Inspection report for early years provision

About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding:

this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality

Good:

this aspect of the provision is strong

Satisfactory:

this aspect of the provision is sound

Inadequate:

this aspect of the provision is not good enough

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Goodleigh Pre-school opened in 1992. It is managed by a voluntary committee. The group operates from Goodleigh Village Hall, near Barnstaple, Devon. The group has access to one large room, kitchen, toilets and outside play area. The pre-school serves the local area.

The pre-school is registered to provide 26 places for children aged between three and five years old. There are currently 25 children on roll, most of whom are funded.

The pre-school opens three mornings per week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday 09.30 to 12.00, term time only. There are two regular members of staff, both of whom have appropriate qualifications. There is a relief member of staff employed to cover maternity leave who is suitably experienced.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISION

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are safe from the risk of illness and cross infection because there are good routines in place to protect them. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that all areas are clean and children learn to manage their own personal hygiene needs well. For example, they independently wash their hands before snacks and are careful to dispose of paper towels and tissues appropriately. They know why this is important because they have learned that germs can make them unwell. Children's health is supported by the clear sickness policy that is shared with parents, and all documentation relating to children's health, such as records of medicines administered, are maintained well.

Children thoroughly enjoy the plentiful snacks provided by the pre-school. These are well balanced and include items such as cheese and biscuits and a selection of fruit, and a choice of drinks such as fruit juice and milkshake. Children confidently ask for water during the session if they are thirsty, however there is no system whereby they can help themselves other than at snack time.

Children enjoy the health benefits of plenty of fresh air and exercise. Excellent use is made of the large car park adjoining the village hall to enable children to enjoy a good variety of physical activity in safety. Children use a variety of equipment very confidently as they develop their muscles and bodily co-ordination. For example, they are very confident as they use the large climbing frame, they use bikes and cars and manoeuvre these very well as they negotiate space safely, they throw and kick balls accurately. Children also enjoy using indoor equipment that encourages physical co-ordination and confidence. For example, they are very enthusiastic as they help to construct an obstacle course with large soft blocks and then climb, scramble and jump as they negotiate it.

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a child friendly and welcoming environment because staff work hard to organise space and resources to ensure the village hall is inviting to children. For example, good planning ensures that equipment is rotated to provide children with a variety of play environments, such as messy play areas, a comfortable book corner and room to build and construct. Resources are regularly checked by staff to ensure they are well maintained and safe for children to use. Staff have good systems in place to ensure that children are safe in the setting. Risk assessments are comprehensive and complement the good daily checks that staff carry out to ensure that all areas of the premises are safe for children to use. For example, children enjoy daily outdoor play because the staff team have been creative in ensuring a large area of the village hall car park is sectioned off each day and is therefore safe for children's play. Children learn about aspects of personal safety, for instance they take part in regular fire drills and learn basic road safety. Children are further protected because the staff team have very good knowledge and awareness of child protection procedures and their responsibilities in regard to safeguarding children.

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy a good variety of activities that promote their individual development and learning. They move freely between activities and have access to a good range of resources, from which they confidently make choices in their play.

Nursery Education.

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning.

Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Informal discussions are used well to encourage children to consolidate what they learn, and this is particularly effective with regard to letter and number. They are clear about the key learning intentions of main activities, and demonstrate good understanding of each child's individual stage of development. Activities are planned well to ensure there is a good balance of activities that promote learning across the Foundation Stage and ensure that children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Written plans are clear and make good links between activities and aspects of each area of learning. Evaluation of activities is good, with staff identifying children's levels of participation and enjoyment. Staff make good observations of what children do and note these, and ensure they share information daily so all are aware of individual children's achievements. However, staff do not consistently record their observations in the children's assessment folders. The combination of effective observation and evaluation, supported by excellent communication, is used well to plan the next steps in learning for individual children.

Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning. They are confident in the setting and have good relationships with each other and staff. They enjoy choosing from the good variety of activities and resources available to them and they concentrate well. For example, children develop a complex scenario using small world figures, they share equipment between themselves and play together extremely well as they extend their role play. They learn to be independent, for instance managing their own personal care well. Children are very confident communicators who enjoy the many opportunities presented to share their thoughts and ideas. They recognise letters and letter sounds very well, and benefit from good use of labelling in the setting which encourages their developing reading skills. Children use books well, independently selecting these to read in their play, and they are very attentive at story time, enthusiastically discussing characters in their stories. Children's writing skills are developing very well because they have good opportunities to write and make marks in different contexts. For example, they all label their own artwork, and they have ongoing access to a variety of writing materials within the setting.

