Swarland Pre-School Group Limited

Swarland Pre-School Swarland County First School, Swarland, MORPETH, Northumberland, NE65 9JP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/12/2014 23/11/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children develop very good listening skills for their age. This is because staff make excellent use of routines, such as snack time, to encourage children to hear the differences between sounds in their environment.  Children are supported in their learning at home as good partnerships are in place to involve parents in their child's learning and development.  Staff provide clear, consistent boundaries and encourage children to take part in activities that promote sharing and taking turns. Consequently, children behave very well in the pre-school.

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It is not yet good because

 Safeguarding procedures are not fully robust, the provider has failed to notify Ofsted of changes to registered individuals associated with the pre-school.  There are times when children's learning in the outdoor area is not always effectively promoted, in particular when access to the garden is restricted during winter months.  Occasionally, opportunities for children to communicate their ideas through drawing in a unique and creative way are not always maximised.

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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 compulsory part 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 viewed all parts of the pre-school accessed by children, including the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the manager's self-evaluation process.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in the pre-school room and outdoor environment.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a meeting with the manager of the pre-school and looked at and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Swarland Pre-school was registered in 2009 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from a portacabin classroom in the grounds of Swarland First School, in the Swarland area of Morpeth, and is managed by a limited company. There are enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and higher, one member of staff holds a level 2 qualification. The pre-school opens from Monday to Thursday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. In addition, the pre-school operates a before and after school care from 8am until 9am, and 3pm until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 47 children attending, 20 of whom are in the early years age group. The pre-school receives funding for the

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Information about the setting

provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance the organisation of outdoor play to ensure children are able to make independent choices from a stimulating and well-resourced environment in areas, such as the yard, especially during winter months

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

 extend opportunities for children to express and communicate their ideas through drawing, for example, by reducing the use of worksheets.

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who attend

The manager and her staff team have a good knowledge of how young children learn. They sit alongside them as they play, supporting and encouraging them to explore and learn new skills. Staff support children in ways that are right for each child. They respect their individual rate of development and work very well with parents to identify and address specific needs, should they arise. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development during the time they spend in pre-school. Staff carry out regular observations of children as they play. They note areas where support may be needed and clearly identify their next steps in development. This is well documented in children's individual learning files, containing examples of their work and photographs of activities they have enjoyed. This information is used well by staff to plan stimulating and challenging experiences to support children's learning and is tracked over time to

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who attend

demonstrate progress. Parents are kept well informed about their child's learning and development. They have ongoing access to their individual files, which are located in the entrance hall and meet regularly with staff to discuss their child's progress. Those parents spoken to describe how they value this opportunity to become involved in their child's learning and enjoy sharing examples of their learning at home with staff. This information is well used by staff and is threaded effectively into daily planning. For example, staff plan exciting role-play experiences when children are interested, at home, in a popular children's film about snow and ice.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is consistently good and some practice is outstanding. Where teaching is very strong, staff make excellent use of routines, such as snack time to develop children's listening and attention skills. Children become very excited when staff hide and make sounds to indicate their location. They listen and accurately hear the differences in sounds, such as keys jangling and feet stamping before going to locate the staff member. This provides an excellent foundation for children's future literacy skills in preparation for when they go to school. This particularly engages children with special educational needs, and supports them to make progress, based on their individual starting points. Children's early literacy skills are further extended when they enjoy regular visits to local woods with staff, alongside Reception children from the adjoining school. Staff make very good use of children's favourite book characters, as stimulus for finding letter shapes,

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who attend

located among trees in the woods. Staff provide good opportunities for children to develop their speaking and listening skills. They read stories about christmas trees which encourages children to share their own experience of having one at home. However, there are occasions when extension activities, such as colouring in worksheets of decorated trees, do not maximise opportunities for children to communicate their ideas through drawing in a unique and creative way. The manager and her staff team place strong emphasis on developing children's mathematical skills. They encourage children to count as they play, display and use numbers effectively in the indoor and outdoor environment. For example, children enjoy role-play outside, use their ride-on cars and pretend to fill up and pay for 'petrol' from their pretend pump. Staff support them well to think about how much this will cost and model writing numbers for children to see on the large outdoor

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

The provider and manager, generally, demonstrate a good understanding of children's safety. However, due to a weakness in leadership and management, children are not as well-protected as they could be. A number of registered individuals associated with the pre-school are not known to Ofsted. However, they do not have daily contact with children which minimises the risks to their safety. That being said, children demonstrate that they feel safe within the pre-school and they show a good awareness of safety as they play. In addition, they take part in daily outdoor risk assessments, completing their own pictorial safety checks, alongside staff. Children behave very well in the pre-school. This is because staff provide clear, consistent boundaries and encourage children to take part in activities that promote sharing and taking turns.

