Brudenell First School

Much Hadham Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Much Hadham Playgroup

Unique Reference Number 127813 Inspection date 28 February 2006 Inspector Kerry Freshwater

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Much Hadham Playgroup

Setting Address Oudle Lane, Much Hadham, HERTS, SG10 6DQ

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E-mail

Registered person Much Hadham Playgroup Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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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.

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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.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Much Hadham Playgroup opened at the current site in 1997 and operates from a purpose-built building in the grounds of St Andrews primary school in the small village of Much Hadham. A maximum of 26 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 09.00 to 12.00 for 38 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 41 children aged from 2 years 9 months to 4 years on roll. Of

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 these, 14 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local area and nearby villages. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs. The nursery employs 6 staff. Five of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff is working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are learning the importance of health and hygiene as they follow daily routines, which include washing their hands before food and cookery activities and covering mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing. Children independently clean their hands and are aware why they are following these routines as they discuss germs in their food. Staff have received relevant training which enables them to meet children's individual health needs. Children benefit from a healthy diet where snacks are nutritious and varied. For example, children enjoy pancakes, buttered toast and various fruits. Children have access to drinking water at all times. Older children can help themselves to water from the jug provided and staff offer drinks to younger children at regular intervals. All children are encouraged to be as independent as possible by using the toilets and obtaining and disposing of tissues.

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Helping children to be healthy

All the children enjoy daily activities, both inside and outside, which enables them to develop control of their bodies and improve their physical skills. For example, all children have access to age appropriate wheeled toys, mini trampoline, tunnel balls, hoops and beanbags. They extend their fine skills as they construct with a range of different equipment, complete puzzles, manipulate tools for play dough and use fine paint brushes and pens for drawing. Occasionally, older children are able to visit the nearby park where they have access to challenging play equipment. Children enjoy obstacle courses and team games and participate in sports day fun.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children enjoy their sessions in a bright and welcoming environment. The setting uses space creatively and areas are set aside for dedicated activities such as the home corner, book area, construction and messy play. The children have access to a wide and varied range of quality resources. They are enthusiastic in their play and enjoy the range of equipment available. Children benefit from a good range of safety measures, for example, socket covers, fire extinguishers, a secure entry system and effective systems in place for risk assessing the indoor and outdoor environment. They learn about road safety as they are visited by a road safety officer, sing songs about crossing the road and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 demonstrate what they have learnt as they take their parents across a zebra crossing. They develop a good awareness of fire safety as they are visited by the fire brigade, enjoy exploring the fire engine and practise emergency evacuations regularly. However, children are at some risk as staff are not recording sufficient detail of fire drills to enable them to reflect on their practice. Children are well protected from possible abuse or neglect. Staff have attended training and show a good knowledge of child abuse and detailed procedures are in place if any concerns arise.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children take part in high quality activities throughout the session. They are confident in the setting and in their relationships with each other. They choose independently and are gaining in confidence, asking questions and chatting with staff. They play happily together and are learning to take turns and respond to others as they use puzzles, games and books. Children's achievements are greatly improved by staff awareness of children's development. They become confident communicators as they share ideas in their play, for instance using animals, dolls and small world toys to extend their imaginations. Singing and musical activities improve their communication skills. Children make connections in their learning as they freely explore sand, water, rice, pasta and other textures. Their regular use of a wide range of creative materials, such as gloop, paint, drawing materials, dough and cookery

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

ingredients encourages them to express feelings and ideas in a variety of ways. They acquire new experiences on outings to post letters, visits to the garden centre and on country walks. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are progressing extremely well, supported by the staff team's confidence and secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage. Planning is detailed and all areas of learning are well covered. Children's achievement is clearly linked to the stepping stones. Staff use ongoing observations to plan the next steps for their learning which ensures that children are challenged appropriately. They adapt activities to meet the needs of all children to extend them appropriately. Children are engaged and motivated by a varied range of stimulating, practical activities related to their needs. They access an extended range of good quality resources, which supports their learning across the Foundation Stage. All children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are keen to learn, self assured in their play and confident to try new experiences. They listen with considerable levels of concentration to stories and group led activities and recreate stories they have been told using sequencing skills. Children use marks readily to represent their ideas and some more able children are becoming adept at writing their own names however, opportunities to practise this are limited. Children are highly imaginative. They devise their own role play games using dressing up clothes, dolls and other items found as they pretend to be mummy, princesses, knights and dragons. They are beginning to make sense of the world

