This document may be freely reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial education ppurposes, provided the source and date of publication are stated.

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 provider must give a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must give a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Day Care and Childminding (inspection) ( England ) Regulations 2005 No 2300 Regulations 5 and 6).

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:

Tissington Kindergarten opened in 1995. It operates from the old school house within Tissington Village and some areas of Tissington Independent School . A maximum of 50 children may attend the Kindergarten at anyone time. The Kindergarten is open each week day during school term time only. Morning sessions operate from 09:00 to 12: 15 and can be extended to include lunch, with children being collected at 13:15. Extra curricular sessions such as French and Design Technology are available from 13:15 to 15:15. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

There are currently 43 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Children come from the local community and surrounding areas.

The Kindergarten employs one room leader and one support assistant per group. There are three groups structured according to the age of the children. An experienced cook is employed. All of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications except one who is currently working towards a suitable qualification.

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good.

Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through well-planned routines and visual displays. They know that they need to wash their hands before eating as they have germs on them. Photographs of children following the hand washing routine are displayed at their height, giving the process a dear meaning and further developing their understanding. Good procedures, such as staff wearing gloves for nappy changing and hygienic food serving sustain high levels of hygiene. This helps to reduce the risk of cross contamination. Children benefit from a dear brief regarding sickness. Younger children are encouraged to wipe their noses frequently with staff gently guiding them where necessary. This helps to prevent the spread of infection. Documents to support their good health are well-maintained. All accidents are fully recorded and shared with parents and relevant procedures are in place regarding the administration of medicines.

Children benefit from a wealth of healthy, nutritious, freshly prepared food. An experienced cook uses only fresh ingredients to ensure they eat as few additives and preservatives as possible. Meal times offer a diverse range of foods and cater extremely well for specific dietary needs. Set snack times provide them with drink in sufficient quantities. They are also able to access additional water independently. This means children are well hydrated. Planned activities within the nursery help them to learn about food that is good for them, for example linking the theme of a book to a practical session where they make their own fruit salad. Continual encouragement from staff at meal times and a reward system encourages children to have a positive attitude to healthy eating.

A rich outdoor play environment helps children to enjoy fresh air and exercise. They work well together to complete joint tasks, such as loading a wheel barrow with fallen leaves and then carting the leaves to the leaf bin. Children use appropriately sized brooms to sweep any debris and complete the process. They are able to choose freely where they wish to play. A fully equipped play house, bike riding and construction toys are amongst the activities that ensure they are interested and stimulated at all times. Their all round physical development is making good progress as they make the most of the time to run, jump and climb. They are developing further control and coordination of their bodies through the wide spectrum of activities on offer.

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good.

Children are cared for in a warm and welcoming environment in which they are safe. The premises are secure, with no unauthorised person able to enter without permission. Staff are very aware of written risk assessments and complete daily safety checks to make sure any hazards noted are immediately minimised . As a result, children are able to move freely between areas and extend their play in line with their natural curiosity. Procedures for outings are effective. Children make use of the school site for organised activities. They are learning to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe, as they walk they know they need to hold hands and stay beside the teacher.

Children use a superb range of safe, good quality, developmentally appropriate resources. These are organised well in most of the three base rooms to enable them to make choices about their play. Equipment is cleaned regularly and is maintained effectively. Chairs, tables and care equipment are child sized and promote a child centred , comfortable environment is which they can enjoy their play.

Children are well protected by staff who have a clear understanding of child protection issues and understand the correct procedures to follow. A nominated person is allocated to take the lead role where areas of concern are highlighted and the setting has a multi-agency approach. This helps to ensure children are protected from harm.

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good.

Children are confident in the setting's caring environment. Staff offer support and reassurance to younger children, helping them to settle and feel secure. Activities and resources are planned well and link effectively to the 'Birth to three matters' framework. Staff monitor and record the development of all children which helps them to plan the next steps for their learning. As a result, all children are progressing well and are suitably challenged.