Children are developing a good knowledge of mathematical concepts. They count well because they are encouraged to do so informally, such as counting the number of bricks being tidied away and the number of places needed at snack time. They confidently identify numerals and enjoy number games that encourage this. Understanding of shape and size is very good, with children clearly understanding concepts such as 'bigger' and 'smaller' and using these in context. They learn to use their problem solving skills in different activities, such as when matching shapes where they calculate how many more large and small shapes are required. Children enjoy using the variety of construction materials available to them and design and build their own structures using items such as stickle bricks, lego and giant blocks. They are confident in the use of simple technology, having access to programmable toys and competently using everyday objects such as compact disc players. Children learn about their own and other cultures, for example exploring seasonal and cultural festivals.

Children confidently use tools such as scissors, dough cutters, rolling pins, paint brushes and glue spreaders in their play. This means they are developing good hand-eye co-ordination. They take part in a variety of art and craft activities, and overall there is a balance between those that are adult directed and those that encourage free creative expression. For example, children enjoy Christmas themed projects, such as making a snowman, and also have access to a variety of materials so they can create their own artwork. Children thoroughly enjoy the good activities that include singing, dancing, and drama. They enthusiastically join in rehearsals for their end of term Nativity play, they are keen to learn the new songs and vigorously play their musical instruments.

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are confident and well behaved in the setting and their self esteem is good. This is because there are clear and consistent boundaries and expectations in place that children know and understand. Staff are very positive and use simple but effective systems of rewards to promote children's sense of self worth and achievement. For example, children are praised highly for what they do, and are delighted with the stickers they receive that are awarded for special achievements, such as helping another child. Procedures for managing children's behaviour are positive and focus on children's strengths, further promoting their confidence and self esteem.

Staff have a good understanding of equal opportunities and inclusion. This is demonstrated in the effective way that individual children's learning and developmental needs are met in order that they make good progress. All children are enabled to participate in activities and additional support is provided by staff to achieve this, where necessary. For instance, younger or less confident children are gradually encouraged to join whole group activities by providing one-to-one support from a member of staff at these times.

Children's spiritual, moral, social. and cultural development is fostered because they take part in activities that encourage their developing awareness of their own and other cultures.

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are kept well informed about the setting and their children's learning and development. They receive regular newsletters that keep them up to date with events in the setting and forthcoming activities. Very strong relationships with staff mean that informal communication is good and so parents are well informed about their children's progress. For example, parents frequently stay and discuss what their children have been doing, and they have regular opportunities to talk to staff about their children's progress towards the early learning goals. Settling in procedures are good, with parents staying with children as long as they feel it is necessary, which supports children feeling confident and secure in the setting.

Organisation

The organisation is good. The provision meets the needs of the range of children for which they provide. Effective employment procedures ensure that staff working with children are suitable to do so. However, there is no induction procedure in place to familiarise new staff with the setting. Staff ratios are maintained at all times, and very good contingency plans ensure there is no impact on the quality of children's care and learning in an emergency, such as staff sickness. Children benefit from good levels of adult support because regular staff are supported by parents and carers on a volunteer rota. Consistency of care for children is promoted by the very effective way the staff team and committee work together and share information. There is a comprehensive operational plan in place that has been recently updated and provides good information about the setting. Policies and procedures that support the care and wellbeing of children are in place, and in the process of being reviewed to ensure all information is consistent with current practice.

The leadership and management of nursery education is good. Staff and committee members show strong commitment to ensuring that children make good progress in learning. For example, staff evaluate their practice through the appraisal system and they are encouraged to develop their skills through training. Activities are evaluated well, and staff use these, as well as their good observations of individual children, to ensure that each child is suitably challenged. The setting has suitable recording systems in place to chart children's progress towards the early learning goals. However, these are not consistently maintained and do not accurately reflect the progress children are making.

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection it was agreed to review documentation with regard to child protection and the complaints procedure, in order to support children's care and wellbeing. This was done effectively and a current review of procedures is in place to ensure any further required updates are made.

In order to further improve the quality of nursery education it was agreed to ensure all areas of learning received the same balance of planned activities; and to develop processes of planning and assessment. Activities are well planned to ensure that children have a balance of learning experiences across all aspects of each area of learning, and written plans clearly show the links between activities and early learning goals. Assessment records now in place enable each child to be monitored as they make progress towards the early learning goals. However these are not effectively maintained by staff.

Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

• ensure there is an induction process in place for new staff.

The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

• ensure that assessment records reflect the progress children are making toward the early learning goals.

Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk