Oaklands Primary School

Yorkley Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Yorkley Playgroup

101637 Unique Reference Number 22 November 2006 Inspection date Shirley Ann Jackson Inspector

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Yorkley Playgroup

Yorkley County Primary School, Lydney Road, Yorkley, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4RR

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E-mail

Yorkley Under 5's 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?

Yorkley Playgroup opened in 1971. It operates from an Elliott building with one large playroom on the site of Yorkley County Primary School, Yorkley, Gloucestershire. The playgroup serves the local area. It is run by a voluntary committee of parents.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 14 children on roll aged from two to four years. This includes 10 children receiving education funding. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting can support children with learning difficulties or disabilities. There are no children attending with English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 until 11:30.

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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 Three full-time staff work with the children. Two of them have recognised early years qualifications to at least level 2. The third member of staff has over 20 years experience working in playgroups. Staff are supported by an administrator. The setting receives support from the local authority. The playgroup follows aspects of the High Scope method of teaching.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn about good hygiene practices as they follow a well-established hygiene routine. For example, washing their hands after messy play, using the toilet and before eating. Daily procedures, such as, cleaning the tables maintain effective levels of hygiene and help prevent the spread of infection. All staff hold current first aid certificates and the first aid box is easily accessible. This ensures that children are cared for appropriately if they have an accident or become unwell.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have free access to drinking water during the session. A covered jug along with cups are provided on a table where children can help themselves. Children are offered a healthy, balanced variety of different foods at snack time. This is consolidated as staff take opportunities to talk to children about foods which are good for them and those which they should only have a little of. This builds an awareness of a healthy diet. However, children are not encouraged to further develop their independence skills by pouring their own drinks or being involved in the preparation of snack.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy indoor physical activity every day during the session. Children learn to balance as they play on the balance beam and enjoy bouncing on the trampoline. They learn about the importance of being active as they are offered music and movement sessions. However, children have limited opportunities to enjoy regular outdoor play. Children engage in activities requiring hand-eye co-ordination, such as, pencils and threading.

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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 secure environment. The building has a key-pad entry system and close circuit cameras to monitor people coming and going. This helps to keep children safe as it prevents unauthorised entry. Staff encourage children to think about their own safety as they take them for walks in the local area. For example, they talk to children about listening for traffic and looking both ways when crossing the road, when out walking.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are offered a wide range of activities, suitable for their stage of development. Children independently select resources from accessible storage of a wide range of good quality toys which meet safety standards. The room has plenty of space for the children to move around freely and enjoy their play. The group has an outdoor play space, but this is not utilised to it's full potential.

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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 Staff give children's welfare a high priority as all staff hold current safeguarding children certificates. Staff are able to recognise possible indicators of abuse. They are clear about the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child. Policy documents are readily available to parents and provide clear information about the group's approach and management of child protection issues. This helps to ensure that children's welfare and well-being is protected at all times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children share positive relationships with staff and with each other. Staff use their knowledge and skills to meet the individual needs of the children in their care. Use of the key worker system ensures that children settle quickly with effective support from familiar staff. Children are offered a stimulating and balanced range of activities which helps them make sound progress in all areas of their development. Staff give some structure to the session, and this along with free play time gives children a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

One member of staff has attended training in the Birth to three framework. However, this is not incorporated into plans to show how activities will be simplified to help the younger children to achieve the outcomes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make good progress in their learning and achieve well given their capability and starting points. Children are keen to learn and engage in a good range of adult-led and child-initiated activities. They take part in a range of activities and move between them, confidently choosing what to do. Staff identify children's achievements, and use this to inform future planning to help children's learning progress to the next stage. Staff know the children well and use this knowledge to plan activities for the children. However, staff do not include ideas on how to challenge the more able children in the group.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children talk confidently to adults who are familiar to them. They join in conversations with staff and other children at the group. Children handle books carefully, hold books the correct way up and turn the pages. They enjoy listening to stories in small and large groups. Children recognise some written words, for example, most recognise their own names and those of their friends. Some children confidently use one-handed tools and equipment. For example, a child sat for some time, cutting up pieces of paper and putting them into an envelope.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show an interest in numbers and counting. For example, a child said to the play leader, "two parrots" when pointing to her earrings. Some children use numbers spontaneously in their play, for example, a child measured "20" with his tape measure. Children have opportunities to join in number stories and songs. Staff encourage children to look at the shapes of everyday items, such as fruit and vegetables. However, opportunities to practise numbers in everyday, practical situations are limited.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to notice change as they look at the weather and take part in cooking activities. They show an interest in information communication technology. Some

