Edenham Pre-School

Edenham Playschool

Inspection report for early years provision

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Edenham Playschool

Unique Reference Number 253776 Inspection date 26 May 2005 Inspector Katherine Powell

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Edenham Playschool

Setting Address The Hostel, Grimsthorpe Estate, Grimsthorpe, Lincs

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E-mail

Registered person Julie Marshall Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 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?

Edenham Playschool is a privately run provision which opened in 1992. The playschool operates from a two storey building within the grounds of Grimsthorpe estate. The provision has the use of an entrance hall, toilets, computer area and two playrooms on the ground floor. There is an additional toilet and three play areas on the first floor. There is an enclosed outside play area attached to the building and staff also take children on walks around the estate grounds. Parking facilities are

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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 available for staff and parents. The playschool serves the local rural community and surrounding villages. The playschool is registered to provide full day care for 30 children and admits children from the age of 2 years. There are currently 52 children on roll. This includes 26 children in receipt of nursery funding for three and four year-olds. There are children attending who have been identified with special needs and no children speak English as an additional language. The playschool is open each week day during term-time from 09:00 until 15:00. However, on Thursday a shorter session is offered from 09:00 until 12:00. Parents are requested to provide a packed lunch for their child. The provision employs eight members of staff on both a full and part-time basis. Four

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

members of staff have completed recognised childcare qualifications and two staff are currently undertaking further training. The playschool is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and receives support from the teacher advisor at Lincolnshire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children benefit from being cared for in an environment where good hygiene practices are maintained. Children learn about good hygiene routines through washing their hands appropriately, such as after using the toilet and before eating. Staff consistently apply agreed health procedures which ensures that the risk of cross-infection is minimised and children's health is maintained. Children's awareness of the benefits of healthy eating is actively promoted at snack time. Children enjoy a variety of healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit, and learn why some foods are better for our bodies than others through planned topics. Children are able to rest and relax in comfortable surroundings according to their individual needs and daily routines. Fresh drinking water is freely available throughout the session and children are able to help themselves independently. Children also benefit from having access to regular drinks when engaging in outdoor physical play.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff maintain good written records for each child to ensure their individual health and dietary requirements are met. All children enjoy regular opportunities to engage in physical activities and have access to a wide range of outdoor play equipment to support their whole body movements. For, example, children confidently use the sit-on rides and slide and older children benefit from regular visits to the adventure playground where they are skilled at using the climbing frame and balancing equipment. Children use a wide range of tools and equipment to promote their fine hands skills, such as threading activities, the computer and magnetic games. As a result, children are making good

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 progress in all aspects of physical development and their skills are challenged appropriately.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The provision has good measures in place to ensure that risks to children's safety, both indoors and outdoors, are minimised. For example, staff greet parents and children at the entrance to ensure children arrive safely into the main playroom and there are clear written safety procedures in place which are consistently applied by staff. However, risk assessments are not fully effective in ensuring that potential hazards to children are identified and appropriate action is taken as they are not documented. Staff have a good awareness of how to organise space, furniture and equipment effectively to enable children to move freely and independent between activities and different play areas. As a result, children feel confident within the setting and are safe and secure. Children benefit from using toys and play equipment which are maintained to a high standard. Children enthusiastically select their own play resources which are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

appropriate to their ages and stages of development. Most play equipment is stored at child height which promotes independence and choice. Children learn about keeping themselves safe through regular fire drills and by safe negotiation of hazards such as the stairs. Children are well protected by staff who have a good awareness of child protection procedures and know how to put these into practice to safeguard children's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the setting and are happy and settled due to staff relating to them sensitively and providing a wide range of activities which are interesting and stimulating. Staff have developed warm and effective relationships with the children, enabling them to feel secure and develop a strong sense of their own self-worth. Staff use the Foundation Stage curriculum effectively to plan a broad and balanced range of activities to promote the six areas of learning. Although staff skilfully adapt activities for the younger children to ensure their needs are met, at present they do not have a sound enough awareness of the Birth to Three Matters guidance to enable them to plan and assess younger children's progress and development within an appropriate framework. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of the curriculum. Children are keen

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

participate in the range of activities provided and are encouraged to independently select resources and initiate their own activities and games. Children show a strong

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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 sense of belonging as they greet staff and each other upon arrival. They work well together and understand the importance of co-operation during group activities. For example, children negotiate with each other and agree turn taking when engaging in role play in the home corner. They are confident and skilled speakers, using words effectively and a wide vocabulary to convey their experiences both real and imaginary. They listen attentively to each other and join in enthusiastically during group story times. Children use resources such as puppets to re-enact familiar stories and are able to recall storylines and familiar phrases. Children have access to a wide range of age appropriate books which helps to foster their enjoyment of reading. Children confidently use tools and resources to make marks and most

