House of Eden

Aycliffe Village Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Aycliffe Village Primary School

Unique Reference Number EY301405 Inspection date 11 September 2006 Inspector Lynne Pope

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Aycliffe Village Primary School

Setting Address Aycliffe Village Primary School, North Terrace, Aycliffe, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 6LG Telephone number 01325 300227 E-mail aycliffevillage.primary@durhamlea.org.uk Registered person House of Eden Limited Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School care

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Aycliffe Village Primary School

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?

Aycliffe Village Primary School Day Care is one of two provisions run by a private provider. It opened in 2005 and operates within Aycliffe Village Primary School in Aycliffe. A maximum of 45 children may attend at any one time. The provision is open each week day from 08.00 until 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 45 children aged from two to eight years on roll. Of these, 14 children receive funding for early education. Children come from a wide catchment

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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 area. The provision employs five staff. All of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a clean and well maintained environment. They have a well developed awareness of hygiene routines. Staff supplement this with gentle reminders about flushing toilets and washing hands. However, good hygiene practice is not followed as all children use the same towel to dry their hands. They are kept safe from the spread of infection by an effective sickness policy being in place. Appropriate consents and records are in place for the administration of medication and recording accidents. Physical activities are well planned enabling all children to learn about the importance of activity in a healthy lifestyle. They have the choice during the morning and afternoon session whether they spend their time indoors or outdoors, no matter what the weather is doing. Appropriate clothing is provided when it is wet. Children enthusiastically take part outdoors. They ride on bikes or in cars,

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Helping children to be healthy

use their imagination as they role play that they are having a barbecue or sit quietly on the blanket looking at a book. They are able to rest or be active as they need. Children's well-being is enhanced by accessing a healthy diet. Meals are freshly prepared on the premises. Staff prepare healthy snacks for children of various fruits. Children decide when they would like their snack. Lunch and tea time are a sociable occasion. They sit in groups and chat to each other. However, independence is not encouraged, for example, by talking about what foods they would like or pouring their own drinks. Staff have a clear understanding of children's dietary needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children have access to a well organised environment. The playroom is made welcoming with displays of children's art work and photographs of activities, giving them ownership of the environment. The indoor and outdoor space is organised effectively, enabling children to explore and take risks while being supervised. They enjoy the freedom of being able to use the outdoor area at any time. Children use an extensive range of safe, well maintained toys and equipment suitable to the age and stage of their development. They are arranged at child height both indoors and outdoors enabling them to make their own selections. This results in children becoming very independent in their activities. Children are cared for in a secure environment and are well protected by the procedures in place. All visitors to the building are monitored. Regular fire drills are carried out with the children so that they are aware of the routine. Outings

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

procedures protect them. Staff carry out a written risk assessment before the outing

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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 gain written consent from parents. Children are protected by staff that are confident and secure in their knowledge of child protection policies and procedures. At present, however, there is no written procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff, which is a breach of regulations.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Staff in the setting provide a calm, consistent environment where children are happy and settled. They are motivated and interested in a broad range of developmentally appropriate activities, which provide good levels of challenge appropriate to their age and stage of development. Children under three years receive lots of support and encouragement. Staff plan activities based on the 'Birth to three matters' framework, which they incorporate into their planning for the Foundation Stage. This helps them to focus on age-appropriate steps for the children. The suitable range of activities encourages children to explore the space and develop their physical, early communication and social skills well. Children show emerging confidence and independence as they begin to select their own toys. They are inquisitive and interested in the resources made available to them. They explore different ways of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

