Oneschool Global Uk - Tewkesbury Campus

Cogges Under 5's Association Inspection report for early years provision

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134463 Unique Reference Number 28 June 2007 Inspection date Janet Maria Moutter Inspector

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Cogges Playgroup, Cogges Church Centre, Church Lane, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 3LA

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E-mail

Cogges Under 5's Association Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Cogges Under Five's Association opened in 1983. It operates from Cogges Church Centre in Cogges in Witney.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 59 children from two to five years on roll. This includes 49 funded three and four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There are no children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group opens four days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:15 until 11:45 on Monday to Thursdays and from 12:30 until 15:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are eight staff employed to work with the children of whom three have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. Of the remaining five, one staff member is currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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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 play in clean and well maintained premises. They are encouraged to practise suitable hand washing routines, including after using the toilet and before eating. The children are reminded of the reason they need to do this by staff, and all the children are escorted to the toilet and are able wash their hands independently. Staff are aware of the need to implement good hygienic routines within the setting, and this helps prevent the spread of infection. Children's health is protected by staff who are aware of the correct administrative procedures to follow if children have an accident or require medication whilst in their care. An appropriate number of staff are first aid trained and there is always a first aid trained member of staff on site. The clear sickness policy is formally shared with parents and this limits children's exposure to illness.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children develop their awareness of healthy eating through the nutritious snacks, such as fruit provided by the parents; children and carer helpers prepare snack daily. Information is given to them regarding hygienic food preparation and the selected children prepare snack for all the children in the group. They have a café style snack system that works extremely well and children learn and develop social etiquette in a meaningful way. The staff liaise with parents regarding their child's dietary needs and preferences, and any needs and allergies are catered for. Staff are well informed of children's dietary needs, ensuring they are not exposed to foods they are allergic to.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have access to drinking water at all times and to ensure they have enough fluids throughout the day.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have access to frequent fresh air and exercise with daily physical activities both inside and out. The children show a good awareness of space, for themselves and others, and move around with confidence. They ride on various ride on toys and scooters and are able to negotiate pathways, avoid obstacles and stop. Children are keen to join in with action songs, and following the actions to rhymes such as the 'Pirate' song.

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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 bright and colourful environment. There are a selection of posters around the church hall and, where allowed, some children's work is displayed as a means of recognising their achievements. Photographs of children at play also reflect the positive ethos of the setting. Children are able to choose freely from a wide variety of various shelves and tables set out ready for use on arrival. This encourages the children to select the toys and resources of their choosing, encouraging their confidence and independence. Resources are sufficient, stimulating and interest the children, covering all developmental areas. Children are able to move safely indoors, however, the space is very limited. The children would benefit from better organisation of equipment, allowing maximum access for the children. Staff check toys and equipment for safety and these are cleaned regularly by staff, often with the help

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

from children. Some areas of the building are restricted, as use of the church hall is shared, and staff have to tidy away all the equipment each evening.

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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 Children play in safe premises free from hazards, as staff have identified potential risks to the children and minimised these effectively. For example, sockets are covered, access to the kitchen is prevented and the premises are secure. Hence, children's safety is well promoted as they move around the premises with confidence. Staff regularly check the premises for potential dangers, record these and have them dealt with quickly to reduce risks to the children. All fire precautions are in place. The evacuation plan is practised with the children and monitored for its effectiveness in keeping children safe in the event of a fire.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is supported by staff who have a sound knowledge of child protection issues and the procedures to follow in the event of concerns. The playgroup formally shares its child protection duties with parents to promote the children's well-being, there is a system in place to record injuries that children sustain outside of the setting. This promotes the children's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enter the playgroup happily and are warmly greeted by staff which helps the children to settle. They eagerly engage in self-chosen tasks, with children going to the drawing table, building the train set and choosing books to read. Children appear very at ease in the learning environment. Readily accessing the resources and toys of their choosing and developing high levels of confidence and independence. Children demonstrate a sense of pride in their achievements, as well as their environment. They show the visitor their art work they have just completed and tell her how they are able to put their pictures up on display to share with their peers. Children develop a sense of belonging in the group. They know where to access the resources they need and are aware of the routines of the group. For example, when a member of staff rings a bell, children shout out 'Time to stop and listen'. Children confidently ask adults

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

for help when needed. For example, when one child wanted some assistance with the sello-tape and asked for help; then solved the problem by himself after using the scissors as suggested by an adult. Children are encouraged to develop good self-help skills as they independently put their coats on the go outside to play and get tissues to blow their noses. Children's individual needs are met.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have a suitable knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and interact well with the children during activities, to support their development. Children, therefore, make sound progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning. However, they are not fully confident in using practical everyday situations to support more able children's concept of writing, number and in solving simple problems. Weekly plans are clearly linked to the stepping stones, which enables staff who are less confident in their curriculum knowledge to gain more insight into how this works. Although focus activity plans have clear learning intentions of Nursery Education activities they are only planned once a week, therefore not sufficient to cover all curriculum areas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's progress is monitored through staff highlighting their achievements in the Oxfordshire Profile assessment system. Entries are well supported with observations of children at play, they show what children know, understand or can do. However, they do not show a clear record of children's progress throughout their time at playgroup. Although staff set up individual plans for each child, these are not linked to future planning to enable the children to move on to the next step in their learning.

