The inspection report summarizes the findings of an inspection of Little Bookham Preschool. The inspection assessed the quality of the preschool's early years provision.
The inspection found that the preschool provides a good quality of care and education where children thrive in a stimulating environment. Children make outstanding learning and developmental progress. While the use of technology could be expanded, the preschool is well-led and staff are effective in meeting children's needs. Children interact with a wide range of resources to support all areas of their learning and development.
1. Little Bookham Preschool
Inspection report for early years provision
Unique reference number EY438717
Inspect ion date 11/07/2012
Inspector Catherine Greenwood
Setting address All Saints Church Hall, Manor House Lane, Bookham,
LEAT HERHEAD, Surrey, KT23 4EL
Telephone number 07930 127 467
Email littlebookhampreschool@gmail.com
Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic
3. Inspection Report: Little Bookham Preschool, 11/07/2012
Introduction
This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the
Childcare Act 2006 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 2008 regulations 9 and 10).
Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during
the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years
provision offered to children during those periods.
The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group
which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare
Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a
comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is
included in Annex B.
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
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
4. Inspection Report: Little Bookham Preschool, 11/07/2012
Description of the setting
Little Bookham Preschool registered in 2012 and is privately owned. It operates
from All Saints Church Hall, in Little Bookham, Surrey. The premises have two
floors, with a room on each floor. There is an integral kitchenette, accessible toilets
and a small enclosed outdoor play area adjacent to the front entrance. The
preschool also has sole use of an enclosed field for outdoor play. Children aged
three and four years are funded for free early education.
The preschool is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of
the Childcare Register to care for no more than 14 children under eight years at
any one time. These children may all be in the early years age group, although
none may be aged under two years. There are currently 20 children on roll, all of
whom attend part time.
Three members of staff work with the children. All three are registered providers of
the setting. The manager and one deputy hold BA (Hons) degrees in early years
and the second deputy manager holds an appropriate level 3 qualification. The
preschool operates Monday and Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and Tuesday and
Wednesday from 1pm to 4pm, term-time only. A holiday club is provided for
children who attend the preschool and their siblings aged two to under eight years.
This club runs for two weeks during the summer holidays on Mondays and
Thursdays from 9am to 2pm, and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1pm to 4pm.
The provision receives support from the local authority and is currently completing
their quality assurance programme.
The overall effectiveness of the early years provision
Overall the quality of the provision is good.
Children thrive in a warm, welcoming and stimulating environment. Staff give top
priority to meeting their individual needs through effective partnership with
parents, schools and other early years provision. Their ability to make learning fun
and exciting means that children are happy and motivated as they play and make
outstanding learning and developmental progress. Overall, children interact with a
wide range of resources to support their learning, and take part in interesting
experiences that include frequent outings within the local community. Staff make
effective use of self-evaluation processes and action plans to drive and maintain
continuous improvement, clearly identifying areas for future improvements to
enhance outcomes for children.
What steps need to be taken to improve provision
further?
To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:
increase opportunities for children to use information and communication
4
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
5. Inspection Report: Little Bookham Preschool, 11/07/2012
technology, for example, by extending the range of programmable toys to
fully develop future skills and support their learning.
The effectiveness of leadership and management of
the early years provision
Staff fully understand their responsibilities to safeguard children's welfare. There
are clear vetting procedures in place to identify that all staff working with children
are suitable to do so. Children's safety is well maintained through the use of
comprehensive risk assessments for the premises and all outings. These include
specific information, for example, where younger children may need increased
supervision and support based on their age and levels of understanding. Staff
invite parents to attend outings, which helps to improve ratios of adults to children
and ensures that children are well supervised.
Self-evaluation is good. Staff give careful consideration to the strengths and most
weaknesses of the provision and identify future aims and objectives that will
improve outcomes for children. All staff have recently attended training on the
revised Early Years Foundation Stage, delivered by the local authority. This has led
to the adaptation of children's observation and assessment records. All staff have
attended training on engaging parents in children's learning. Consequently, parents
have become more involved in contributing observations of their children's learning
at home. Since registration, the preschool have enrolled in a local authority quality
assurance improvement scheme. This has enabled them to create focused
improvement plans through consultation with children and parents.
Children are provided with a nurturing, welcoming and well resourced environment
that successfully promotes their learning, both indoors and outdoors. Staff work
well as a team to communicate effectively with children and make good use of
equipment to sustain children's interest and enthusiasm during their play. They
introduce additional resources that capture children's interest and support them
with using these successfully. Staff adapt the room layout to provide areas that
promote children's concentration and ability to focus. Children have good
opportunities to learn about diversity as they make use of play equipment that
reflects positive images. Staff plan activities that challenge children's thinking and
help them to embrace cultural differences. For example, they celebrate Chinese
New Year by making vegetable stir fries for snack time and listen to related stories.
