Ready Steady Go Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision Unique reference number EY39735 Inspection date 0/04/010 Inspector Leoarna Mathias Setting address Telephone number 01548 51 615 Email Type of setting East Allington Primary School, East Allington, TOTNES, Devon, TQ9 7RE Childcare on non-domestic premises 1477646
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to 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 rates council children s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 13 131, 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. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M 7LA T: 0300 13 131 Textphone: 0161 618 854 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk Crown copyright 009
Introduction This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. Early years provision refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage. The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 008 regulations 9 and 10). Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. 3
Description of the setting Ready Steady Go Pre-School was originally registered in 1996 and has recently come under the management of the primary school and is situated in East Allington, near to Kingsbridge, Devon. The pre-school occupies self-contained premises in the grounds of East Allington Primary School and has a safely enclosed garden as well as use of the adjacent school playground. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register to care for 17 children aged from two to five years. There are currently 8 children on roll. It is open from 9.00am until 3.00pm, which includes a lunch club from 11.30am to 1.30pm daily during term time only. Five members of staff are employed who are all qualified at National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 3 or above. The manager has qualified teacher status as well as NVQ at level 4. The group receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. The overall effectiveness of the early years provision Overall the quality of the provision is good. Children are thriving in a provision where the staff team are working hard to help children settle, as well as ensuring that they are very familiar with the lives, needs, capabilities and achievements of each chid. They skilfully engage children in activities, supporting them as they select resources and equipment that ignite and sustain their interest, in the particularly well planned learning environment. The staff team have also made a positive start in using self-evaluation as a tool for bringing about continuous improvement. Recent changes to the way the provision is managed have brought further dividends; children's transition to school is particularly smooth and opportunities for the professional development of the whole staff team have also increased. What steps need to be taken to improve provision further? To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: ensure Ofsted's role in the management of complaints is correctly described within the complaints policy continue to develop the staff team's capacity to reflect upon their practice in a way that will in turn bring further improvements to the quality of provision. The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision An appropriate safeguarding policy is in place and is regularly reviewed. This enables staff to manage any emerging concerns effectively and as all adults 4
working with the children have completed child protection training, they are confident of taking action where necessary. Risk assessments are a shared responsibility with the neighbouring school that now manages the provision and staff carry out thorough weekly checks. Staff are mindful of minimising hazards throughout children's attendance and at the same time, children are learning to keep themselves safe. For example, children wanting to use large outdoor equipment ask an adult to come with them and help them make sure they climb safely. The provision operates in a genuinely inclusive manner, as adults consistently encourage children to be accepting of differences between themselves and others. Children also access a reasonable range of resources that reflect diversity in our society and staff are currently working to improve the quantity of such resources on offer to children. This is one of a number of examples of how the team are increasingly able to reflect on how to improve and to take steps to rectify any identified weaknesses. Therefore, when parent questionnaires highlighted a desire on the part of parents to better understand the Early Years Foundation Stage, the team responded by creating an informative display that was shared with parents during an open afternoon. Beyond these examples, staff are well qualified and welcoming of opportunities to share good practice with school staff and neighbouring pre-schools. The senior management team of the parent school fully embrace the value of high quality early years provision and does all it can to enable the staff team to work effectively. Policies and procedures are subject to an ongoing process of revision, with only minor changes necessary to bring the complaints policy fully in line with the expectations of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Forming genuine and productive partnerships with parents and carers is a very clear priority for the staff team. Parents are invited to share their skills, knowledge and talents with the children and as such, they for example, help the children to garden, show them how to make music and do DIY tasks. Well organised notice boards, regular newsletters and frequent opportunities to discuss their child s progress with his or her key worker all ensure that there is a substantial flow of information. Through the recently introduced Building a story document, parents can also provide staff with a detailed picture of their child upon entry to the provision, as well as accessing their I can do books as they progress. Beyond this substantial range of measures, staff readily recognise the significant value of working with the families of cared for children as a way of effectively promoting their learning and development. Staff are also proactive in forming partnerships with outside agencies, which, for example, enable them to access appropriate support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, though none are currently in attendance. The quality and standards of the early years provision and outcomes for children Staff are secure in their knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage, recognising that it gives them the freedom to encourage children to be selfdirecting in their learning. The current play leader is particularly skilled at making 5
her involvement in children s play count on every occasion and as such, she sets her team a very good example, from which they are quickly learning. She has, along with the team, established sensible systems for observing and assessing children s progress and it is this information that forms the basis of all planning. The team is also growing in its capacity to evaluate their own input, recognising the need to make this a routine part of their self-evaluation, in order to maintain and improve their high standards. Nevertheless, they have succeeded in creating an exciting and accessible learning environment and in organising themselves in a way that maximises children s access to consistent adult support during the day. Children remain thoroughly engaged and focused across the session. They are highly self-motivated, imaginative and cooperative in their play. For example, a small group of children spend time making up delightful stories in the book corner, which they share with an adult, before moving to the writing corner to make posters for a puppet show based on their stories. Another child shares his knowledge of the ingredients and methods his mother uses when baking cakes, as he plays with cooking utensils in the sand tray. Like others, this child demonstrates a very wide vocabulary and a strong sense of self-esteem that comes from trusting that the adults working in the provision care greatly about what you have to say. All children make very good use of the opportunity to move freely between the indoor and outdoor environment. Outside, they access the chalk board, do the gardening, climb on large equipment, or sit with friends in the boat or the living willow house, playing imaginatively. Traditional indoor activities, such as painting or using books, are often taken outside, adding another dimension to their use. Inside, they make extensive use of books and mark-making materials, build with blocks, investigate water and sand, play for significant periods with small world resources and enjoy activities that promote their fine motor skills, such as threading and cutting. They talk about the lambs they can see over the fence during spring, feed the birds and discuss the hedge-cutting that a group of parents did recently. In short, at each moment, children are involved in purposeful activity with genuine enthusiasm. Children show high levels of kindness towards and concern for, each other. They make pictures for each other, show each other how to complete tasks and play calmly and cooperatively for the majority of the time. Disputes over resources are extremely rare and when they happen, children are skilfully supported by adults in order to reach a speedy resolution. Staff also make the most of what children have to offer to the provision, through displaying their work and listening to what they have to say about future plans for activities, which in turn helps children to develop a robust sense of belonging to a community that values their contribution. Finally, children have plentiful opportunities to be prepared for future learning experiences, as they regularly share sessions and resources, including high quality information technology equipment, with the Foundation Stage children in the parent school. As a result, they are well prepared for the next stage in their learning journey. Children demonstrate a clear and growing awareness of how to be healthy. They wash their hands after messy pay, toileting and before eating without prompting, reminding their friends of why this is important. They enjoy nutritious snacks and are consistently supported by adults to eat the healthy elements of their lunch box 6
contents first. Documentation which underpins the maintenance of children s medical health is in good order. 7
Annex A: record of inspection judgements The key inspection judgements and what they mean Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough The overall effectiveness of the early years provision How well does the setting meet the needs of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage? The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision How effectively is the Early Years Foundation Stage led and managed? The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding The effectiveness of the setting s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships The effectiveness of the setting s engagement with parents and 1 carers The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future Any complaints about the inspection or report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk 8
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