, discussing where further resources can be added to extend the choices for the children, providing a more positive learning experience for them. The pre-school self-evaluation illustrates that the leaders fully understand their responsibility to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Parents are involved in the evaluation process through questionnaires and are very positive about the provision in their responses. Since the last inspection, the pre-school leaders have worked closely with the staff team in reflecting and improving upon their practice, and they have successfully addressed the recommendations from the last inspection. For example, risk assessments, medicine and accident reporting

p.6

provision

procedures are all well established in practice, ensuring full compliance with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage

p.6

provision

The pre-school leaders and staff show a good understanding of how they plan for children's learning and how they assess the progress children make towards the early learning goals. There are clear systems to identify when children's progress is outside of expected levels, which enables practitioners to support all children appropriately. For example, activities are extended when children are meeting their expected levels of development, so that they are continually challenged. The leaders monitor how practitioners complete assessments to ensure that every child is supported to make good progress given their capabilities. Links with external agencies are strong. For example, the pre-school works closely with a range of other professionals, such as health visitors, local schools and the speech and language therapist who currently attends the setting on a weekly basis, to ensure the needs of children are met. Staff work closely with parents to

p.6

provision

engage them in pre-school life. Parents, spoken to on the day of the inspection, comment on how fantastic the setting is and how they would not take their children anywhere else.

p.6

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

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number 311890 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 871916

p.8

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 27 Name of provider St Annes Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 28/06/2010 Telephone number 07981120786

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

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

p.10