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

Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting children's emotional and physical well-being. An effective key-person system is in place. This ensures all children, especially younger children and those in need of additional support, make secure emotional attachments. Children show they are happy when they come into the pre-school room and quickly engage in activities with their friends. A stimulating environment is provided in the indoor environment. Resources are easily accessible, well-labelled and encourage children to make independent choices. Independence is further promoted when children are encouraged to put on their own coats when accessing the outdoor area and washing their own hands following messy activities. Children thoroughly enjoy riding their vehicles, moving in and out of the cones in the outdoor environment, promoting their physical well- being. However, there are times when children's learning in the outdoor area is not always

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

effectively promoted, in particular when access to the garden is restricted during winter months. For example, the garden area is better used during summer months and children enjoy activities, such as digging, planting and den building. Awareness of healthy lifestyles is effectively promoted when staff talk about the benefits of eating and provide a range of fruit for their daily snack. In addition, children enjoy outings to their nearby allotment where they grow their own fresh produce.

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

Highly effective settling-in procedures are in place and children are very well supported emotionally when they first begin attending the pre-school. For example, parents are invited to bring their children for a taster session before they decide to register. Children then make visits, based on their individual needs, before staying for the whole session on their own. Parents are welcome to stay as long as is required. Parents spoken to state how they value the support children receive during this time. A wealth of good quality information is gathered from parents to ensure continuity in children's emotional and physical well-being. Children are exceptionally well supported emotionally when they leave the pre-school and move into the adjoining school. Opportunities are provided throughout the year for children to become familiar with the school building and school teachers. For example, pre-school staff use the school hall on a weekly basis for physical activities and

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

children eat their lunch in the dining hall, a term before they start school.

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provision

The provider and manager have reasonable understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, they have failed to inform Ofsted of changes to registered individuals associated with the pre-school. Consequently, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check has not been carried out through Ofsted in respect of those individuals, and children are not safeguarded as well as they could be. This is in breach of requirements for the Early Years Register and the Childcare Register. On other occasions, the provider and manager demonstrate a suitable understanding of when to contact Ofsted. For example, when notifying of a serious accident to a child while in their care, and of the action taken. The manager ensures safeguarding and welfare procedures are implemented effectively and are clearly understood by all staff. For example, staff recognise the importance of

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provision

recording any accidents and incidents children sustain while at pre-school. Parents are contacted immediately and asked to sign appropriate documentation. All accidents and incidents are monitored closely by the manager, patterns and trends are noted, to prevent reoccurrence. In addition, amendments, such as increased supervision for children playing outdoors, are made to minimise future risks. Children are further protected as staff have good knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse and know who to contact should they be concerned about a child's welfare.

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provision

The manager leads an enthusiastic and experienced staff team. They use their skills, qualifications and expertise well to support young children's learning and development. Staff feel supported by the manager and are helped to improve their knowledge, understanding and practice. For example, they recently attended training focussing on early number, at the adjoining school. This resulted in an increased range of numeracy activities available to all children throughout the day and aims to improve achievement over time. The manager has a good understanding of her role in monitoring the delivery of the educational programmes and maintains an overview of the continuous provision for children. Good use is made of staff observations techniques to monitor the quality of teaching and how areas of provision are used by children. This helps to identify what is working well and amendments are made to practice, as required, to further meet

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provision

children's needs. Observation, assessment and planning documentation is monitored to make sure it is consistent, precise, and displays an accurate understanding of all children's skills, abilities and progress. The manager maintains a comprehensive overview of progress tracking documentation. This ensures children's needs are quickly identified and well met through good partnerships between the pre-school, parents and external agencies.

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provision

The manager demonstrates a strong drive to improve achievement outcomes for children. She continually reflects on the quality of service provided and has acted upon the recommendation from the previous inspection. For example, the complaints policy includes how the outcome of any complaint is managed within required timescales. Areas for improvement are identified through thorough consultation with staff, parents and children to ensure all views are gathered and considered. Partnerships with parents, the adjoining school and external agencies are well established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. The entrance hall of the pre-school provides a wealth of good quality information for parents. This ensures they are kept updated with information, such as foods provided at snack time and curriculum development. Good use is made of information provided by external agencies, such as speech and language therapy, to

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provision

support children's individual needs. The manager and her staff team are fully committed to working in partnership with the adjoining school. Information sharing is effective and ensures that children continue to benefit from appropriate interventions, if this is required, when they move into school.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure the registered person informs Ofsted of the following: the name, date of birth, address and telephone number of any partner, director, senior officer or other member of the governing body (compulsory part of the Childcare Register). .

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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 EY388490 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 859110

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 19 Number of children on roll 47 Name of provider Swarland Pre-School Group Ltd Date of previous inspection 23/11/2009 Telephone number 01670 783323

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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

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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