Burton on the Wolds Playgroup

Burton on the Wolds Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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226261 Unique Reference Number 23 May 2007 Inspection date Kate Bryan Inspector

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The Village Hall, Loughborough Road, Burton-on-the-Wolds, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5AF

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E-mail

Burton on the Wolds Pre-School Playgroup Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional 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?

Burton on the Wolds Playgroup opened over 35 years ago and operates from the village hall. Within the hall children have access to a large hall with a smaller room off this. Children attend from the village and the surrounding rural area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 35 children aged from two to five years on roll. This includes 28 funded children. The group supports children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group opens four days a week during term times and sessions are from 09:15 until 11:45. Children attend a variety of sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There is one full-time member of staff and five-part time members of staff working with the children. Of these, two have early years qualifications and one is currently on a training programme. The setting receives support from a mentor teacher from the Local Authority.

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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 looked after in a clean and warm environment where staff take appropriate steps to maintain their health. For example, staff wipe down tables with anti-bacterial spray. A sick children policy details how children with infectious diseases must not return to the group until an exclusion period of 24 hours has elapsed which means all children's health is well promoted. Good measures are in place to ensure that the risks of cross-contamination are reduced as children use liquid soap and paper towels. Staff use activities such as cooking to re-enforce with children the need for good hygiene procedures and these supplement daily routines such as hand washing. All relevant records and consents are in place to ensure children's health needs are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy outside play daily, such as ball games, sand play and hop scotch, which promotes their physical skills appropriately. Indoor physical activities include music and movement which means they have opportunities for physical development all year through. Children are skilled at manipulating a good range of objects which include construction blocks, beads, pencils, rolling pins and cutters.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a biscuit at break time and choose from a drink of water or milk. They have also completed work on topics which have involved them in cutting and eating fresh fruit and vegetables so their learning is well supported by practical examples. Children have enjoyed cooking activities which have included making porridge and soup so they learn about healthy options and keeping warm on the inside. All details about their dietary needs are taken at admission so their health is appropriately maintained.

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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 large room that has some board displays of their work. They also have access to a smaller room that is used for small group work, stories and quiet time. Staff are deployed effectively in these rooms to ensure that children are always kept safe. A policy on resources states that the group aims to provide children with opportunities to develop new skills and concepts. This is achieved as a good range of resources are available which promote play and learning and these are easily accessible so that children can make their own selections during free play. Daily equipment and premises checks ensure that all resources are safe for children's use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected as staff monitor access to the group and they have sole use of the village hall during their opening hours. A suitable risk assessment is in place to ensure children's safety within the premises and they also take part in regular fire drills so they learn to be responsible for their own safety effectively. Children have also been involved in road safety awareness activities so they are learning to be safe outside.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A suitable child protection policy is in place which states that the group aims to create an environment in which children are safe from abuse. However, the policy does not contain procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse made against a staff member or volunteer and not all staff are aware of the correct procedures to follow. This means children's safety is compromised.

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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 are happy at the group and are confident to initiate their own activities from a range which includes a sand tray, mark making table, book corner and home corner. This means children can enjoy selecting their favourite books and happily initiated a pretend registration session using other children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Warm relationships are in place between staff and children and children happily engage staff in conversations about their interests, for example, about what they are going to do after the group. Children are beginning to be competent communicators because staff spend time talking to them, they explain to them the rules of games so they can make sense of what they are doing. Staff eagerly share children's achievements between each other and a child that had concentrated well was given lots of praise so he felt special.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making good progress in developing their imagination and creativity. They use materials such as sugar cubes which they melt to make igloos and they also enjoy gluing and cutting as they make 'Mr Men' out of play dough and experiment with craft materials.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are familiar with the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework and are using this to plan activities. However, children are not formally assessed against this so their developmental progress is not clear. Children receive lots of praise, for example, when they have completed threading or thrown a ball through a hoop, which increases their confidence and makes them feel valued. Staff are enthusiastic about their work which provides an atmosphere in which children can enjoy learning and play.

