Cropredy Pre-School

Cropredy Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Cropredy Playgroup

Unique Reference Number 133609 Inspection date 15 June 2006 Inspector Dorcas Forgan

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Cropredy Playgroup

Setting Address Cropredy Primary School, Station Road, Cropredy, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX17 1PU Telephone number 01295 750210

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E-mail

Registered person Cropredy Playgroup Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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?

Cropredy Playgroup has been registered at the school premises since 1993. It operates within two rooms at the village school. A committee of volunteers manage the group. The premises are located in a rural setting near to open farmland. It serves the village of Cropredy and several other surrounding villages. A maximum of 20 children may attend the playgroup at any one time. Children have access to the schools outside play areas.

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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 35 children aged from three to five years on roll. Of these, 28 children receive funding for nursery education. The group currently supports children with learning difficulties/ disabilities. The group currently operates four mornings a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, during term time only. The number of mornings the group opens vary according to numbers of children on roll. Sessions are from 09.00 – 12.00. The playgroup employs three staff, two of which hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming, clean attractive setting. They stay healthy because practitioners follow current environmental health and hygiene guidance, policies and procedures very competently. Children are gaining a good understanding of good health and hygiene practices, through consistent support and guidance they are gaining independence in their personal care. They use the toilet as necessary and follow good hand washing procedures; they readily wear sun hats on hot days and cool down as necessary. Staff have training to deal with accidents that occur and records are kept accurately. Children are very well nourished through the daily snacks that they receive. Staff provide a healthy option each day, for example, pieces of fruit. The children enjoy extra treats that the parents supply such as cup cakes. Children have access to additional drinks, as they need them especially when playing outside in the hot

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Helping children to be healthy

weather or after physical exercise. Children have their health and dietary needs met effectively because practitioners work well with the parents. Children enthusiastically take part in the daily physical activity. Whenever possible the school grounds are used, this is sometimes the playground with equipment such as bikes, cars and tractors, or the field with a range of apparatus, to climb, balance, and hang from. They enjoy going for walks in the local countryside to collect items and observe nature. The school hall is used to extend the children's experiences and develop their physical skills. All children including those who receive funded education have good opportunities to develop their physical skills and to be in the fresh air.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Good procedures ensure the children's safety in a very well organised environment that is light and bright with attractive displays of information and the children's own work. Risks of accidental injury are minimised as the staff regularly use thorough risk assessments to reduce hazards, especially when taking the children out for walks.

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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 There are effective safety and security procedures in place for example the procedure followed for adults to collect children. There is an extensive range of resources and equipment to meet the needs of the children. They are able to self-select from appropriate good quality resources and activities. These range from dressing up clothes and imaginary artefacts, creative activities, books and physical equipment. Children are learning to keep themselves safe with gentle reminders from the staff, such as walking around the side of the building together and using apparatus appropriately. Children are well protected by the staff who have a clear understanding of child protection. They have sound knowledge of the groups policies and procedures. Some have attended specific training.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enter the group enthusiastically and with confidence, they settle quickly at activities. Many of the children have formed friendly relationships with other children; they seek out friends to take part in activities together. They are gaining self-esteem from being part of a very positive, friendly environment. Children receive individual attention to support and guide them. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children participate fully in activities and are motivated by an interesting range of activities that are stimulating. The staff have a clear understanding of the foundation stage which helps the children to develop and learn new skills. Planning is effective and ensures that all areas of learning are included and that activities provide the children with challenges that are suitable for their abilities. Children's achievement records are linked to the stepping stones. Staff use on-going