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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 speak with high levels of confidence and are extremely able to make themselves understood. They readily engage in conversations with peers, staff and visitors, talking to them about their personal lives. Children develop good listening skills as they sit, listen and concentrate when appropriate. For example, listening to and taking turns to ask questions when preparing the café snack and during lunch time. One child was set the task to ask the visitor if she would like a drink. The child relayed the correct order back to a member of staff, thus demonstrating this child's understanding of what was requested. Children readily make marks, draw and paint. Children enjoy joining in with rhyming activities and at story time. For example, 'Going on a bear hunt'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children count objects reliably up to ten and beyond and more able children are able to recognise numerals. They show an awareness of position, for example, when they help to find things of the same colour, they know it is 'in the garage'. Children observe and re-create patterns, for example, when looking at suggestions for sequence threading the bears, beads and cotton reels. Children develop an awareness of time, being confident in knowing the days they attend the playgroup. They have opportunities to develop skills in Information Technology (IT) and to operate simple equipment. They observe the natural environment and it's change over time, as they chart the changes of the seasons.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children express themselves as they draw, make marks and paint. For example, one child was able to talk clearly about what she was painting, representing her own ideas on paper. Children engage in role play and use their imagination well, for example, pretending to wait at tables in the outside cafe and making dinner for their friends in the home corner. Children are given sufficient time to play with their friends or just sit and explore the play dough or the construction trays. Talking their way through ideas, as children do, when they internalise their play. They enjoy joining in with simple songs and explore the sound musical instruments make, as photographic evidence clearly shows. There is a well resourced art and craft area, children are encouraged to independently access this and it is very popular.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are fully included in the setting and are valued as individuals. Children with learning difficulties are well managed where needed. Children behave well in the playgroup. They benefit from good role modelling from staff, who are consistent in their approach to managing children's behaviour. There are effective strategies in place which promote positive behaviour. Children relate well to each other, they are kind and helpful.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are confident and independent. They show good levels of self-esteem. They enjoy sharing news about their home life with others and relate well to each other. Children are learning to share and take turns. They learn about the community in which they live through visits to the local farm and park. Children learn about diversity through books and planned festivals. Parents support these by taking food into the playgroup and sharing traditional recipes which relates to their culture, for children to try.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Children benefit from the friendly informal contact between parents and staff. New parents are provided with a selection of written information about the playgroup, the Birth to three matters frameworks and the Foundation Stage curriculum. Parents have information about how they can be involved with their children's learning at home; in order to increase the contact between home and playgroup. Parents are provided with a news

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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 letter which keeps them informed of the topics children will be covering, and are fully aware of their children's key worker. Children can take home storybooks from the playgroup so that they can read them together with their parents and share familiar playgroup stories.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

A complaints procedure is in place for parents and the regulator's details are included in the information. Parents are made aware of the complaints record, and the process to be taken by the playgroup if they have a complaint.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides care and education. Children's well-being and education is supported by staff who are qualified and experienced. Staff are suitably deployed to ensure that children receive appropriate time and attention from the adults in the setting. The operational plan in the setting is enough for children to benefit from stable routines. Staff work well together as a team and are committed in furthering their professional development by attending courses. The space for the children is organised into learning areas, giving the young children their own space when needed, while mixing the children together for such things as free play and meal-times. As a result, children learn to socialise with all age groups and to play.

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Organisation

All of the documents required by Ofsted are in place and records are well maintained.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is satisfactory. The manager is in charge of a well-established committee run playgroup. She has identified areas for improving the links with the local primary school and has a clear vision for the setting. The staff are motivated and have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and apply this in practice to most areas of children's learning and development. Regular staff meetings take place where topics and activities are discussed in order for children's play experiences to be planned in advance. This has enabled the staff to make improvements in the delivery of the curriculum, for example, enabling children to make more choices in their play and in accessing well resourced learning areas. Staff are able to develop confidence in identifying areas of strength in their current practice, as well as areas for future training needs. The playgroup regularly assesses its strengths

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Organisation

and weaknesses and reflects on practices. Long term plans are monitored although this is not yet successful in ensuring children have access to all curriculum areas at each session.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the provider was asked to implement a confidential procedure for recording accidents. The children's welfare and safety have been adequately addressed through the provision of a system of recording accidents, where parents can countersign for their individual children and details remain private.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection the provider was asked to increase planning to provide a variety of play and learning opportunities each week. The provider was also asked to include references to letters and numbers, giving opportunities for the children to practise their writing skills and also to use technological equipment.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children's education has been improved through staff attending courses relating to Foundation Stage and stepping stones, children's observations and assessments highlight their individual abilities. Planning includes daily use of posters and labels to give visual access to numbers and

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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 letters. Opportunities have been developed for the children to use the very popular computer and other technological equipment. Children's literacy has improved through the provision of an area where children can write and draw freely.

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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.

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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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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 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): • further develop more able children's concept and understanding of counting, number and in solving simple problems, through the use of practical everyday routines and activities • ensure that equipment is set out with the optimum use of space and maximum access for the 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): • continue to develop the observation and assessments systems to inform future planning and extend the daily evaluation so that children are challenged to build on what they already know and can do • ensure that the regular observations undertaken of children at play are linked to future planning to allow children have access to all curriculum areas at each session.

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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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