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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 know how to operate simple equipment. Children show an interest in the world in which they live as they go for walks in the local area. They begin to differentiate between past and present as they recall what they have done that morning with support from staff. Children are gaining an awareness of the culture and beliefs of others by looking at different festivals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are able to differentiate colours, such as the red tomato and green pepper. They have opportunities to use their senses as they cook, play with cornflour, jelly and ice. Children use their imagination during their play. For example, children using dressing-up clothes and paper and pencils as they played in the café area. Children enjoy musical activities including music and movement sessions and singing.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's independence is actively promoted. Staff encourage them to try things for themselves, but are on hand if needed. For example, children are encouraged to get painting aprons off the peg and to put them on. Children can choose which activities they want to take part in, from those set out and others in accessible storage. For example, the child who helped herself to a pair of binoculars from a shelf and then went off to play with them. Children can display their own work on a magnetic board in the room. This helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff manage children's behaviour well. They are positive role models with a calm manner. Children follow this example and behaviour is generally good. Clear boundaries for behaviour are in place and understood by children, for example, not running indoors. Staff praise children for achievement as well as results, building their self-esteem. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The group has a suitable range of resources which reflect positive images of the wider community. This helps children to develop a positive attitude to others. The group can support children with learning difficulties or disabilities. The group has a member of staff who is trained to offer support in this area. This enables all children to take part in activities in their own way and at their own level.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents willingly support the group by contributing to the management committee and helping on rota duty. They are given chances to become involved in their child's learning by taking items in for topics and are given ideas to try at home in regular newsletters. However, parents are not involved in contributing to their child's progress records. Parents are given useful information when they first start at the group. This is ongoing through regular newsletters, daily chats and a regularly updated notice board. These help to keep parents up to date and involved in what's happening at the group.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff are appropriately qualified and experienced for their roles within the group. Children benefit from staff's willingness to attend training to enhance the care and education offered.

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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 are enthusiastic and interact well with the children and each other. Premises are effectively organised to enable children to access many resources independently, giving them choice and ownership.

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Organisation

All legally required documentation is well organised and easily accessible. Children receive good levels of adult support as mandatory ratios are maintained at all times. The key worker system is used and this enables staff to get to know children as individuals and to offer appropriate care.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. Children benefit from the staff's strong commitment to improve and develop the setting further. The staff team is small and stable. Staff work well together as a team and they are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Effective team working enables staff to meet regularly to discuss children's progress and to plan for the next steps in their learning. The staff are supported by an enthusiastic management committee. Both work together to improve the care and education offered. Minor points for improvement raised at the last inspection have been tackled in a positive way to ensure that the group improves the service it offers to parents and children. Overall, the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the group agreed to: improve the procedures for ensuring that the premises are secure and improve the arrangements for ensuring good hygiene practices are in place for hand washing.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children's safety has improved as security at the group has been improved to include close circuit television and a key-pad entry system. Hygiene has improved as children use paper towels to dry their hands, this limits the risk of cross infection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection the group agreed to; develop and build on opportunities for children to sound letters and recognise rhyme, continue to build children's opportunities to raise children's awareness of health and bodily awareness and build on opportunities for children to explore media in their own way and in their own time.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children's learning has developed as staff now incorporate all of the above weaknesses into the planning. Children enjoy singing, thinking about food that is good for them and why and creative resources are offered as adult-led and child initiated activities.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since April 2004 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.

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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 to 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): • develop children's independence skills by involving them in the preparation and serving of snack • offer large physical outdoor play on a more regular basis

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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): • show how younger and older children will be challenged in planned activities • involve parents in their children's progress

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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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