Thurnby & Bushby Playgroup

Thurnby & Bushby Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Thurnby & Bushby Playgroup

Unique Reference Number 226497 Inspection date 13 June 2006 Inspector Kate Bryan

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Thurnby & Bushby Playgroup

Setting Address St Lukes School, Main Street, Bushby, Leicester, Leics, LE7 9PN Telephone number 078 176 956 43

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E-mail

Registered person Thurnby & Bushby 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Thurnby and Bushby Playgroup is a charitable, non profit making organisation run by a committee of volunteers, they were registered in 1986. They operate from a mobile classroom in the grounds of St Luke's School in Bushby. The group serves Bushby, Thurnby and the surrounding areas. The playgroup is open each weekday from 09:00 to 11:45 during term times. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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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 There are currently 37 children aged from two to five years on roll. Of these 21 children receive funding for nursery education. The playgroup employs five staff, of these four hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards this. The playgroup is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and are currently working towards their accreditation scheme. The playgroup receive support from the local education authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are well aware of daily routines, such as hand washing, which effectively promotes their health and development. Younger children receive help with hand washing whilst older children use the toilet independently and wash their hands with confidence. However, children are not engaged in any discussion about why healthy practices are important and why, for example, they wash their hands. Therefore, staff are not using the 'Birth to three matters' framework to increase children's awareness of healthy practices. All policies and procedures are in place to ensure that children's health is suitably promoted and all staff have a first aid qualification. Children's emotional well-being is effectively promoted as staff quickly respond to children's needs, for example, a crying child was comforted and allowed to settle until he felt secure. Children have access to a good range of equipment for developing physical skills and

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Helping children to be healthy

enjoy outdoor physical activity on a daily basis. There are also good opportunities for children to enjoy indoor activities, such as a trampoline, balancing blocks, skittles so that their physical skills are well promoted all year round. Children have a snack during the day and healthy drink options are promoted as they can choose to have milk, water or cordial. However, staff do not use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to engage children in any discussion or explanation about why healthy eating is important. Consequently, children are not learning effectively about healthy choices. Children's dietary needs are well promoted as staff work with parents to obtain all relevant details about their child's health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children have access to a large mobile and toilets. The large room is bright and cheerful with many tables of activities that children can enjoy. Children are closely supervised within the building to ensure they are kept safe and overall there are good measures in place to ensure this, such as a risk assessment. However, there are no procedures in place for what to do if a child is lost. This is a breach of regulations. Staff have a secure awareness of keeping children safe although the 'Birth to three matters' framework is not used to plan effectively so that children learn the reasons for safe practices.

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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 Children have easy access to a good range of developmentally appropriate resources, many of which are stored at children's height to promote independence and choice. They are able to use child sized furniture which further contributes to their safety as they do not have to reach for a work surface. Children are well protected from the risks of fire by regular drills and all electrical equipment is tested yearly to enhance safety measures in place. An effective child protection procedure is in place which is understood well by staff at the group. This ensures that children's welfare is paramount at all times. All staff have attended training in this area and child protection is a part of all staff's induction process so that children are always kept safe.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the group because staff are interested in providing a good service to the children in care and education. They are enthusiastic practitioners who use their knowledge of the children to ensure younger children make good progress. However, the 'Birth to three matters' framework is not used to plan outcomes for children which means they may not progress as effectively as possible. Older children make generally good progress in learning as staff use their knowledge of the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. Children are treated as individuals and receive good levels of staff support to ensure that they develop independence and confidence. Children are developing good communication skills because staff spend time talking to them and involving them in purposeful activities such as making cards to celebrate special days. Children have a good range of activities offered to them and they are encouraged to make their own

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

choices and learn at their own pace. They have many opportunities to foster their imagination and creativity in a wide range of craft activities and enjoy working with a variety of mediums such as water, play dough and sand. Very warm relationships are in place between the staff and the children which means that children can develop in a supportive environment where they receive lots of praise and acknowledgement. Children are well supplied with good quality resources which provide them with many opportunities to explore their environment and make sense of the world. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are interested in the good range of activities provided which engage and promote their interest and ensures that they are making good progress in most areas of learning. Children work well together and know the importance of cooperation, for example, children work

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

together to ensure that as a team they can fill a jar with beads and gain a reward. They are confident and skilled speakers and use words effectively to convey their experiences both real and imaginary in activities such as constructing a doll's house. Children are making suitable progress in tracing letters and mark making and are

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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 making good progress recognising their first names and the sounds that words begin with. However, this is not extended so that children recognise their full names. Children show skill in counting and can recognise numbers up to 20 but opportunities are missed to begin basic addition and subtraction with them. They have a good awareness of shapes and are learning to recognise these as, for example, they connect shapes in books with topic work they have completed on houses. Children show good use of imagination in activities such as junk modelling and dressing up which allows them to explore a range of play experiences. Children's physical skills are well developed through the use of daily outdoor and indoor play and equipment. They have a good awareness of life cycles and how things grow but have little

