Pegasus Child Care Centre

Pegasus Child Care Centre

Inspection report for early years provision

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Pegasus Child Care Centre

Unique Reference Number 253721 Inspection date 27 January 2006 Inspector Beverly Kemp-Russell

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Pegasus Child Care Centre

Setting Address Main Street, Osgodby, Market Rasen, Lincs, LN8 3TA

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E-mail

Registered person Pegasus Child Care Centre Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School 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 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?

Pegasus Child Care Centre is committee run and opened in 1997. It operates from self-contained premises in the village of Osgodby with the nearest town being Market Rasen. The centre offers full day care to children from the local area and surrounding villages. There are currently 43 children aged from 2 to 8 years on roll. This includes 10 funded three and four-year-olds. The setting supports children who have special

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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 educational needs and there are no children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery opens five days a week during term time and the out of school club is open during holidays. Sessions are from 07.45 to 18.00 hours and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are 3 staff working with the children. All staff hold an appropriate early years qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Practitioners follow clear procedures for maintaining hygiene which ensures that the children are cared for in a clean and healthy environment, for example, tables are wiped with anti-bacterial spray prior to being used for food. Children are encouraged to become independent in promoting their own good health such as routine hand washing before food and children show confidence in using this ability. Children's health is promoted by health and medication records. Staff hold current first aid certificates which helps maintain children's health. Children are offered a choice of snacks which include a variety of fruit to ensure healthy eating choices are promoted. These are also regularly discussed so that children are aware it is part of maintaining health. Practitioners provide healthy meals and snacks in the kids club and ensure that children always have access to drinks throughout the session to ensure they are well nourished and hydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy opportunities for physical activities and are skilled at using a range of small equipment to promote co-ordination skills. Children make full use of the outdoor area to run and play in the fresh air on a daily basis. There is provision for children to use equipment such as a climbing frame and slide to develop their large body skills. Staff discuss how fresh air is good for you and link to healthy life styles. Children are able to rest and sleep according to their needs and the wishes of their parents. Staff provide a suitable area for children to rest and relax.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a warm and welcoming environment which is well maintained and safe. Staff ensure that safety procedures such as regular fire drills are completed and recorded to ensure the safety of the children. Risk assessments are completed to help staff minimise hazards which may harm children. Children use appropriate equipment such as low level tables and chairs to sit, eat and play safely. They also use a suitable range of developmentally appropriate

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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 resources which are regularly checked for safety. Staff use explanations about safety so that children are able to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe. Staff help to create a stimulating environment for children by providing furniture, toys and equipment to meet the varying needs of children. The building is kept properly secure so that unwanted visitors do not gain access to the setting or present a risk to the children. However, some staff are not vetted to ensure the safety of children in their care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. The care and play experiences for children in the setting are satisfactory. Children are content and settled and enjoy close relationships with their carers. Discussions with parents ensure that young children benefit from and experience familiar home routines helping them to feel safe and secure. Children show interest in what they do such as making dinosaurs and are often intrigued by resources such as the laptop. They are beginning to experiment with sticking activities and like to dress up and use the home corner. Opportunities are provided to develop their creative skills and to use their imaginations. However, there are too few opportunities for children to use freedom of expression during some activities. Children make choices from a range of resources provided each day but they are not always fully absorbed throughout the session. Staff provide suitable activities to observe and use assessments to ensure

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children are generally moving towards the next step. Staff include younger children in activities to develop their skills but are not yet making full use of the 'Birth to three matters' framework. The quality of teaching and learning for three and four-year-olds is satisfactory. Staff offer support to children and are enthusiastic in their role. While staff's knowledge of the Foundation Stage is growing, other than the manager they lack a comprehensive understanding. This affects their ability to provide sufficient challenge for children to learn and develop. All staff have attended relevant training courses and have experience of caring for children, they gently guide children and use questioning techniques which extends their language and thinking. Staff meet with parents initially to discuss children's starting points to ensure they are aware of observing progress. The assessment of children's progress towards the early learning goals

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

links to the stepping stones and generally identifies what they need to learn next but they do not record evaluative evidence to support the assessment made. Planning is not evaluated effectively to ensure children's curriculum is balanced in all areas leading to missed opportunities to encourage learning. Children are confident and keen to get involved in activities. They form sound relationships with staff and other children, willingly helping younger ones with tasks such as using the mouse on the laptop. However, some staff miss opportunities particularly at meal times to help children develop independence skills. Children are aware of the expectations of staff and behave well. Children are able speakers using clear sentences to explain and recall past events. They listen carefully and talk confidently during activities. Children enjoy making