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 around them as they celebrate cultural festivals throughout the year. They are finding out about their local environment as they go to the local farm at lambing time and talk about weather and the seasons. Children dig soil and prepare plants as Mothers Day gifts, they make and enjoy pancakes for Pancake Day, arrange flowers and make soup for Harvest. They are inquisitive, fascinated by the changes to different resources such as shaving foam, plant gel, bubbles and cooking ingredients. Children work well together and enjoy each other's company. They involve themselves in self-initiated play in the home corner. Children become confident with number as they count enthusiastically from one to ten, add and subtract animals and recognise shape as they play musical shapes and relate shapes to objects in

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

discussion at circle time. They respond well to challenges to extend their mathematical vocabulary and skills in planned activities and daily routines. Children gain opportunities to develop their physical skills as they participate in music and movement, obstacle races and team games, use the parachute, ride-on toys, mini trampoline, hoops and balls. They confidently cut with scissors and complete puzzles with various levels of difficulty. Staff find out about children’s skills, interests and needs and build on this information effectively to help children achieve their full potential. They use appropriate systems to observe, monitor and record children’s achievements and to plan experiences that help children take the next step in their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are all welcomed into the setting and are highly valued as individuals. They receive praise and encouragement, and begin to learn what is right and wrong. Children are encouraged to take turns, show concern for each other and share resources with their friends. However, behaviour is sometimes erratic and children struggle to follow staff guidance. This results in disputes between children and some become distressed by the behaviour of others. Children develop positive attitudes to others through stimulating activities and an environment that reflects the lives of those who attend and the wider community. They begin to appreciate the customs and cultures of others through celebrating festivals and tasting foods such as Chinese foods for Chinese New Year. They show concern for living things around them and know, for example that plants will die if they are not watered. Overall children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Helping children make a positive contribution

development is fostered. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Children benefit from the good relationships and informal contact between their parents and staff. Parents receive a range of information about the day-to-day organisation of the group, the Foundation Stage and how it is implemented. This enables parents to be involved in their children’s learning both at the playgroup and at home. The pre-school has introduced progress reports after each child's first term following a parental survey. They produce regular newsletters and written questionnaires for parents and new children to complete together to ensure staff are aware of their likes, dislikes and fears and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 can offer appropriate care and support. Although there is a complaints procedure this is not in line with current legislative changes. There are presently no systems to document or manage parental complaints made to the provision. Therefore parents’ concerns may not be respected or acknowledged and children’s welfare cannot be fully monitored.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from staff's interest in further training which facilitates the continuing development of the provision. All policies and procedures are in place to allow the effective development of the playgroup. The appropriate ratio of adults to children is maintained and this contributes to children's well-being. Children enjoy whole group times, such as snack and story times, when they join in an experience together. Good use is made of available space so that children can easily access variety of different resources during the session. Children especially enjoy having use of the whole area when taking part in physical activities. Induction, training and a sound set of policies and procedures ensure the children keep healthy and safe and have a wide variety of play and learning experiences. Taken overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it

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Organisation

provides. The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The manager is committed to the ongoing improvement of the provision. She encourages staff to work as a team and to attend training courses. The manager and deputy have a sound understanding of the needs of the children in receipt of nursery funding and of the Foundation Stage. Although activities are stimulating and exciting, planning and organisation of some activities does not allow for suitable adult input and supervision elsewhere which affects the enjoyment and behaviour of some children within the group. Regular reviews, appraisals and monitoring of staff is in place and staff continue to improve their development with further training.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the group were asked to ensure all polices and written procedures are updated as set out in the National Standards and make these available to staff and parents, complete the operational plan and make drinking water available to children. All required policies and procedures are in place and are displayed in the foyer for parents to access. The operation play has been completed and contains all required information and children are able to pour themselves drinking water from the jugs provided. For the nursery education they agreed to provide further challenges to more able children, improve assessments and planning records, arrange resources to enable children to make choices about their play and review staff training in relation to the

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 foundation stage. Children are able to select from a varied range of resources that belong to the playgroup. They learn to distinguish between their playgroup resources and nursery equipment which is not available to them, as they make their choices. Assessment and planning records link closely with the stepping stones and staff training has taken place to incorporate the Foundation Stage.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report since April 2004. 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.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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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): • review strategies for managing children's behaviour • devise a system for recording fire evacuation to enable staff to reflect on their practice • review the organisation and planning of activities to ensure children are well supervised and supported as they play and explore their environment. • make available to parents a written statement that provides details of the procedure to be followed if they have a complaint • keep a record of complaints relating to the National Standards and any action taken

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • provide further opportunities to enable children to form letters and practise their handwriting skills

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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