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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 awareness of the Foundation Stage and of promoting this so that children make sound progress in all areas of learning. Planning systems are in place to show how the six areas of learning are promoted and daily focused activities ensure that all children are assessed regularly. However, staff have not planned effectively for some aspects of knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development so children are not provided with a broad and balanced range of activities. Also planning is not differentiated to ensure that more able children receive suitable challenges according to their individual needs. Staff try to make learning fun for children based on their interests and parents have been able to suggest topics, for example, space which the group have put in place.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Good levels of staff support means children are confident to initiate their own activities from a wide range of toys and resources within the room. Staff are enthusiastic about their work and take many opportunities to ask children questions about what they are doing, for example, 'What colour is that?' and' How many is that?', so they are encouraged to think about what they are doing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are beginning to play cooperatively alongside each other and older children are starting to develop good concentration skills, for example, when listening to stories. They are learning that rules must be in place for activities to succeed and enjoy games that involve rolling a dice and matching colours. Children show interest in independently selecting from a wide range of toys and play equipment and persevere with activities such as rolling out play dough to make shapes for a topic.

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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 enjoy communicating with others and are confident to talk in a larger group and share their favourite objects, for example, an aeroplane and a cyberman. Children enjoy looking at books for pleasure and they also recognise their name cards which have been extended to include children's last names. They are also able to recognise words such as 'sunny' as they complete the weather board so word recognition is progressing well. Children are able to form some letters correctly and older children are making good progress in writing their names. Children count in order to at least ten and are also becoming familiar with basic counting as these are used in routine activities such as lining up. They are also beginning to manage basic addition using their fingers. They have a good awareness of basic shapes and some children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are skilled at using shape templates to make other shapes. For example, a child was aware how to use a circle template to draw a body.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a sound awareness of information technology and they have opportunities to use programmable toys and small world household equipment such as irons and toasters. They have had few opportunities for trips out into the local community in order to learn about their place in the world. However, visitors to the group have included a library worker, children's entertainer and a road safety officer, so they have some awareness of other people in the community. Children are skilled in constructing with a purpose and have made 'busy boxes' out of junk materials which they have decorated to their own liking. They have also constructed using Lego. Children have good opportunities to learn about the natural world as they plant seeds and watch these grow, they can also talk about the weather and how this changes so early science is progressing suitably.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop good hand skills through a range of activities, such as using rolling pins and scissors and making concertinas out of paper. They enjoy using an indoor slide with rungs and a balance beam which promotes these physical skills well. However, a lack of outdoor resources means children are not sufficiently challenged, particularly in the area of pedalling and negotiating obstacles. Children learn about their body through a range of activities such as what makes them warm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy role play activities and have access to a good range of clothes to support their imaginative play. They have a good repertoire of songs and enjoy matching actions to these. They also access musical instruments which gives them a further form of expression. They enjoy making drawings of their favourite figures that they copy from objects they have brought in.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are welcomed to the group and staff have taken appropriate measures to ensure all children receive an individual service. For example, they work closely with parents so they are always aware of children's changing needs. A satisfactory policy about equal opportunities underpins practice at the group and ensures that children are encouraged to value similarities and differences between themselves and others. For example, the acknowledgement of a range of festivals such as Diwali, means children learn to recognise and appreciate a range of cultures and beliefs. The group takes positive steps to meet individual children's needs by ensuring that admissions are as flexible as possible.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well and receive lots of praise for good behaviour, such as standing still when they are about to leave a room, which helps them to feel acknowledged. A useful behaviour management policy is in place which uses age-appropriate strategies, such as explanations and time out to deal with unwanted behaviour. Staff deal with issues calmly and quickly and children

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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 are asked to apologise where necessary so they learn about cooperation. Children happily respond to a bell which signals to them to help put toys away, this allows them to feel they have made a positive contribution to the group.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

