Rainbow House

Rainbow House Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Rainbow House Playgroup

Unique Reference Number EY306807 Inspection date 29 June 2006 Inspector Julia Louise Crowley

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Rainbow House Playgroup

Setting Address London Muslim Centre, 82-92 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1JX Telephone number 020 7650 3055 E-mail rainbowhouseplaygroup@hotmail.co.uk Registered person Rainbow House Playgroup Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care, Crèche

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Rainbow House Playgroup

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?

Rainbow House playgroup and crèche is run by the organisation Rainbow House Playgroup. It opened in 2006 and operates from a purpose-built building, set within the London Muslim Centre. It is situated in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. A maximum of 26 children from the ages of three to five may attend the playgroup at any one time. A maximum of 26 children may attend the crèche from the ages of two to eight years at any one time. The playgroup is open each weekday

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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 from 09.30 to 13.30 term time only, the crèche operates according to the training needs of the centre. There is no outdoor play area. There are currently 24 children aged from two to under five years on roll within the playgroup. Of these 24 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local community and wider community. The nursery employs four staff. Three 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 cared for in a warm and clean environment. They benefit from the good level of cleanliness and hygiene throughout the playgroup which effectively contributes to limiting the risk of cross infection. Staff have relevant first aid training and implement procedures such as the recording of accidents. Children's individual health and dietary needs are appropriately recorded and staff ensure that guidance and parents wishes are followed carefully. Staff are familiar with the Birth to three matters programme to support the development of younger children within the crèche setting. Snack times are sociable and offer opportunity for children to enjoy their food and become independent as they learn to feed themselves. They talk about how to keep their bodies healthy and they recognise the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet. They help themselves to drinking water, recognising when they are hot and

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Helping children to be healthy

thirsty, for example after physical play. Children bring a healthy snack that parents have provided. Guidelines and open days covering healthy living, ensure that the parents are informed and that the children receive nutritious options. Opportunities for children to be active, learn to control their bodies and develop their physical skills indoors are good. They can access small world toys, hoops, balls and bats, riding toys, parachute and creative activities. This increases the children's opportunities for exercise. Staff will regularly organise obstacles courses whenever requested. Children's enjoyment of physical exercise is increased by the staffs motivation and enthusiasm. Children competently use a wide range of small tools and equipment with increasing control including, scissors, dough cutters and glue spreaders.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a bright airy classroom which is made welcoming to children

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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 and parents through the use of displays of children's work and appropriate posters. Good use of space means that children are able to take part in a variety of different activities without impinging on others. Space is well organised and used effectively to allow children opportunities to engage in a good range of play equipment and resources, much of which is presented at low level in labelled boxes and in open shelving. Children's safety is promoted because staff are vigilant at reducing risks and minimising hazards. Daily risk assessments of the playgroup are effective at keeping children safe, for example any debris or broken equipment is removed prior to the children's arrival. However the daily risk assessment is not recorded. Practitioners show a good knowledge and understanding of child protection issues

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

which helps them protect children from harm and neglect. The whole staff team are aware of their responsibilities regarding child protection. Good use is made of local training opportunities to ensure that knowledge is kept current. Staff are clear about appropriate procedures to follow if they have concerns regarding a child's welfare. Appropriate policies and procedures are in place and contact numbers readily accessible. Good regard is given to fire safety, the nursery has devised an escape procedure and practised this with the children. The smoke alarms are tested weekly and batteries changed when needed.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at nursery. They arrive happy and confident and quickly settle into the routine making their own choices about their play. Younger children settle well and become familiar with their surroundings and the daily routine. Children are interested in activities and involved in their learning. Practitioners know children well and talk to them about their family and what they have been doing at home. This interaction, and the implementation of a successful key worker system, helps to secure relationships between children and staff developing a strong sense of trust. Children develop very good communication skills as they contribute to group discussions and become competent learners, for example they self-select from the creative corner which offers a wide variety of materials and tools that the children can utilise. Children enjoy opportunities to express imagination through role-play and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

telling stories and experience a range of media and materials encouraging them to explore their senses. For example the children have completed a topic on texture and feel. Practitioners talk about how each child is progressing and plan their next step for development. They recognise the value of play in a child’s development and introduce a range of experiences, enabling all children to learn to play and work together in large and small groups as well as independently. Many toys are stored on low level shelves where children are able to access them safely, this provides choice and promotes children’s self help skills and ability to make decisions for themselves. They show their ease with their surroundings as they