using paint with brushes, sponges or their hands. Children attending the out of school provision are relaxed in the setting. Staff consult them about what they would like to do, developing their independence. They take part in craft activities, use the computer and have access to physical activities in the school hall and playing field. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff are developing a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage. They regularly monitor and assess children's developmental progress with the result that they have a satisfactory knowledge of each child's stage of development. Activities are planned a week ahead. The use of focused activities helps staff to evaluate for individual children's needs and to plan the next steps in children's learning. However, children have limited access to writing materials throughout the setting to help them practise making marks in their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is limited use of number and calculation in every day activities to encourage children to become familiar with them. Children have a very positive approach, settling well and being eager to take part in activities. They are confident and settled in the setting. They independently select and carry out their activities, being supported appropriately by staff where needed. Good relationships enable them to be confident speakers. Children enjoy talking to each other, staff and visitors about their experiences. They show curiosity about what visitors are doing by asking questions. They are beginning to recognise their own name card and other children's cards in the group. They are able to say what the first letter is of their name. Children have lots of opportunities to show curiosity and observe objects. They use plaster cast materials to make imprints of their hands. They show great curiosity as they feel the different textures of flour, lentils and porridge. They describe how they

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

feel, such as soft or hard. Information technology stimulates their interest. 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 understand that to make the machine work it must be turned on. They enjoy using simple games on the computer being knowledgeable about how the game works. Children use construction materials with confidence, building cars with plastic blocks. Tools are used for a purpose as they roll out play dough and use cutters for desired effect. Physical skills develop and improve through a wide variety of experiences.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children develop a positive attitude to others and gain a good understanding about the wider world through the positive images available in the provision, resources and outings into the environment. They particularly enjoy spontaneous events such as the grass being cut by the tractor. This generates lots of discussion. Staff have a calm and consistent approach to behaviour management. They provide good role models using praise frequently to develop children's self-esteem and to help them understand when they have done well. They use timely interventions where they use distraction or clear explanations which protects the child. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children feel a sense of belonging in the setting. Young children are beginning to learn how to share resources through the consistent support of the staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Children benefit from a two-way sharing of information between staff and parents which enhances their learning. Parent's of children under three years receive a daily written update about their child's progress. Children over three years receive a weekly update which informs them about what their child is doing this term, what they have done that week and what they are learning. Parents of children that attend the out of school receive verbal feedback. Digital photographs are taken each session of children taking part in activities. These are shown in a slide show at the end of the session so that the parent and child can view what they have been doing. Newsletters are sent out to parents each term informing them of forthcoming events. Policies and procedures are shared with parents. However, the complaints procedure has not been updated to reflect changes

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Helping children make a positive contribution

in legislation in October 2005 or to reflect the change in Ofsted's contact details. This keeps parent's informed of their rights and protects children's safety.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides. Effective recruitment procedures ensure that children are cared for by staff with knowledge and understanding of child development. The required policies and procedures are in place which support the care of the children. At present, however, there is no procedure to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff, which is a requirement of registration. The complaints procedure has not been updated in line with changes in legislation. All records are kept up to date. Regular appraisals and staff meetings enable future training to be identified and carried out. Children have access to an age-appropriate, spacious playroom and

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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 outdoor environment to aid their development. They select their own resources with confidence. They regularly access the outdoors where they learn to manage the movement of their bodies in various ways. The leadership and management is satisfactory. Staff work well together as a team providing a consistent environment for children. They have received training for the Foundation Stage which has enabled them to develop a satisfactory understanding of the framework. They meet together on a weekly basis to plan future activities. Plans identify alternative approaches for children of different ages and abilities. The use of focused activities which are evaluated for each child, helps them to plan the next stages in their development. Staff meetings are held regularly for the passing on of

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Organisation

any new information. Appraisals identify any training needs that staff may have. The manager works closely with staff which enables her to have a good overview of the provision.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection an action was raised that management must ensure that children attending, comply with the conditions of registration. At this inspection the requirements of registration were met as there were no children attending outside the age limits that have been set. This ensures that children's safety and welfare is not compromised.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. 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

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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 take account of the following recommendation(s): • promote good practices in hand drying routines • develop all children's independence at meal times and discuss what the meal options are with them • include a written procedure in the child protection policy to be followed in the event that an allegation is made against a member of staff • update the complaints procedure to be in line with changes to legislation in October 2005 and update Ofsted's contact details.

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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): • develop children's access to writing implements further to encourage writing in all areas including outdoors • develop the use of number and calculation further by incorporating its use in every day activities.

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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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