Children show much enjoyment in the setting's child centred environment. They choose where they would like to play, from a wide range of displayed and freely accessible resources. Stimulating activities enable them to explore, experiment and become independent learners, for example working out for themselves which cars fit down the ramp of a marble run. They concentrate for long periods of time, showing an active interest and following their natural curiosity. Staff sit with the children and interact sensitively with them, they link children's familiar experiences to their play, for example when feeding dolls. This helps them to understand routines and to show care for others. Children's early communication skills are sound; they talk freely to staff and listen well to stories. High importance is placed on providing varied sensory play both indoors and outside. Children manipulate play-doh with increasing control and enjoy sand play in the garden. The diverse range of activities provided together with the positive interaction they receive from staff creates a rich environment in which children are inspired to learn.

Some children take part in additional afternoon themed activities, for example French, ballet, cooking and design technology. During such activities, children learn to count to ten in French and to develop their coordination skills whilst enjoying physical exercise. They learn the value of healthy eating, the science of cooking and how to keep themselves safe whilst swimming.

Nursery education

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage and apply this knowledge effectively to plan and deliver the curriculum. Consequently, children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Written plans provide suitable guidance to all staff about focused activities and what children are intended to learn. Plans are differentiated to ensure each child is challenged through staff knowing the children well and adapting the activity in line with their individual ability. Assessments link successfully to the stepping stones and activities are evaluated as to their effectiveness. As a result, children's next steps for learning are recognised and met. Staff work hard to inspire children to learn. They plan interesting and meaningful themes and projects which involve many practical activities, for example making a beach hut for a water theme. Behaviour is well-managed with children showing care and concern for others. Staff readily encourage good behaviour through a sticker reward system and the consistent use of positive words and praise. As a result, children behave well and have a clear understanding of right and wrong.

Children are extremely motivated and eager to learn. They react with enthusiasm to activities that are introduced, for example making submarines out of clay and complete tasks with confidence. As they take part in activities they ask questions in line with their own thinking, for example 'how does a submarine move?' Their interest in captivated by staff who use visual stimuli well to extend activities. Children settle remarkably well, they show familiarity with the daily routine and are independent within self-care tasks such as putting on their coats and sun hats.

Children’s early communication skills are good. They speak clearly and with confidence to both their peers and staff, expressing their thoughts and talking actively within their play. Children explain in sequence the procedure for shopping and take turns in conversations, for example when talking about buying diamonds. Their literacy skills are developing well. Children enjoy the story of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', they sit well and listen with focus, contributing and responding to questions about the story as it is read. Visual props are used to encourage their concentration. Children touch count items within the book, they are keen and eager to take their turn. Some children read along and show familiarity with the story. The meaning of the book comes to life as staff provide meaningful links, for example one real apple to one story book apple. This reinforces their learning and extends the level of challenge. Children link sounds to letters very well through such projects as 'letter of the week'. They know that 'm' is for 'milk' and recognise letters within their own name. Some children are able to read and write independently.

Children understand and use numbers very well as staff use mathematical language throughout routines and activities. They are confident in their ability to count to ten and use larger numbers freely within role play, for example charging six pounds for sausages. Stories and wall displays help them to recognise numerals, for example they recognise the number four and take the same amount of strawberries from a bowl. They develop problem solving and calculation skills as they work out how many cups they will need at snack time for the number of children attending. Children demonstrate that they are developing a sound sense of shape, size and measure. They know that feathers are light and pour their own snack time drinks.

Children explore and investigate their environment with curiosity, for example they play in the soil outdoors and freely express themselves through painting. The majority of resources are easily accessible to enable them to design and assemble with a range of materials, including construction toys outdoors. However, the tools for some art activities are selected by staff. This restricts children's ability to try out their own joining techniques and adapt their models where necessary. They are learning to understand the natural and local environment through such activities as growing flowers and maintaining a wormery. Children show a real interest in the world they live as they talk about the coral reef and dolphins. They know how to operate resources to promote information and communication technology, such as a room computer where they adjust the volume and move the mouse competently.