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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 sing to themselves and access resources confidently. Children's creativity is well supported by staff who encourage them to create their own designs and express themselves in their work. Practitioners’ warm interaction and good support helps build positive relationships, children confidently approach staff members and chat happily about what they are doing. An effective key worker system is in operation and staff have a good knowledge of children's individual needs. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make good individual progress because practitioners have a secure understanding of how children learn effectively and use their self-chosen play to extend their learning. They adapt their questioning techniques, according to the age and ability of the child, and implement a varied

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

range of teaching methods to introduce an exciting range of activities and experiences to all children. Practitioners encourage children to lead their own learning and this is successfully achieved by a well developed routine, with a good balance of child and adult initiated activities. Children are eager to learn and concentrate well showing good perseverance with activities. They co-operate and negotiate roles, for example when acting out their imagined ideas in role-play and value one another’s ideas. The book area contains soft cushions and rugs and is well stocked with accessible books. This encourages the children to enjoy books and focused activities. Children listen with great excitement to stories and suggest their own endings. They confidently talk about words that begin with the same sound and notice letters in familiar words around the room. Children independently use a range of tools and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

materials and freely access a variety of resources from the writing station, which they use to represent their own ideas, such as writing lists during imaginative play. Children have opportunity to experiment with scale for example large wall friezes completed with large brushes, hands and feet and smaller cards and materials where small mark making equipment is available. Children gain confidence in using numbers and begin to compare the amount and size of objects. They discuss how they get to school and then place the information onto a large bar chart. For example, three children travel by car, four children travel by bus and the rest by foot. Children colour in symbols for the chart and put it in the correct column. The use of mathematical language is good, for example practitioners play in the large hall and talk about under the hoop over the hoop, inside and outside. Effective use is made of time and resources to provide children with opportunities to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

engage in physical activities, including dance and explore creativity using a wide range of media such as paint, dough, glitter and sand. They learn about themselves and their families through discussion and topic work and talk about their local community and the wider world. They learn about different countries and continents though information, books, outings, parents participation and story time. Children can access telephones, shopping tills and tape recorders, however children's understanding of technology is limited by no access to a working computer.

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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 Practitioners observe and monitor children’s progress regularly in a variety of different ways and this is used to identify individual targets for children to work towards. Realistic expectations of children and good individual knowledge helps them to consolidate their learning before moving onto the next stage. As a result, the curriculum is tailored to individual children’s needs and abilities, which ensures effective support and sufficient challenges are provided to help children achieve their individual potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are welcomed and play a full part in the nursery because practitioners value each child as an individual. Children are confident and show good self-esteem responding well to continual praise and encouragement. They know what is expected of them and confidently talk about ground rules, helping to develop a very good understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Children work together co-operatively, for instance by negotiating taking turns when using the easels. Practitioners help re-enforce this, for example, children take turns on the carpet at snack times, the other children and staff form an orderly queue for physical play in the large hall. Children learn about themselves and the wider world through planned activities and discussions, for example around a variety of cultural festivals, helping them to understand and value the similarities and differences between themselves and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

others. There is a varied representation of other cultures and disabilities within the play equipment. This positive approach fosters children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Children benefit from good relationships and working partnerships with parents, which contributes to their well-being and the relationships they develop at nursery. Secure links are in place between home and nursery and parents are encouraged to share what they know about their child when they begin the group. Flexible settling in arrangements, ensure parents are involved. Practitioner’s value parent’s comments and suggestions using these to enhance the provision for children. The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is good.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children develop a secure sense of belonging because the daily running of the nursery is well organised and the key-worker system means that staff know the children well. Practitioners are supported by the provider through regular team meetings and active encouragement to attend a wide range of training and practice workshops. However a regular appraisal system has not been implemented for staff. All required documentation regarding the care of children is in place, well organised and appropriately stored with an awareness of confidentiality.

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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 Staff deployment is good, ensuring all children are well cared for and happily engaged in a range of stimulating activities. The organisation of space, particularly in the main play area, ensures that the room available is used effectively and gives children the best opportunity to access equipment and have space to play actively as well as quietly. Leadership and management of nursery education is good. Practitioners are knowledgeable about the foundation stage curriculum and use observations and assessments effectively to evaluate how children are progressing toward the early learning goals. However next steps for children's learning are not always recorded. Staff's understanding of the individual children is thorough. This enables them to utilise observations to affect future planning and specifically to identify how individual

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Organisation

children will be helped to move on. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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.

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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): • ensure that the risk assessment is completed

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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 To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure the next steps for development and learning are recorded • provide opportunities for children to use everyday technology

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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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