Heslington Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 24 Nov 2014

Heslington Pre-School Lord Deramore's Primary School, School Lane, Heslington, YORK, North Yorkshire, YO10 5EE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/11/2014 09/11/2011

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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

 Staff know children well and use their good observations to deliver an educational programme to meet their individual needs. As a result, children are engaged and enthusiastic learners.  Staff provide a safe, secure environment for children and have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures. Consequently, children are effectively protected, secure and settled.  Effective partnerships with parents and a well-embedded key-person system, help children to form secure emotional attachments. Consequently, children are emotionally well prepared for their next stage of learning, including being ready for school.  Effective self-evaluation means that staff continually improve the good service for children and their families.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to develop their literacy and numeracy skills outdoors are not as effective as those indoors, as there are fewer resources to promote the regular and purposeful use of letters, signs and symbols for children who prefer to learn outside.

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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 viewed all areas of the premises used by children, including the outdoor environment.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed play and learning opportunities for the children and spoke to staff members in the pre-school room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager, and looked at and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Heslington pre-school was registered in 1992 on the Early Years Register. It operates from a classroom on the premises of Lord Deramore's Primary School in the Heslington area of York. It is managed by a voluntary committee. The pre-school serves the immediate locality and the surrounding areas. The children have an enclosed area for outdoor play and access to the school grounds. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff who work directly with the children. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and the pre-school manager has Qualified Teacher Status. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, during term time and operates from 9am to 3pm Monday and Thursday, 9am to 12noon and 12.30pm to 3pm Tuesday, and 9am to 12noon Wednesday and Friday. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 35 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The pre-school receives

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Information about the setting

funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 enhance opportunities for children who prefer to play and learn outdoors to build on their reading and numeracy skills by, for example, adding additional resources, such as text and labels for them to recognise and refer to.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They provide effective educational programmes and an excellent range of well-balanced activities. Consequently, all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress overall from their starting points. Staff provide challenging activities to engage and motivate children in their play. For example, children use their imagination and concentration skills as they mix paints to make a variety of colours. Staff ask, 'Can you tell me what colour this is?' and 'what colour have you made now?' Staff praise children and make suggestions to help to further develop their play and cooperation. As a result, these important personal skills in developing positive relationships support children well towards the next stage of their learning such as school. Children's communication and language development is supported effectively, as staff engage in constant discussion,

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who attend

introduce new vocabulary and model language during their activities. Staff make good use of open-ended questioning to encourage children to be active learners, who think critically. Children have books in place as their learning profiles, which include observations, photographs and assessments of their progress. Observations are purposeful and clearly identify children's next steps in their development. The pre-school has an effective system in place for completing and sharing the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years with parents. This means that any gaps in children's learning are quickly identified and appropriate support is provided to ensure they continue to make good progress.

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who attend

Children have access to a good range of stimulating resources, which are easily accessible to enable them to make independent choices within their play. There are good opportunities for children to develop their early writing skills as staff support them throughout the session to write their own names. In addition, children learn about the written word, as there is an extensive range of text on display. They routinely see their name in print and staff provide a good range of writing tools to encourage children to practise their mark-making skills. However, this quality in the inside play area is not extended to the outdoor environment, to strengthen growing literacy and numeracy skills, particularly for those children who prefer to play and learn outdoors. Children's physical development is promoted well through daily activities in the garden to ensure they are active. Children develop their early understanding of mathematics as they take part in role

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who attend

play using construction materials. Children are engaged and enthusiastic learners because they are appropriately challenged and enjoy the activities available to them.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are good. Staff value parents knowledge about their children and the information they provide. They gather useful information from parents at the point of registration so they can plan for each child's learning. Staff communicate with parents on a daily basis, which gives parents a regular opportunity to contribute to their children's development. This ensures children's development is effectively enhanced, and their individual needs are met. Staff work closely with parents, and other professionals, such as teachers, to promote the children's learning and development. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well to ensure their individual needs are met. Staff respect all children's cultural and social differences as they help them celebrate the events that are important in their lives. As a result, children feel welcome and included in the pre-school. Staff have developed good relationships with the adjoining primary

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who attend

school, which ensures they work in partnership and share relevant information to support children when they prepare to move on to reception class.

