Roberttown Lane Pre-School

Roberttown Lane Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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311342 Unique Reference Number 30 April 2007 Inspection date Angela Margaret Ellis Inspector

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The Scout Hut, Roberttown Lane, Roberttown, Liversedge, West Yorkshire, WF15 7LF

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Setting Address

01924 410833 or 07855 159665 Telephone number

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E-mail

Roberttown Lane Playgroup 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Roberttown Lane Playgroup has been operating for 28 years and is managed by a voluntary committee. It serves the local community mainly from the village of Roberttown. The group operates within the local scout hut and is shared with other group users. The group have use of the main hall, kitchen and toilet facilities as well as storage facilities. There is a fully enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

At present the setting offers sessional and full day care. It is open Monday and Friday 09.00 until 12.30 and Tuesday through to Thursday 09.00 until 15.00 during term time. They are registered to care for 25 children two to five years old. There are currently 33 children on roll. Support is given to children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are five members of staff employed, and the majority of staff hold a relevant childcare qualification. Some of whom, are working towards gaining a recognised qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority and the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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 are cared for in a warm, clean environment, where they are helped and encouraged to develop good personal hygiene practices most of the time. They wash their hands before snack and after going to the toilet, after creative play and after handling bugs outdoors. They are generally supported by adults to follow hygiene routines based on good policies and procedures. Although these are inconsistently implemented by adults, in particular in the presentation of the fruit at snack time and the monitoring of hand washing after children have handled food, before going to play with equipment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing an understanding of a healthy diet well. Staff talk to them about healthy eating as part of the daily routine to help children understand about which foods are good for them. Snack time is a pleasant social occasion where children can independently make a choice of when to take part. Staff take into account children's individual preferences and dietary needs and plan accordingly.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a wide range of activities that contribute to them being healthy and develop their physical skills both indoors and outdoors. The organisation of the sessions enables children free flow between indoors and outdoors. They control their bodies well and enjoy using large apparatus, such as a climbing frame, balancing beams and stilts, to build confidence and learn new skills. The outdoor area is used to it's full potential to broaden the children's experiences. Children of all ages move around the playroom confidently and show good coordination using large and small equipment. They enjoy building models using large and small bricks, drawing and cutting paper to produce a desired result.

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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 safe and secure environment where risks are minimised. Staff consistently follow good procedures, conducting daily risk assessments and are vigilant about monitoring access to the premises. Children move around the playroom independently and safely and are learning to keep themselves safe and avoid accidents, as staff talk to them about safe practice. For example, the staff ask children to pick toys up from floor so as not to trip over them and hurt themselves or anyone else.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children self select equipment and activities from a wide range of easily accessible very good quality resources. These are very well organised in creatively defined areas of play which encourages children to make independent choices both indoors and outdoors. Effective policies and procedures are in place to support good practice and help children keep safe. Staff hold current first aid certificates, and demonstrate a secure knowledge of safeguarding children procedures. The safeguarding children coordinator ensures that staff keep up to date with new requirements, and staff have recently updated their knowledge through attending appropriate safeguarding children training.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children make good progress in all areas of development as staff are knowledgeable and offer activities and experiences that are stimulating and keep children interested and motivated most of the time. Staff make effective use of the 'Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage', and are beginning to use 'Birth to three matters' framework, incorporating the framework within the planning and assessments for children under three. Although, some staff are less confident about it's implementation. This is evident in the organisation of the planned large group activity, in which all the children gather mid session for a story or singing. This interrupts some children's play when they are engrossed in a chosen activity and some young children become restless. The few young children that choose not to join in are supported by a member of staff at this time. For example, a child new to the setting enjoyed experimenting snipping

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

paper as a practitioner held the paper for him, as all the other children gathered for a story. Although, some afternoon sessions are more child led and allows more flexibility and spontaneous events occur. For example, a child noticed a spider and was keen to look at it more closely. This was facilitated well by staff who provided magnifiers and bug catchers and supported other children that became keen to look for snails, spiders and caterpillars. As the children were so engrossed it was wisely decided by the manager to postpone story time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are well settled, happy and secure. They are confident and interested in their surroundings, this is because staff are sensitive and the key person system enables staff to establish good relationships with the children, which helps them to enjoy and achieve. They enthusiastically make choices about their play, selecting activities and resources from the wide and interesting range available. Staff respond to the children's individual interests and adapt activities to follow their ideas and suggestions; they are well supported to extend and try out new skills. Children are valued and staff help children feel good about themselves by frequently providing positive support, praise and encouragement, while managing behaviour very well. This helps build children's self-esteem.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff's good knowledge of the Foundation Stage ensures that children progress well in all areas of development. Children are interested and motivated to learn, using well planned activities and experiences which challenge and extend them. They use their imagination well during role play activities, for example, with the use of props children improvised the story of 'George and the Dragon'. They are developing good concentration skills and have free access to join materials together. However, this area insufficiently challenges some children. For example, some children rolled the paper into tubes, fixing with tape, and used them as weapons in imaginative play. They build with construction equipment and design, make and extend their imagination. Many children are confident speakers and listen well to each other. They share experiences, talking about home and family and staff

