Kislingbury Playgroup

Kislingbury Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Kislingbury Playgroup

Unique Reference Number 220243 Inspection date 29 June 2006 Inspector Diane Mary O'Neill

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Kislingbury Playgroup

Setting Address Village Hall, Ashby Court, Kislingbury, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN7 4JE Telephone number 01604 831663

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E-mail

Registered person Denise Talbutt 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?

Kislingbury Playgroup opened in the 1970's and operates from two rooms within the village hall. It is situated in the village of Kinslingbury in Northamptonshire. A maximum of 20 children may attend the playgroup at any one time. The playgroup is open five days a week term time only between the hours of 9.15 until 13.00. All children share access to a secure enclosed outside play area. There are currently 35 children aged from two-and-a-half to five years on the 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, 24 receive funding for nursery education. Children in attendance live locally and in the surrounding area. The playgroup currently does not support any children who have special educational needs or have English as an additional language. The playgroup employs three staff. Off these all staff members hold appropriate early years qualifications. The playgroup has the benefit of teacher support from the Early Years Development Childcare Partnership and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through regular routines such as washing their hands before snacks, and after using the toilet. Children are able to use the toilet and hand- washing facilities independently, with staff support when required. However, there are times when the children find it hard to access the paper towels. Staff act as good role models, wiping down surfaces before serving food and after the children have eaten, to help children to stay healthy. Children are well nourished because they have fresh fruit and toast for their snack. Sometimes parents provide treats, for example when it is a child’s birthday. Staff are conscientious in ensuring all dietary needs of the children are met. Children’s health and hygiene is well maintained through effective procedures of exclusion for certain forms of illness. If children are taken ill, staff ensure they are

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Helping children to be healthy

made comfortable and are given reassurance until they are collected. Up–to-date records are in place to make sure that appropriate care is given. Staff are qualified in first aid so that they know how to take appropriate action in the event of an accident. Children are taught to sit down and rest when it is warm especially when they have been rushing around. Staff ensure drinks are available to the children, so they can cool down. Children confidently move freely between the activities that are available to them both inside and outside which allows free flow play to take place. This enables them to explore and experiment as well as making their own choices to the activities they wish to play with. Staff on occasions take them out on trips such as strawberry picking and trips to the farm which extend their learning and experiences. There is a good range of large and small equipment both inside and outside which enables

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Helping children to be healthy

children to develop their co-ordination. For example, children using the sit and ride toys and climbing frames. They enjoyed pretending to paint the garden fence and walls with water as well as jumping in and out of a ball pond, which caused lots of fun and laughter.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a clean and well-maintained environment which is

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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 reasonably well organised. However, the outside space, on occasions, is a bit crowded with equipment which means children’s movements are restricted. All toys and equipment are maintained in a reasonable condition and provide a suitable level of challenge appropriate to the children’s age and stage of development. Children are generally kept safe because staff have an awareness of health and safety issues. Children benefit from appropriate safety measures. For example, the outside play space is checked before they have access and the entrance is locked when the session is in progress. Regular fire drills are practised with the children, so they learn about emergency evacuation procedures. However, staff do not currently maintain formal written risk assessments, although visual ones are carried out daily.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff team are working towards incorporating a risk assessment system within their procedures. All visitors sign the group's visitor’s book and parents and carers are always greeted at arrival and collection time. The staff have some understanding of child protection procedures and the importance of ensuring children remain protected. However, their procedures are not sufficiently clear in outlining procedures to deal with allegations against a staff member, therefore children's safety may be compromised. The required documentation and guidance is in place, in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. Consistent recruitment procedures ensure that adults are suitable to work with children, this includes experience, training and vetting checks. Children’s safety is paramount as staff share responsibility with parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very happy, confident and enjoy their time at the setting. All children join in eagerly with the freely accessible activities, such as role play in the shop and home corner, play dough, books, construction and out door play facilities which staff provide each day. Staff have a good relationship with the children and there is lots of laughter and good interaction between them. Children have positive attitudes and are confident, happy and secure as they play well together. Staff praise the children and encourage them to participate in the activities available. Children are provided with a variety of equipment to enable them to participate in creative activities. They have good opportunity to work at their own pace and use their own skills when completing their work. For example, painting and using stencils. This helps children develop their self-esteem and self-reliance. The

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

relationships that are forged during this time carry over into other activities as children seek out friends to participate with. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Practitioners have suitable knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage and deliver a varied programme of play based activities which provide an overall balance across all six areas of learning. Children are making effective progress towards the early learning goals given their ages and starting points.