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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 marks and can form some recognisable images; some can also recognise some letters and their sounds. Children enjoy books and participate in story telling. Children count by rote well with more able children eager to count well beyond 10. They know the names of common shapes and use some size language in their play such as big and little. However, staff miss opportunities to introduce children to simple calculating and problem solving. Children are able to join construction pieces together with some purpose. They have a growing awareness of other cultures as they celebrate some festivals and access resources to promote children's ability to explore and learn. Children's knowledge of the natural world is developed through activities such as observing and discussing the weather and planting and growing vegetables. Children enjoy moving in different

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

ways such as running and jumping, but their ability to make progress and continue to develop their large body movements is impeded by too few challenging activities. Children know most colours and have some opportunities to create and design for themselves. They know a balanced repertoire of songs and rhymes and really enjoy involving others in imaginative games when playing in the home corner.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Children are cared for by staff who work with parents to meet individual needs and ensure all children are fully included. All children and parents receive a warm welcome from staff who are sensitive to each family's circumstances. Each child is known as an individual and time is spent making sure their needs are met and continuity of care is offered. Parents views about their child's needs are actively sought before the child starts at the setting, and on a regular basis throughout their time there. Parents receive sound information about the Foundation Stage and are involved in their children's learning although they do not complete a pre-assessment form. Staff ensure that parents know how their child is progressing and developing by regular verbal contact and meetings. Staff have clear expectations of children's behaviour and through acting as role

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Helping children make a positive contribution

models and using appropriate methods, such as consistent and gentle reinforcement of rules, children learn good manners and to care for others. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff, building their confidence and self-esteem. Children are beginning to understand and respect differing needs and cultures through planned activities and practitioners provide a satisfactory range of resources to support children's learning. Children's knowledge of the local community is promoted through discussion and regular outings. They regularly share news about their own lives and their thoughts. Children's opinions and achievements are recognised and praised by everyone in the group. All of this contributes to fostering children's social, moral, cultural and spiritual development.

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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 The regulations relating to recruitment and vetting of staff and notification to Ofsted of changes have not been met but are now being rectified by the provider. Children benefit as they are cared for in a generally well organised environment where they access an appropriate range of resources. Their individual needs are met because most records are completed with appropriate information. Most policies and procedures are in place, which contributes to ensuring children's welfare and care are sufficiently maintained. The quality of leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The manager and staff are committed to continue improving the care and education for children and are working hard to do this. Monitoring systems are in place which are being developed to more effectively identify the provision's strengths and

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Organisation

weaknesses. Staff keep up to date with current child care practices by attending relevant training and because they also work with a development worker to make improvements. However, both the staff and committee are unclear of their roles and responsibilities, especially with regard to ensuring they meet all of the criteria within the National Standards and to keep staff informed of any relevant changes. This results in a breach in National Standard 1 which requires that adults providing day care, looking after children are suitable to do so and National Standard 14 which requires that records, policies and procedures are maintained, which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, and promote the welfare, care and learning of all children. However, due to staff providing appropriate care and working generally well with the information they have, this results in the setting

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Organisation

meeting the needs of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection in June 2003 the centre was asked to make a number of improvements to its provision for children. They were asked to: improve the induction process for new staff to ensure awareness of roles and responsibilities and to provide an appropriate range of activities on a day to day basis in the kids club. For the nursery education inspection they were asked as points for consideration to: ensure that all children have opportunity to access a variety of spontaneous art and craft activities on a day to day basis and to provide sufficient challenge for more able children to ensure progress in all areas of learning and development, particularly mathematical development. Since the last inspection the setting has made some progress in addressing these issues. With regard to the care inspection - there is an induction for new staff but it does not include the National Standards which have not been seen by some staff. The kids

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Improvements since the last inspection

club has developed planning to ensure that there is a sound range of activities for children which are age appropriate. With regard to nursery education - children have some opportunities to use their imaginations in role play activities such as playing in the home corner, which is

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Improvements 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 changed to introduce a variety of themes such as a cafe and by using creative materials, sand and water. Children have opportunities to develop mathematical skills through activities such as baking. However, although some staff are aware of children's abilities, planned activities do not clearly provide differentiation for more or less able children to ensure they are making good progress in all areas of learning.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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 take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure robust recruitment and vetting procedures are used when employing new staff and committee members and that Ofsted is notified of any significant changes • ensure staff are informed and kept up to date with relevant guidance issued by the regulator • develop knowledge and understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the committee • develop a record of complaints made by parents • ensure that the 'Birth to three matters' framework is used effectively.

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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):

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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 • develop staff's knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum to ensure sufficient challenge is provided for children to help them progress • evaluate and improve planning for children's curriculum to ensure it is effective and balanced in all areas of learning • improve how evidence of children's assessments is recorded • review the deployment of staff to ensure that, both adult and child led activities, are sufficiently differentiated to ensure that children of all abilities are able to gain the most from the activity and the learning materials.

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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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