Children take part in Easter Church services and make flags to celebrate American
Independence Day.
Partnerships are good. Staff visit local schools before children leave the preschool
to share their progress records and support transition processes. They also
regularly liaise with other early years provision that children attend. Consequently,
children are provided with continuity in their care and learning. Staff communicate
with parents in a friendly and positive way and share information about the
activities and resources that children enjoy. Parents are asked to share activity
ideas and have recently taken part in preschool celebrations and outings. Parents
are provided with good information about their children and the preschool through
5
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
6. Inspection Report: Little Bookham Preschool, 11/07/2012
regular e-mails and a web-site.
The quality and standards of the early years provision
and outcomes for children
Children make excellent progress in relation to their developmental starting points.
They are fully included in all aspects of the provision because staff fully embrace
their individuality. Staff dedicate their time to providing a wide range of activities
that capture children's interest. The opportunities for children to make independent
choices during their play and the observant and supportive approach of staff
significantly enhance children's learning and development.
Staff make excellent use of observation and assessment to plan activities that are
tailored to the needs and abilities of individual children. Consequently, children
show enthusiasm for everything on offer and feel fully valued as staff consistently
respond to their individual interests. Staff consult with children and embrace their
ideas. This can be seen as children suggest making an aeroplane with small chairs
and using real suitcases to pretend to pack their belongings. Children are offered a
wide range of enjoyable and challenging experiences across the areas of learning.
For example, they visit the local bakers to buy doughnuts, which they eat as a
special treat in the park on the way back from the library. Children are extremely
well behaved because staff are exceptionally respectful and considerate in their
approach. As a result, children are provided with extremely good role models. Staff
make very good use of reward systems to encourage children to be kind and help
others. Children are encouraged to take make decisions and choices within their
play. This can be seen as staff support them with achieving their aims and make
suggestions that inspire and motivate them within all activities. Children show
extremely good self-help skills, as they help to prepare and serve themselves
snacks and clear away and wash up their dishes. They enjoy the involvement of
others in their play and develop very positive and caring relationships.
Children show excellent listening skills and smile with pleasure as staff talk about
previous experiences; for example, a rabbit they saw outside the provision. Staff
make exceptional use of opportunities to ask children questions that are related to
their individual interests. Consequently, children show confidence as they engage
in conversation and say what they know and understand. For example, while
talking about previous and forthcoming holidays, children talk about how they are
going to get to the airport. Children concentrate well while listening to stories and
ask staff questions to clarify their thinking. They have exceptional opportunities to
develop an understanding of the world. For example, they see eggs incubating and
hatching during outings to a local garden centre, plant seeds in the preschool
vegetable patch and visit the local greengrocers to choose, weigh and buy
vegetables. Children make 'forest people' from clay, hide them in woodland areas
and remember where they have hidden them on the next visit. They take part in
'bear hunts' and discover bugs under logs. Children walk through overgrown
woodland areas while wearing wellington boots and using play swords as part of a
'jungle hunt'. Children are encouraged to notice changes and sounds within the
environment. For example, when there is heavy hail outside, children collect the
6
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
7. Inspection Report: Little Bookham Preschool, 11/07/2012
hailstones in their hands, talk about how this feels and notice them melting. Since
registration, staff have ordered some programmable toys, although children do not
currently have access to a wide range of information communication and
technology equipment, such as computers, to make good use of everyday
technology and fully develop their skills for the future.
Children run freely in local fields and use a range of outdoor equipment that
develops their physical control. For example, they learn to use stilts, crawl through
play tunnels and tents, use stepping stones and particularly enjoy using an air
propelled rocket. Children manipulate and roll modelling dough and use cutters
with increasing control to make creations, such as pretend cakes and hotdogs.
They enjoy using small world toys and develop their creativity, as they take part in
cooking activities, puppet shows and paint freely at an easel. Children learn about
their own safety, as they help staff to check fire equipment, visit the fire station
and take part in evacuation practices. Children enjoy healthy snacks that include
food from around the world, such as different types of bread. They are protected
from the risk of cross infection as they learn to wash their hands at appropriate
times.
7
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
8. Inspection Report: Little Bookham Preschool, 11/07/2012
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 2 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 2
children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?
The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous 2
improvement
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early
years provision
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the 2
Early Years Foundation Stage
The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding 2
ambition and driving improvement
The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2
The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and 2
diversity
The effectiveness of safeguarding 2
The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the 2
steps taken to promote improvement
The effectiveness of partnerships 2
The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and 2
carers
The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation
Stage
The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1
Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage
Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation 1
Stage
The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1
The extent to which children feel safe 2
The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2
The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1
The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2
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
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
9. Inspection Report: Little Bookham Preschool, 11/07/2012
Annex B: the Childcare Register
The provider confirms that the requirements of the Met
compulsory part of the Childcare Register are:
9
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006