Ulceby Pre-School Playgroup & Out of School Club

Ulceby Pre-School Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Ulceby Pre-School Playgroup

205723 Unique Reference Number 13 December 2006 Inspection date Jill Scargall Inspector

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Ulceby Pre-School Playgroup

St Nicholas School, Church Lane, Ulceby, North Lincs, DN39 6TB Setting Address

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E-mail

Ulceby Pre-School Playgroup Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of 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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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?

Ulceby Pre-school Playgroup opened in 1992. It operates from a building within the grounds of the Ulceby Primary School. The pre-school serves the local community and surrounding villages. A maximum of 24 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. It is open each weekday from 09.15 to 11.45 and on Tuesday afternoons from 12.55 to 15.25. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 27 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 10 children receive funding for early education. The pre-school can support children with learning difficulties. The pre-school employs six members of staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's good health and well-being is effectively promoted because they are cared for in a clean and welcoming environment. They develop an understanding and awareness of good hygiene through their daily routines, fetching tissues to try and blow their noses, and they are aware of hand washing routines and the need to use soap and paper towels. Clear procedures promote children's good health and minimise cross infection. Minor accidents are handled well as staff use their knowledge of first aid. Good practice is reinforced by accurate completion of medical and accident records.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have many opportunities for physical play. They can use an enclosed garden area and the playground when the weather is suitable. They use the school hall and their own indoor equipment to promote good health as they climb and slide and move to music. Children enjoy healthy snacks of fruit and drinks midmorning. They sit with their friends and adults to have a sociable occasion. However, children's independence is not always fostered because children do not assist with the preparation and serving of refreshments.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children play in a safe and child-orientated environment. Their room is bright, with children's work attractively displayed. There is a wide range of developmentally appropriate toys which provide challenges for children. These can be easily accessed as resources are stored at their height. Toys are regularly rotated and checked, to sustain children's interests and skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Clear, written procedures make sure that parents are aware of steps taken to maintain children's safety. Comprehensive risk assessments are in place. Children's safety has a high priority, for example, doors are kept latched, the water temperature is controlled, and parents sign children in and out. Fire evacuation procedures are in place and practised regularly and safety issues are discussed with children. For example, children learn about personal safety by discussing how to move around the room, and by learning to share and take turns. Children's welfare is generally safeguarded because staff understand their role in child protection issues and have received training. However, at times, children's well-being is compromised because policies are out of date and do not contain the necessary procedures to follow under the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are settled into pre-school routines. They separate from their carers with confidence as they know staff well. Their day is discussed with them so that they know what activities are available to them. Younger children are confident to explore and try a range of new activities and to try new words; for example, one two-year-old learns the name for a semi-circle from the shape of a brick and tries it out many times. Children can choose from different creative

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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 activities and imaginative play, for example, preparing food in the home corner. They are happy to play with their friends in small groups or to get individual help from an adult.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are building self-esteem and they are confident communicators. They are polite and well mannered and say 'Good morning' to staff and other children as they enter the building. They settle well into the day's routines. They are happy to talk to a large group of their friends to tell them about the weather and what they have been doing. One child tells about his progress in swimming, that he has moved up a group. Children respond well to a jingle bell as a signal to stop playing and listen to an instruction. They are valued as individuals and celebrating their birthdays helps them to gain a sense of belonging.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Most children are beginning to link sounds and letters, for example, the initial letter of their name. Older children are trying to write their own names and they hold their pencils correctly. Mark-making materials are always available and provision of varied resources encourages children to expand their writing skills. They enjoy using the book corner regularly, to read by themselves or to one another, or to tell an adult a story or to listen to one told to them. Children join in enthusiastically with 'The bear hunt'. They can follow text from left to right and they are aware that print tells the story as they show the pictures to their friends.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use sand and water play to compare and contrast size and volume and fill and empty containers. They are involved in activities which extend their mathematical thinking by comparing numbers and counting together: the number of children present; the number of bricks in a pile; and the days until Christmas. They experience junk modelling and daily creative experiences with a variety of media; they are currently working hard on cards and models for Christmas. Children show interest in exploring and investigating the world around them. They are involved in imaginative play activities which include the optician's and the travel agent. They have received a visit from a local chef, when they enjoyed making sweets. They experience living history by visiting a country park and farming museum where they tried to do the laundry as a Victorian washerwoman, and tried to iron without electricity.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a good perception of their own bodies as they participate in active play on the climbing frame. They know when they are hot and need to remove a jumper, or that it is cold outdoors and they need a coat on. They enjoy singing and moving to music and practising songs and action rhymes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage and work well together to provide a broad range of activities to help children learn. Staff have a positive attitude to promoting children's learning and they ask open-ended questions and challenge them. Children are given opportunities to play independently and with their peers. They are also encouraged to take part in adult-led activities. They enjoy learning through a variety of play experiences and their interest is maintained. Staff plan activities as a team, working on a long-term plan and outlining the areas of learning and the broad outline of the activities that are offered. However, there is insufficient indication of what the children will be doing on a daily basis, the resources needed for activities, and the aims and evaluation of the activity. Similarly, there is no indication of how this will be adapted for more and less