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

observations to record what the children have achieved they do not formally use these to record the children's next steps of learning. However, staff know the children in their key groups well and understand how they can help them to make progress. Children are gaining a very good level of independence as they freely select activities to take part in, and are encouraged to take responsibility for their own personal care; such as putting on their own shoes and learning how to dress themselves. They interact well in large group situations joining in conversations and discussions they can work independently when they wish. They are gaining a love of books, as they sit and look at them independently, choose their own books from the mobile library and listen attentively to stories. They also use books to gain information. Children are becoming familiar with letters and the sounds they make, older children write their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

names using recognisable letters. Children use mathematics in everyday play. They count confidently and recognise the numerals from naught to ten. They are becoming familiar with shapes and enjoy collecting objects into sets, where they discuss the sizes, small, bigger, biggest, for

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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 example when sorting the bears. Children are learning about the world around them by observing living creatures like the giant snail and the chrysalis. They enjoy nature walks in the surrounding countryside where they learn about the sessions. They grow plants such as beans. Children have opportunities to explore a wide range of media and materials, they design and construct, experimenting with paints and collage items, sand and water. They are developing their imaginations and creativity. They develop their gross motor skills inside and outdoors: through climbing, balancing, running and playing with balls. They have many opportunities to practice hand eye co-ordination and fine motor skills through using tools such as the mouse on the computer.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children form very good relationships; they seek staff and other children out with confidence, they are developing good self-esteem and a sense of worth. Children are learning to respect one another's views; staff also introduce them to other cultures, beliefs and traditions. Children access a good range of equipment, which promote images of diversity in the wider world. They are also finding out about their own community through walks and social events. They benefit from very close ties with the school. There are good procedures in place to work with children with learning difficulties/disabilities and to ensure that they are fully integrated into the group. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered very well. Children are beginning to understand responsible behaviour; their behaviour is very good they understand group rules. Staff have realistic expectations of the children's

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Helping children make a positive contribution

development and understanding; they use positive reinforcement and treat children with respect and patience. Children work harmoniously with others and are learning to negotiate and take turns. Partnership with parents is very good. Children’s care is enhanced by the relationships developing between staff and parents. The positive relationship reinforces children's sense of belonging and ensures confidence in the setting. Staff ensure good communication through daily sharing of information, parent's notice board and regular newsletters. Parents are encouraged to help in the group so that they can observe first hand, the experiences that their child has in the group. They can also take the opportunity to discuss their child's development with the key worker. Parents have not been asked recently to formally feedback to the group their opinions of the care offered to their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from their care being very well organised. The rooms are used effectively to ensure children receive opportunities to access a wide range of interesting activities, very good use is made of the outside area. The daily routine works extremely well to ensure children have plenty of time at activities to achieve

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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 their aim and develop their concentration. The committee work closely with the staff to ensure that policies and procedures are relevant and that they support the children's welfare, care and education. The recruitment and vetting procedures ensure children are well protected. Leadership and management is good. Two senior staff jointly led the group; they work very well together to provide a stable setting. Along with the third member of staff they form, a dedicated team who are all aware of their roles and responsibilities. The staff are deployed well within the group to ensure all children receive individual support as necessary. The staff plan the activities together to ensure the curriculum is delivered successfully, they do not carry out evaluations of activities to ensure learning intentions are met. All staff are

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Organisation

committed to improvement and are looking forward to the expansion of the care offered, and the closer links with the school. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last children act inspection recommended that the playgroup should improve their documentation by developing the behaviour policy, devising an equal opportunity policy and gaining the necessary permissions from parents to be used in the case of an emergency. These have all been achieved to enhance the safety and care of the children. It was also recommended following the Foundation inspection that opportunities should be increased for children to use information technology, practice basic hand writing and working with numbers. It was also stated that the assessment programme should be extended to include the whole curriculum and is used in planning. Opportunities have been developed so that children can now use the computer with skill, and other forms of technology. The children are making very good progress with handwriting and number work. The children's assessments are made on all areas of learning and plans are made ensuring that all necessary

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report since the previous 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 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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 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): • devise and implement means for gaining parents opinions of the care offered

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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): • evaluate daily activities to ensure learning intentions have been achieved.

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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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