Pathfield School

Penhill Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Penhill Playgroup

Unique Reference Number 113638 Inspection date 01 July 2005 Inspector Bridget Richardson

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Penhill Playgroup

Setting Address Guide Hall, Penhill Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8HA

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E-mail

Registered person Penhill Playgroup Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional 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?

Penhill Playgroup is one of two playgroups run by the registered charity. It opened in 1980 and operates from one room in a purpose built building. It is situated in the Guide Hall close to the town centre of Lancing. A maximum of 26 children may attend the playgroup at any one time. The play group opens from 09:00 to 12:00 Monday to Friday and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 12:30 to 14:30 term time only. All children share access to an outside play area.

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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 There are currently 38 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Of these 17 receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local and surrounding areas. The playgroup supports children with special educational needs, and those who speak English as an additional language. The playgroup employs six staff. Three of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children play in a clean environment where they learn to follow good hygiene practices. Hand washing facilities are available to children to encourage good practice and to minimise the risk of cross infection. Good staff interaction during free play teaches children how to avoid passing on germs to others. Children who are infectious do not attend which helps prevent the spread of contagious diseases. A staff member is always in attendance that holds a current first aid certificate. This means they can give appropriate care if there is an accident. Children receive nutritious snacks that help them understand foods that are good for them. Staff gather all relevant information regarding diet and medical history. This ensures children’s individual needs are met. Fresh drinking water is available and children confidently help themselves. This encourages children to think about their

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Helping children to be healthy

personal needs. Children regularly enjoy a range of activities that contribute to their health and develop their physical skills. They negotiate space well when riding cycles, pushing prams and using sit and ride toys. Children’s fine motor skills are developing well. They are competent when selecting and using small equipment for example, scissors, glue sticks and paintbrushes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from playing in a well organised environment. They have easy and safe access to a good range of toys and resources appropriate for their age. Staff carefully select toys and resources to ensure they are suitable for children. This ensures that children are provided with stimulating opportunities that are suitable for their age and stage of development. There are clear systems in place for the safe arrival and departure of children. There are regular risk assessments both indoors and out that enables staff to identify and quickly address any potential hazards. Staff supervise children closely when playing outdoors and ensure all areas are safe before children go out to play. Regular fire drills help children become familiar with the procedures so they learn how to leave the premises quickly and safely. There are clear procedures for outings that ensure

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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’s safety. Staff have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and regularly update their knowledge through training. They know what action to take if they have concerns about a child in their care. This ensures staff quickly recognise when a child is in danger and can act in the child’s best interests.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Staff encourage young children to express their thoughts and feelings. Children enjoy and learn from a range of activities that allow them to explore and investigate. Good questioning and repeating children's responses encourages use of language. Children enjoy listening to stories and learn about the meaning of words through staff's expressive reading. A good balance of adult and child initiated games help children to make progress in all areas of learning. Children's creative and imaginative development is encouraged through activities such as art and craft, junk modelling, singing and role-play. They are interested in the activities available and spend time concentrating on self-chosen activities. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff make good use of daily routines, activities, free play and incidental opportunities to extend children's learning. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

access a broad range of well-chosen resources, which support their progress across all areas of learning. They are interested, confident and happy in the activities offered. Staff interact well with children supporting them in their learning and play by asking questions. This helps children organise their thoughts and extend their creative ideas and helps develop an awareness of others needs. Children have good self-esteem because staff listen to them and value their ideas and contributions. They are confident speakers, and understand they can use writing for a variety of purposes and are beginning to write for themselves. Children have good opportunities to recognise and use numbers 1 - 10 in familiar context. They recognise the properties of simple shapes and make patterns using a variety of equipment and their hands. Topic work and practical activities stimulate children's natural curiosity and develops

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their exploration and investigation skills. They learn about themselves and the world around them through planned activities. Children are confident in discussing past and present events in their own life and those of other people. Children express themselves creatively through a range of mediums. They use their imagination and express their ideas in a variety of ways. They act out well-known scenarios during role play. Children move confidently within the setting showing a good awareness of space and others within the setting. As children begin the playgroup staff find out about their skills, interests and needs and build on this information to help them achieve and progress. Parents are not included in this initial assessment on their child and are not asked to share information on what their child has achieved so far. Children flourish as the balance

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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 between adult and child led activities allow them to learn at their own pace. Staff identify the next steps for each child and ensure that appropriate activities or one to one work is included in the programme for the following week. This ensures children are moved on in their learning at a good pace with individual talents being maximised.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children learn about the world through outings and activities that introduce them to other cultures. They talk happily about their home life and things that are important to them. Staff have a positive attitude towards diversity. Children become aware of their own and other cultures through a range of resources, planned activities and as they celebrate a variety of festivals. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. There are systems in place to support children who have special needs. Close liaison with parents and outside agencies ensures all children’s needs are well planned for and met. Children behave well and respond to requests for good behaviour. Staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management and use appropriate strategies. This helps children learn right from wrong. Partnership with parents is good. Parents receive information about the Foundation

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Stage through newsletter. The information outlines the planned themes, but does not give information about what and how children will learn. Staff give daily feedback to parents about their child’s day. Opportunities are made freely available to parents to speak to staff about their child's development both formally and informally to ensure all parents are able to access and gain information on their child. This helps provide children with consistent care between home and the setting.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children feel at home and are at ease in the well organised setting. Staff show a clear understanding of their role in supporting the children in their play and learning. Suitable contingency plans are in place to cover absences to ensure children always have appropriate supervision. Clear procedures are in place for uncollected and lost children. This promotes children's welfare. Staff work well as a team and clear communication and guidance allow them to provide a stimulating well-balanced programme. However, staff do need to organise time better during the session to ensure children are well supervised and their individual needs are met. Leadership and management is good. An informal appraisal system is in place for staff that identify training needs. Staff are given the opportunity through this for professional development and the management actively encourage staff to attend

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Organisation

training. However, there is no appraisal system in place for the manager, to help identify training needs and to promote professional 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 committee have clear objectives and defined roles and responsibilities. They evaluate practice constantly to ensure continual improvement in the outcomes for children. All documentation required for the safe and effective management of the setting is in place. This contributes to the welfare of the children. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last combined inspection the setting agreed to deploy staff effectively. To make sure the outside play area was secure and to ensure the premises are maintained at an adequate and comfortable temperature. Staff are generally well deployed to meet the needs of children, but this still requires some improvement at group times. Clear procedures are in place for children to use the outside play area, through close supervision by staff to minimise risks. Opening windows and doors help circulate air to maintain the setting at an appropriate temperature for children. To improve planning and assessment to include what children are to do and learn and the next stages especially in literacy, mathematics and technology. To improve organisation of story time and teaching groups to ensure the needs of all children are met. Planning and assessment has improved and now shows what children are to do and the next stages of learning. Group times are still not organised effectively to fully

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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 practitioners time is well planned so that most of it is spent working directly with the children

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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

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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 parental involvement in children's development by finding out what children can and cannot do

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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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