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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 able children. The group are beginning to use a record of achievement to record children's progress and are sharing this with parents.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are treated as individuals and they know staff well. Staff respond to their needs and characters. A meaningful range of resources and activities are provided for children to promote a positive view of the wider world. For example, they receive visits from people in the community, a local chef and teachers from the nearby school. They visit places of interest, such as a country park and farming museum. Children regularly visit the local school and are involved in joint activities with the reception class.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

They are aware of the clear rules and expectations of behaviour within the pre-school. Staff provide positive role models and have high expectations of behaviour. They expect good manners. They encourage sharing and taking turns and the majority of children respond well to these few, simple rules. Children who show challenging behaviour are patiently calmed and supported. Children with learning difficulties receive appropriate support and learning opportunities. They are integrated into the group because staff have necessary procedures and systems for monitoring progress in place. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good and this contributes towards children's well-being in the pre-school. Parents receive comprehensive written and verbal information about the group before their child starts at pre-school. They inform staff about their own children in some detail before they start the pre-school so that staff are aware of their development and interests. Parents also receive written information about early education and funding for the Foundation Stage, as well as regular newsletters. They are kept informed about their child's progress through regular doorstep meetings and by more formal monthly meetings with staff to discuss children's records of achievement. Children benefit from their parents' support and involvement in their learning. This enables them to follow the children's topic work at home and contributes towards their development.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The committee have recently approved a decision to allow the pre-school to be run by joint managers to improve the care and well-being of children. Recruitment and vetting procedures make sure that children are cared for by suitably qualified and experienced staff. They are committed and experienced and have a high regard for the well-being of children. Staff ratios to children are high. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

The organisation within the pre-school is satisfactory. There is a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. Staff organise time so that children can be cared for in small and mixed age groups, except for one afternoon per week when activities are organised for the older

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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 who will shortly be attending school. They are offered a more formal range of activities. Children's records are stored confidentially and kept accurately and all documentation is confidentially stored.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of the early education is good. Children's care and learning are supported by the generally effective organisation of the group. Jointly, managers have a clear vision for developing the quality of care given to children. Managers and staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage guidance and there is a commitment to an ongoing programme of staff training. New members of staff receive a comprehensive induction session. Staff meetings are held regularly and all staff are involved in helping to plan activities. However, monitoring and evaluation of these activities are still in the early stages.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the pre-school were asked to make sure that their policy for the collection of children included information about lost children. They were asked to make sure that parents signed and dated accident and medical records and to display the complaints procedure. Children's safety is maintained because the group have implemented all these procedures.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The pre-school were asked to extend children's learning by offering them opportunities to use mathematical language and to have frequent counting experiences. Children counted regularly during the inspection. They noted the date, the number of children present, and the adults present. They enjoyed counting bricks and they discussed less and more, as well as referring to a variety of different shapes. The pre-school were asked to give children regular opportunities to practise letters, to recognise their names and to use mark-making activities. Children enjoyed attempting to write their names and form letters, and mark-making materials are available at all times.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Staff were asked to provide a more formal report to parents about their children's progress in nursery education. Parents are well informed about their children's progress; they receive a written report. In addition, staff talk to parents at least every four weeks about their child's progress and they are welcome to see their child's record of achievement at any time.

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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 of Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints 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 by Ofsted.

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Complaints 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

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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): • make sure children can develop independence by helping themselves where appropriate (also applies to nursery education) • make sure that the child protection policy is up to date, and that staff are aware of any changes to policy and procedures.

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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): • continue to develop planned activities so that they promote children's learning by taking into account children's interests, what they need to do next, and make sure that they cover all areas of learning equally • consider differentiation of activities to make sure that more and less able children are sufficiently challenged.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) 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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