Waddingham PreschoolOfsted inspection, 6 Jul 2005

Waddingham Under 5's Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Waddingham Under 5's Playgroup

Unique Reference Number 253557 Inspection date 06 July 2005 Inspector Susan Hoult

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Waddingham Under 5's Playgroup

Setting Address The Jubilee Hall, The Green, Waddingham, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 4SX Telephone number 07837 682144

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E-mail

Registered person Waddingham Under 5's Playgroup Type of inspection Childcare 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Waddingham Under 5's Playgroup opened in 1992. It is committee run and operates from the village hall where they use the main hall, a smaller room and occasionally the entrance hall for activities. There is no outdoor play area available on site. The playgroup serves the local villages. It is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 09.30 to 12.00 during school term times. A maximum of 24 children aged from 2 to under 5 years may attend the playgroup at any one time. There are currently 17 children on roll, 10 of whom receive funding for nursery education. There are currently no children attending who have special needs

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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 or speak English as an additional language. One full-time member of staff and four part-time staff work regularly with the children. The manager is appropriately trained and the deputy is working towards a NVQ3 early years qualification. The playgroup receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good hygiene through daily routines and discussions with staff. Children take personal responsibility for hygiene as they wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating their snack 'because of germs', and using tissues to blow their noses. Children enjoy a variety of nutritious snacks. They talk positively about how eating fruit and vegetables and drinking milk makes them healthy. Children's dietary needs are met effectively by staff and parents sharing information. Children request drinks of water whenever they wish ensuring they do not become thirsty. Children have ample opportunities to take part in a good range of challenging and energetic physical activities that contribute to a healthy lifestyle through effective planning, use of the hall daily and the school grounds once a week. They have fun whilst developing their large muscle skills and hand eye co-ordination, for example by

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Helping children to be healthy

using the climbing frame, pedal toys and throwing and catching balls.

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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 secure, safe and welcoming environment. Effective procedures are in place to ensure only legitimate people come into contact with the children and that all staff are vetted. Children use a good range of clean, well maintained toys and equipment. They develop their independence as they move freely and safely around the rooms because activities are set out so that clear walkways are maintained. Children effectively learn to keep themselves safe through following rules for moving around and using equipment. They fully understand they must not use the climbing frame until a member of staff is present and conscientiously wear a wrist band or apron when in different areas to ensure there are not to many children at an activity. Children visit the school weekly to use the outdoor play area when the weather is suitable. They are kept safe by staff adhering to the policy for outings including using

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

minimum adult:child ratios of 1:2 ensuring adequate supervision. Staff develop their knowledge of child protection through ongoing training. Children are therefore well protected as suitable child protection procedures are in place and staff are aware of their responsibilities.

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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. Staff make good use of the Birth to three framework and the foundation stage to plan activities building on what children already know. Children therefore acquire new knowledge and skills enthusiastically. They respond well to challenge. For example, children proudly show staff when they manage to write their names independently using correctly formed letters. Children develop at their own pace whilst involved in a variety of interesting, stimulating activities. They ask questions freely increasing their knowledge and understanding. Staff understand children learn in a variety of ways and use different techniques well to ensure children have fun whilst learning. Music and songs are used inventively throughout the session to maintain children's interest. Children are prompted to be involved in key activities to develop their skills but are not pressured to do so although good relationships with staff ensures that most

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children want to be involved in activities wherever staff are. Children make positive relationships with each other, are learning to share and take turns and develop a good level of confidence and self-esteem. Staff expertly reinforce this by talking about when children are kind to each other and making comments such as 'oh, your smile makes me feel so happy'. Children's individual needs are met well, for example a young child, tired at the end of the session, snuggles on a member of staff's knee with a comforter to listen to a story.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are keen to enter the playgroup at the start of the session. They happily chat to friends, greet staff and talk about what has happened since they were last there. Children feel a sense of belonging which is reinforced through the attractive wall displays of their work, knowing they can freely choose activities and being comfortable with routines. Staff know the children well and raise their self-esteem by valuing them as individuals. The playgroup has effective arrangements in place to care for children with special needs. Children develop a positive attitude and respect for others through the staff being good role models. They increase their understanding of the local community and the wider world through celebrating festivals, helping with fundraising for those less fortunate and accessing resources that show positive images of culture, ethnicity, gender and disability. However, the presentation of

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Helping children make a positive contribution

activities to promote positive images of gender are not always planned fully to avoid confusion for young children. Children behave well. They relish receiving stars for being helpful, using their initiative and to reward good behaviour. Staff respond to unwanted behaviour in a gentle, fair but firm manner allowing children where possible to sort out their own disputes with minimal intervention. This helps children develop an understanding of right and wrong.

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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 Children benefit from the effective partnership that staff have with parents ensuring they are aware of each child's individual needs. Parents are happy with the care their children receive and the way they are progressing. Parents are kept up-to-date on activities in the group through chats with staff, photographs, regular newsletters and annual open days.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The staff work well as a team under the strong leadership of the manager. They are enthusiastic, have a good knowledge and understanding of child development and how children learn. They are keen to further develop their skills to further improve the quality of care and education they provide for children. Annual appraisals, committee meetings and regular staff meetings contribute to the smooth running of the playgroup. The committee are quite supportive of the staff, however the manager takes on some of their roles such as contacting Ofsted about staff checks. This gives her less time to spend on the day to day running of the playgroup to further enhance the quality of care for children. Group sizes, staff deployment and the layout of the rooms contribute to children’s safety, enjoyment and achievement and ability to take an active part in the playgroup. Staff actively support and supervise children and are clear about their responsibilities.

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Organisation

Children are grouped according to ability rather than age to ensure they receive appropriate challenge in the different areas of learning. The playgroup meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Very good progress has been made since the last care inspection, improving the quality of care for all children. Children's safety has been improved through the effective risk assessments in place and the fire safety procedure which is displayed. All adults on the premises are now aware of the action to take to protect children in case of a fire. The new staff group have a good understanding of the foundation stage of learning and the national standards. They plan activities effectively to promote children's learning. Children therefore enjoy and achieve well during their time in playgroup. The manager uses her training and experience of special needs to develop other staff's understanding of special needs. She and another member of staff are booked to attend further training. This on-going development of staff's knowledge enhances the ability of all children to positively contribute to the playgroup.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Comprehensive policies and procedures are now in place and available to parents. This results in a well organised playgroup with parents who are aware of the care, learning and play available to their children.

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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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • further consider the presentation of activities to reflect positive gender roles • ensure all committee members are aware of their role as part of the registered body of the playgroup

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The quality and standards of the care

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 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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