A special educational needs coordinator is in place at the group who liaises with the area coordinator to ensure children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive an individual and appropriate service. They are fully included in activities at the group and have individual plans to ensure they make good progress. Professionals such as the educational psychologist and speech therapists have worked with children to ensure their needs are met well. A good range of support from a play worker has also allowed a child to have one to one input. The group has put positive measures into place to ensure children settle well into the local school, they have meetings with teachers and children have a good range of visits so they become familiar with their new surroundings.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff are always available to speak with parents and parents are involved in setting targets for their child's development. In this way they are suitably aware of their child's progress. Children proudly take home their work in 'busy boxes' they have made which enables parents to share in their achievements. A parental involvement policy is in place which encourages parents to share their interests and skills with the group and a parent rota is well supported so children feel settled and secure. A satisfactory range of information about the setting, including a prospectus and regular newsletters are received by parents. However, they are not made aware of policies and procedures which are available which means they do not know how the service is delivered to children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Topics are displayed on a notice board so parents have an awareness of what their child is learning. They also ensure their children bring in items, such as Wellingtons for wellie printing. Parents can work alongside their children on a rota system so they experience directly what their child is undertaking. However, there is not a procedure in place to ensure parents receive regular feedback about their child's progress and they also receive limited information about the Foundation Stage of education, which means they are unaware of what their child should be learning. Parents do not complete a baseline assessment of their child so staff cannot build effectively upon their existing strengths and interests. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Staff introduce children to their own and other cultures appropriately, they support children in

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Helping children make a positive contribution

behaving well and are beginning to promote children's personal, social and emotional skills effectively. Children have participated in events such as 'Children in Need' so they learn about the needs of others.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The group is committed to providing a quality service to children and has an action plan in place to support this. The group is also working towards having as many qualified staff as possible, at present there are two qualified staff who work with the children and one who is undertaking training. Training is well supported at the group and has included anti-bias, curriculum planning and supporting children's learning. This ensures that children benefit from motivated staff. Most legally required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place.

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Organisation

Children are cared for by staff who have undergone the relevant checking procedures. However, recruitment procedures do not include the use of an application form, also staff induction

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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 procedures are not sufficiently robust to ensure that staff are aware of policies and procedures. This means children's safety is compromised.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of nursery education is satisfactory. Suitable systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the nursery education provision to ensure this is delivered appropriately to all children. This is achieved as the manager observes and works alongside staff. However, appraisals are not in place which means staff cannot reflect upon their performance or plan their training needs effectively. The leader is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the group and has a vision for the future which includes continuing to provide quality care for children. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery inspection the provider agreed to: develop ways to ensure that parents can share information about their child and are better informed about their children's progress towards the early learning goals; develop plans which show clear learning intentions and are linked to the assessment of children's progress; visit each aspect more frequently to secure children's learning before moving onto the next stage; ensure that plans indicate where staff will be deployed and include a suitable system to evaluate the educational provision, particularly in whether the learning intentions have been met and ensure there are appropriate challenges for more able children, especially the four-year-olds and particularly in developing their independence skills, calculating in maths and in moving to a variety of music.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Plans are now in place which suitably cover learning intentions and are linked to assessments. Children repeat skills so staff can ensure that knowledge is satisfactorily embedded. Staff are deployed effectively to meet children's needs and the educational provision is suitably assessed to ensure children progress. However, parents do not receive sufficient information about their child's progress, do not complete a baseline assessment to share information about their child and planning is not developed for more able children. These are outstanding from the last inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the provider agreed to: develop and implement procedures to be followed in the event of allegations of abuse being made against members of staff or volunteers; develop and implement procedures to be followed in the event that a child is lost; ensure that fresh drinking water is available to the children at all times and ensure that policies and procedures are actively shared with parents.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children have access to drinking water and a policy is in place in the event that a child is lost, so children's health and safety needs are met appropriately. However, procedures for allegations of abuse made against staff or volunteers and procedures for making parents aware of policies and procedures are still outstanding.

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Improvements since the last inspection

All outstanding recommendations must now be put into place.

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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. 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 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 that the child protection policy includes procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer • ensure that parents are aware of policies and procedures that are available • ensure that induction procedures include policies and procedures and are known by all staff • ensure that recruitment procedures are robust enough to ensure children are kept safe • ensure that children are assessed using the 'Birth to three matters' framework

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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 planning effectively covers all areas of knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development so that children receive a balanced curriculum • improve planning so that challenges are in place for more able children • create opportunities for parents to be involved in a baseline assessment of their child • make information about the Foundation Stage of learning available for parents • provide more information and opportunities for parents to be aware of their child's progress • ensure that appraisals are in place for staff.

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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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