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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 Children use their imagination in a range of situations such as, playing in the home corner and doing the ironing, serving in the shop, pretending to paint the fence and have tea parties in the garden. They explore their creativity in art and craft, painting, playing with play dough and cutters as well as machines that make shapes. Children use numbers to count in their play as well as having resources that enable simple mathematical activities to take place. They communicate effectively and use a wide range of vocabulary to express their ideas and thoughts. Children discuss what they do at home and talk about their families with understanding. For example, talking about the flower pot festival they had been to see. They learn about the natural world, through topics that look at animals and festivals. Children were clearly

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

intrigued when staff showed them a moth and talked about the colours in its wings. Children have developed a real love of books and stories. They turn pages from front to back carefully and listen attentively to stories and frequently visit the book corner during the day. Children have opportunities to listen to music as well as singing known rhymes and songs. This sometimes takes place with ring games out in the garden. Children have a variety of opportunities to use mark making, such as painting, using crayons, chalks, and using tools in pretend play, such as writing shopping lists. They have ample opportunities to attempt at writing their names within activities. They sometimes use calculators and toy tills to help with some elements of technology. Planning is beginning to show the learning intentions that are in place and staff have worked hard in building their current observation and planning system. However, they

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

do not fully use their evaluation process to further challenge and build on children’s learning within the stepping stones. Therefore children’s learning and development progress is limited.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children show a strong sense of belonging as they greet staff and each other upon arrival at the play group. They share experiences at snack time and during discussions throughout the session. Children develop their understanding and appreciation of others through simple activities that promote awareness of the wider world. Photographs show different events that the playgroup has covered with the children, such as the Chinese New Year and Diwali. The playgroup does not currently support any children with specials educational needs however they do have good support links with their Special Educational Needs Coordinator should they be required to support a child in their care. Children have a sound understanding of the rules and boundaries within the playgroup and their behaviour is good. Children have a strong sense of belonging. They are aware of the routine and are familiar with staff and other children. They form

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Helping children make a positive contribution

friendship groups and play harmoniously together as well as respecting one another and learning to share and take turns. For example, when sharing the tools at the play dough table, and having sit and ride toys in the garden. This positive approach actively fosters children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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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 Partnership with parents and carers is good. This contributes effectively to children’s care and to the progress of children who receive funded nursery education. Parents receive regular information about playgroup activities in newsletters and on the notice boards. Staff share all information informally on a daily bases so that children’s individual needs are met. A written report of observations and children’s achievements enables parents to be well informed about their children’s progress. There is a robust system in place for the sharing of complaints with parents and carers.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. Children's care and welfare is adequately promoted. Staff are experienced and have a suitable understanding of child care and development and work effectively as a team. All of the staff hold relevant childcare qualifications and extend their own professional development through in-house training, staff meetings and access to external training. The stable staff team is very committed to the concept of childcare and education and ensure that activities and resources meet the needs of all the children who attend. However, the evaluation process does not enable children’s learning and progress to be challenged effectually. All areas of the playgroups environment is attractive and inviting with plenty of space for children to move around. Good selection of equipment enables children to cover all areas of learning as well as enabling them choice and independence.

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Organisation

All of the legally required documents, including procedures to record complaints or concerns, are in place and regularly reviewed. Overall the provision meets the needs of all the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to ensure that children are supervised when using the outside play area. Children are always supervised when playing outside. The playgroup was asked to ensure that the child protection statement included contact names and telephone numbers for the local police and social services department, and that there is a procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff. The policies now have all relevant contact numbers as well as being displayed on the notice board. However, the statement in place for following an allegation being made against a member of staff does not have the clarity required. They were asked to ensure that the registration system included hours of attendance of children and staff. This is now incorporated within the registration system. As part of the improvements raised at the last education inspection, the provider was

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Improvements since the last inspection

asked to, increase the level of challenge for more able children across the range of activities. Staff attempt to ensure that the activities available within the playgroup will challenge all children's learning. They were asked to develop their plans and

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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 observations to ensure that all children are building on what they already know and can do. This is an area for further improvement in order to help children's learning. The provider was asked to provide clear information to parents about the foundation stage learning. The playgroup has informative leaflets from the local authority which are given to the parents. The staff team was asked to develop its understanding of the special educational needs code of practice. The playgroup has a copy of this document however, the management should ensure that all staff have read it, so they are able to offer sufficient care to children with special educational needs.

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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 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 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): • ensure children can easily access appropriate hand drying facilities (reaching kitchen role) • ensure the outside play area enables children to access space and equipment safely • ensure procedure for allegations against staff is clear

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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 observation and planning enables children's learning to be challenged effectively

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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 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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