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

access to programmable toys or information technology which means their awareness is limited in this area. Good levels of adult support ensure that children receive a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities which allows them to enjoy their time at the group. Staff use a good range of questions and activities to promote children's thinking and this encourages the children to respond, for example, a child knew that wet sand could not be sieved because it was 'too heavy'. Staff are enthusiastic and enjoy their work which provides an atmosphere in which children can enjoy learning. Planning is effective in covering all areas of learning and is made out for long, medium and short term goals. Staff make useful observations about children and use these to record what children have learnt and what they need to learn next. However, challenges for children are not extended in some areas of learning to ensure that

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children make the most effective progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are warmly welcomed into the group and are valued as individuals. Their needs are met well because staff work very closely with parents to ensure that they have all relevant information about their children's changing care needs. Children are encouraged to have positive attitudes towards each other by the provision of a good range of resources and learn about festivals such as Hanukah and Diwali. This ensures that all children develop a good sense of self-esteem and belonging. It also promotes children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The use of informative policies and training in anti-bias has ensured that practice at the group supports children as they learn about other cultures and have the opportunity to play with all resources. For example, all children were happy to volunteer to be a princess and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of riding around the group.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with special needs receive a good service at the group. An informative policy supports their rights to suitable equipment, staffing levels and the same opportunities as all children. Individual education plans have been devised for children and choice cards are used so that they are able to express their needs and have these well met. Children are well behaved and are learning to use good manners at all times. Behaviour, such as sharing, is effectively promoted in activities, for example, children

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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 taking turns to use the computer. They are aware of the need for rules to ensure that activities are successful and happily help with tidying away which helps them to feel included in the routines of the group. Children's behaviour is managed well by developmentally appropriate strategies, such as distraction and 'time out' for older children, which allows them to reflect upon their behaviour. Staff are patient and calm with children, clearly praising good behaviour and making their expectations clear so that children know what is acceptable. Staff are available to speak with parents daily and a key worker system is in operation so that children feel acknowledged. There are also opportunities for parents to be involved in a rota and to work alongside their child at the group.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents receive a satisfactory range of written information about the setting which includes newsletters and a prospectus. There is also a settling in policy and a parental involvement policy which underpins how the group wishes to work with parents in the best interests of their child. The quality of the partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. A satisfactory partnership is in place with parents which contributes to children's well-being and learning. Information is taken about individual children but parents do not contribute to a baseline assessment of their child so staff cannot build upon their existing skills, they also do not receive regular information about their child's progress in the areas of learning or have the opportunity to view planning. Parents have good opportunities to be involved in their child's learning by the use of book bags which they take home.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a cheerful room by a stable staff group who know the children well. Good staffing levels also ensure that children receive care in a safe environment. Most legally required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place and is regularly reviewed, however, there is no procedure for outings which may compromise children's safety. Staff have also not undertaken training in the 'Birth to three matters' framework which means that some outcomes, such as health and safety and being safe, are not promoted as effectively as possible. Staff undergo an effective induction procedure so that a consistent service is offered to children. All staff are cleared to work with children and recruitment procedures are robust which ensures that all relevant details are known and children's safety enhanced. Informative policies and procedures are known by all staff and training is well

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Organisation

supported so that children benefit from skilled and qualified staff with current knowledge. Children also have the confidence to initiate their own activities because good levels of adult support provides them with many opportunities to access a range of activities. The quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. The manager is generally an effective leader with a good vision about how to provide a quality service to

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 children and parents that meet their individual needs. However, systems to monitor and evaluate the provision for group education are not sufficiently robust to ensure that individual children will be challenged in their learning. The manager is committed to staff training and development and ensures that all staff have good opportunities to attend and share their learning. Regular appraisals also ensure that staff's needs are acknowledged and children benefit from staff members who feel valued. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection a recommendation was raised to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of physical intervention. Staff have attended training in this area and a clear behaviour management policy states how any physical intervention will be managed and the reasons for this. At the last nursery education inspection a point for consideration was raised for the recording of planned activities within the programme of physical development to reflect the good quality of learning taking place. This has now been implemented which effectively shows what the children are learning.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents which they can see on request. The complaint 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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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): • devise procedures to be followed in the event of a child being lost • ensure that there are operational procedures for the safe conduct of any outings provided

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • improve outcomes for children from birth to 3, in the areas of being healthy and staying safe, by using an approach in line with the 'Birth to three matters' framework

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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 parents can contribute to their child's learning by completing a baseline assessment and by having access to planning and records of their child's progress • ensure that challenges are sufficient for children to make good progress in their learning.

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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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