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

Children are welcomed by friendly and attentive staff into a stimulating and nurturing environment, which supports their well-being and development well. Consequently, they happily separate from their parents and carers and settle well as they engage in activities of their choice. The pre-school has an effective key-person system in place, which ensures children develop positive relationships and form secure attachments. On entry, settling-in visits are arranged and planned depending on children's individual needs. Parents are invited to stay at first to ensure children feel safe and secure. They provide key information to staff to ensure that children's individual requirements are known and understood, such as food allergies, routines and additional needs. Children's own work and photographs are displayed around the pre-school, to ensure they have a sense of belonging and feel self-assured. As a result, children are happy, settled and content.

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

Children are generally developing good independence and self-care skills. Staff teach children about the importance of washing their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Children demonstrate high levels of confidence and independence as they freely move around the environment and make choices about what they want to do. Healthy snacks are offered to the children, which develops their understanding of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Staff discuss the nourishing snacks with children and ask relevant questions to broaden children's knowledge of being healthy. Drinking water is accessible to the children at all times, to ensure they remain hydrated throughout the pre-school day. Children's good health is further promoted as they have daily opportunities for outdoor play, exercise and fresh air.

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

Staff ensure that the environment and resources are safe. They complete daily checks and immediate action is taken to minimise any identified hazards. Children learn how to recognise dangers and manage risks because they are well supported by staff. Children are provided with constant praise and encouragement, which enhances their self-esteem and ensures they feel respected. Consequently, children are actively encouraged to develop good personal, social and emotional skills. Staff effectively manage the children's behaviour, dependant on their age and stage of development. They act as good role models, as they use a calm and consistent approach to reinforce appropriate behaviour. Children receive stickers for their achievements, which are discussed and celebrated with their peers. Staff get down to the children's level to offer clear guidance and simple explanations. As a result, children respond well as they understand the boundaries and

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provision

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. They fully understand their responsibilities to safeguard children in their care and know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns. All staff have attended relevant training to ensure that they understand how to keep children safe from harm. Parents are informed of any incident, as required and records of accidents and incidents are appropriately maintained. The manager ensures that appropriate policies and procedures are reviewed as necessary and are shared with staff, who implement them effectively. Children's safety is given priority because staff are observant, ensuring children are supervised and kept safe. Risk-assessment procedures are effectively implemented to identify and address possible risks to children's safety. Daily registers record the hours of attendance of children and practitioners, ensuring that ratios are maintained at all times.

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provision

Robust recruitment and induction procedures are followed to ensure all practitioners are safe and suitably qualified to enable them to support children in making progress in their learning and development.

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provision

The manager uses effective monitoring systems to evaluate the educational programmes and ensure children are progressing well in all seven areas of learning. This also enables staff to support children with identified needs and to meet their individual requirements. Children's learning and development trackers are analysed to identify if there are any areas where children are making less progress. This information is used to plan interventions, so that any gaps in learning are closing. The manager and staff demonstrate a secure understanding of how children learn and develop. The manager holds regular supervisions with all staff and frequent meetings at which they review all planning and activities. Staff are actively encouraged to attend training courses to further enhance their knowledge, skills and understanding. Staff encourage parents to express their opinions of the pre-school, in order to ensure their views contribute to the pre-

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provision

school's overall self-evaluation and ongoing developments. This enables the manager to have an accurate view of the quality of the provision in order to secure continuous improvement. The recommendations made following the last inspection have been successfully addressed, which shows that the provision has a good capacity to improve.

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provision

Partnerships between staff and parents are very positive. Parents spoken to during the inspection express their satisfaction with the pre-school staff and with how supportive they are. They Comment on how inviting the environment is and how they are kept informed of their children's development through daily discussions. There are attractive display boards throughout the pre-school and parents have access to a good range of information within the entrance area. Effective relationships with other professionals are established, so that children's needs are met, to help them to make consistently good progress. Good links are made with schools to ensure that children are well prepared for their move to reception class. This means children benefit from a shared approach to their care and learning.

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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 321542 Local authority York Inspection number 868704

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Heslington & Badger Hill Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 09/11/2011 Telephone number 07708 155 484

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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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