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

show interest by offering support and suggestions to enhance their experiences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are very confident and engage well with each other and visitors, sharing their achievements. They play well together and enthusiastically progress their ideas. Behaviour is good and reflects the staff's high expectations. Children take turns, share and are supported to learn how to manage their own behaviour and respect others. They enjoy learning about the lives of others through topics and planned activities, for example, Chinese New Year. Children are introduced to number and problem solving through daily activities, counting and sorting

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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 are part of daily routines and when singing. They make patterns and mix colours and use their senses to explore a variety of art mediums.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff use observations well to monitor children's progress and use information from parents to complete the picture. Staff use observations and their knowledge of the children to build on what they can do and extend activities at the child's own pace. These observations are then evaluated and effectively used to inform planning and progress children's learning. A variety of methods are used to offer a good balance of focused and freely chosen activities. Good opportunities are used to further extend children's independent skills. Staff have a secure knowledge of the early learning goals and use this to plan a broad based curriculum to include all areas of learning. Planning is flexible enough to respond to children's individual spontaneous ideas and interests. Staff use open ended questions well to extend children's language and develop their thinking. They value what the children say using positive responses, display their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

work attractively and promote their self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children build good and respectful relationships with staff, each other and other living things. For example, children are interested and show care and respect for insects living in the outdoor area. Children show self-esteem and confidently ask questions and make many independent choices. All children are warmly welcomed by staff who are sensitive and value their individuality. They receive praise and encouragement for achievements. Meaningful activities and resources are used to help children become aware of similarities and differences and increase their understanding of the wider world, for example, by talking about different cultural festivals, such as Diwali. Resources, such as books and posters show positive images and visitors to the setting share their experiences and cultures. Children also learn well about their local community, by visiting the village and taking part in a local gala. The provision effectively fosters children's

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Helping children make a positive contribution

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is good and reflects staff's high expectations. Children understand clear and consistent boundaries and learn to demonstrate care and respect for each other, for example, by not having the music centre too loud as others don't want to listen to it. They follow good staff role models and show care and consideration for others.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff keep parents well informed about what the children are doing and use topics to help parents build on activities at home. They are particularly well informed of their child's progress in their very well presented individual books. Parents and staff work well together to meet the children's needs. They are given good quality information about the setting and are encouraged to stay to a session and share information about their child. Many parents and carers confidently approach staff and demonstrate a high level of satisfaction with the setting. Good opportunities are given to all parents to give their views about the service offered, through a questionnaire. This is evaluated by staff and improvements are actively implemented if necessary.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care and learning are well supported by the effective organisation of the setting and good quality leadership and management of the educational provision. Knowledgeable and experienced senior staff who understand their roles and responsibilities endeavour to support

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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 new and less experienced staff to ensure that children's individual needs are mostly met. Staff work well together and there are effective procedures in place to monitor and evaluate the provision which enables them to identify gaps in the provision and take action.

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Organisation

Recruitment and vetting procedures are quite rigorous and management do ensure that any person who has not been vetted is never left alone with the children. However, it was identified that the systems in place to ensure medical suitability of staff and their continued suitability to work with children are less rigorous. The manager, supported by the management committee, ensures that all staff are effectively involved in reviewing practice and adopting new procedures.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. They are very committed to training and development to consolidate their practices and enhance the provision. For example, staff have recently attended safeguarding children training. They have successfully achieved accredited quality assurance status through the Pre-school Learning Alliance. The local authority recently organised an event for early years practitioners, in which the manager and other staff gave a presentation on the 'Listening to children' project that they were involved with, therefore, sharing good practise with others.

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Organisation

A very effective operational plan and a comprehensive range of policies and procedures is in place to support good practice and an effective service. However, changes to some regulations have been overlooked and require updating, such as safeguarding children and complaints. Staff have opportunities to meet together, share information and develop good working practices. They make very good use of observation and assessments to monitor children's progress. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Good progress has been made since the last inspection. The provider was asked to improve risk assessments with regard to the nappy change area, improve independent access to hand drying facilities and to implement environmental health recommendations. Safety and hygiene improvements have been implemented, resulting in the safety and hygiene precautions within the setting being more effective and enabling the provider to act in the best interest of the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Good progress has been made with regard to the nursery education for funded three and four year olds. The provider was asked to improve some aspects of planning. Key questions have been incorporated into the planning of activities which ensures adults have a consistent approach to questioning children. This has particular positive benefits when parents and visitors are working with children. Mathematical activities involving counting and ordering are clearly identified on the plans. This ensures that adults are planning all aspects of the stepping stones to enable children to make progress towards the early learning goals.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection 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): • ensure that the systems in place to monitor the continued suitability of staff includes medical suitability • ensure that the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the complaints policies are updated in line with the new requirements • ensure that good hygiene procedures to prevent cross infection are consistently implemented by all adults working with the children • review the organisation of planned, large group activities in order to meet the needs of all 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): • ensure that resources and equipment within designing and making; are wide ranging enough to challenge children to make greater choices.

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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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