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children are able to write their names independently. More able children learn to write simple words and are developing very good handwriting skills. They enjoy experimenting with words and sounds when making up simple rhymes. Children are developing a very good awareness of letter shapes and sounds and benefit from seeing a wide range of print, including the letters of the alphabet, displayed around the setting. Children make rapid progress in mathematical development and confidently use numbers when counting and solving simple number operations, such as addition and subtraction. They use a wide range of apparatus to explore different mathematical concepts such as capacity, weight and measures and they use appropriate language to describe and compare size and shape. Children are able to devise their own repeating patterns when using pegboards or threading coloured beads. They have excellent opportunities to find out about the natural world and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

enjoy exploring their environment. They carefully study plant and animal life and describe their observations to others. For example, children made predictions about why a snail shell they had found in the garden was empty and watched with fascination as the wind blew the blossom off the trees. They are developing a good awareness of the uses of information technology in everyday life and are able to operate equipment such as battery toys, calculators and the computer independently. Children talk with interest about their own lives and learn about the work of people in the community. Children's physical skills are well promoted through a variety of mediums such as dance and music. They learn to recognise the changes which occur to their bodies when they are active, such as feeling hot and thirsty and an increased heartbeat. Children's imaginations and free expression are well promoted through a wide range of activities such as playing musical instruments, singing,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

painting, role-play and craft activities. Children achieve well as a result of clear planning and assessment systems and effective teaching methods. Plans clearly show how activities will be adapted to meet individual needs and abilities and ensure children are appropriately challenged. Staff have a good awareness of their role within an activity and support children well through effective questioning. Staff make good use of individual assessments to identify children's achievements and to plan the next stage in their learning. Staff provide a rich and stimulating learning environment both indoors and outdoors to engage children's interests and enable them to enjoy their play and learning experiences.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 All children are warmly welcomed into the setting which helps them to feel happy and secure. Children benefit from having access to a good range of play resources which promote positive images of diversity and from participating in activities which promote their awareness of different festivals and cultures. For example children have tasted different foods linked to topics about Chinese New Year and Diwali. Children have good opportunities to learn about themselves, other people and the world around them through planned activities, visitors to the setting and outings around the estate and village. This positive approach helps to foster children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Children settle quickly at the provision as staff work well with parents to ensure

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Helping children make a positive contribution

children's individual needs are met. Staff actively seek information from parents before a child starts at the playschool regarding their interests and abilities. This enables staff to build on and develop children's previous knowledge, understanding and skills. Children are very well behaved and benefit from having consistent boundaries set by staff. Children are well supported by staff who regularly use praise and encouragement to promote children's self-esteem. They learn to share play equipment and take turns and increasingly take responsibility for their own actions. Their understanding of right and wrong is promoted sensitively by staff through gentle reminders to care for their environment, the equipment and each other. A good partnership is in place with parents which contributes positively to the well-being of children in receipt of nursery education at the setting. Children benefit from their parents being actively involved in their learning. For example, parents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

come in to share their experiences with the children, they provide artefacts linked to topic work and are provided with good information about how they can support their own child's learning at home. However, information available to parents about the Foundation Stage is limited. As a result, parents are not fully supported to develop a clear understanding of the nursery education curriculum that is planned and delivered to their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care is enhanced by the good organisation at the setting and the leadership and management is good, ensuring that nursery education is well provided. Staff make very good use of available play space both indoors and outdoors. As a result, children are able to move freely and independently around the setting accessing a good range of activities which support their play and learning. All legally required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place and is regularly reviewed. Children benefit from the input of well qualified and skilled staff who undergo a sound induction procedure. Staff are deployed effectively within the setting and high staffing ratios are maintained at each session ensuring children are well supervised and supported during activities. Staff have a sound awareness of the policies and procedures which are in place and staff training needs are well supported.

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Organisation

Consequently, children are cared for by knowledgeable staff and benefit from

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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 continuity of care. Methods for continually monitoring and assessing the provision are effective, ensuring that areas for future development and improvement are identified. Overall, the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection two recommendations were raised, one in relation to childcare and the other in relation to nursery education. With regard to childcare, the provider was required to review the outings policy to ensure that it was consistent with current practice. The policy has been reviewed and updated which has had a beneficial impact on further promoting children's safety on outings. With regard to nursery education, a point for consideration was raised to further develop mathematical activities to ensure that more able children were sufficiently challenged. Staff make excellent use of circle time and small group activities to extend and challenge children's mathematical skills. For example, during counting activities more able children are asked to identify a number which is larger or smaller than a given number or are asked to solve simple addition or subtraction problems. Children are given regular opportunities to practice and develop their mental

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Improvements since the last inspection

arithmetic skills. Activities are well planned by staff ensuring that individual needs and abilities are well met and appropriately supported. As a result of the positive action taken by the setting, the area of mathematical development has been further enhanced for more able children.

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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): • improve systems for undertaking risk assessments of the premises to ensure the action to be taken and timescales are clearly identified.

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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 • improve staff's awareness of the Birth to Three Matters Framework to further improve the planning of activities for younger children.

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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): • further develop written information for parents regarding the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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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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