A diverse range of well-planned activities help children to develop their physical skills. They use one-handed tools with control, for example they cut along set lines with scissors to form a jelly fish. Outdoors children show pleasure as they run and climb and as they ride bikes with confidence. They show good awareness of their bodies. They know they need to wear their cap when it is sunny and their Wellington boots when the ground is wet. Children are able to express their creative ideas through such activities as play-doh and painting. Most children can name a wide range of colours with success. They have regular opportunities to develop their musical skills. Music is often linked to themes such as Chinese New Year where children learn about the link between celebration, music and dance. They thoroughly enjoy communicating their ideas through role play f such as serving food in the play kitchen. Children make good use of their imaginative ideas. They talk about the front and back of a submarine and where they would like to go. They give detailed explanations for the models they have built and show pride in their achievements.

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good.

Children enjoy positive relationships with the staff and each other. The interaction between staff and children is warm and caring, with particular emphasis placed on settling new children into the setting. They work and play well together, for example when serving food in the beach hut one child takes the money and another child serves the food. They are learning to show care and concern for others as they use their manners frequently and share fruit at snack time. Through effective staff deployment and a key person system children show a strong sense of belonging to the setting. Their individual needs are recognised and met through documentation and working practice. Children are beginning to know and understand about different cultures as the staff plan practical activities to raise awareness of, for example Diwali and Chinese New Year. The setting's policies for equal opportunities and special needs ensure staff are consistent in their approach to meeting all children's needs. There is a named special needs coordinator in the setting who works actively with staff and parents to make sure strategies to promote inclusion are valued.

Children behave very well as staff are clear and consistent in their expectations. They have a gentle, sensitive approach and follow through any requests they make. As a result, children are developing a firm understanding of right and wrong. They know they need to line up and hang their coats on their pegs after outdoor play. Their self- esteem is boosted as staff praise them regularly for their achievements. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

All children benefit from the positive partnership staff have developed with the parents. Parents are provided with good quality information about the operation of the group and the development of their child. A prospectus is given to each parent which includes useful information and an insight into activities on offer. All children have home diaries completed by staff. This informs parents of their child's well being and gives them up to date information on what their child has been doing on the day. This enables children to settle quickly and to build an effective working relationship between staff and parents. The majority of written records keep parents up to date and well-informed; however the complaints policy has not been amended to reflect current legislation.

The partnership with parents and carers of children who receive funded nursery education is good. Methods to keep parents informed of their child's progress are broad. An effective display in the entrance hall of the setting provides information on the Foundation Stage and parents evening is held once a term. This enables parents to be involved in the life of the setting and to enhance their own child's learning. As a result of the sound link between home learning and the setting, children's needs are understood well and they are making good progress.

Organisation

The organisation is good,

There are effective recruitment procedures in place, including a sound induction programme and robust vetting strategies. Staff ratio's are actively maintained. Staff spend the majority of their time working directly with the children. Their breaks are organised effectively and have no negative impact on the routine, for example some staff sit and eat with the children whilst other staff take breaks. Lunch time is calm and children eat well. The setting actively promote training for all staff members, this helps to broaden children's experiences and contributes to the quality of care provided. Easily accessible policies and procedures aid the smooth running of the setting. Procedures for lost and uncollected children are in place and most regulatory documents are up to date.

Space and time are used effectively to provide children with a child centred place in which they enjoy their time, are well supported in their play and receive a good level of staff attention. Children are confident and settled in the setting. They approach staff freely for support and to ask questions. Each child is allocated to a key person to monitor their inclusion and personal development. Staff demonstrate that they know the children well and adjust activities well to offer challenge to all.

The leadership and management of the setting for children receiving nursery education are good. Staff take pride in the quality of care they offer. The senior management team effectively motivate staff and actively monitor the effectiveness of the nursery education through direct involvement, for example talking to the children and observing activities. Staff receive support in a wide variety of ways, such as a regular appraisal system and through the parents' committee. The staff team as a whole evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the setting. As a result, the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

Improvements since the last inspection

Not applicable

Complaints about the childcare provision

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration.

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 inspect: