Sir George Monoux Sixth Form College

Bredhurst Busy B's Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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127040 Unique Reference Number 15 February 2008 Inspection date Linda Patricia Coccia Inspector

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Bredhurst Village Hall, Hurstwood Road, Bredhurst, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 3JZ

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Setting Address

01634 231679 077544 68515 Telephone number marygough6@hotmail.com E-mail Mary Louise Gough Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care, Out of School care Type of care

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Setting Address

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?

Bredhurst Busy B's Playgroup is a privately run group. It opened in 2001 and operates from the village hall in Bredhurst, Kent. A maximum of 24 children may attend the group at any one time. The playgroup is open three days each week, from 09.15 to 12.15 for 37 weeks of the year. In addition a holiday play scheme is provided for five days in the summer. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 18 children aged from two years to under five years on roll. Of these, 11 children receive funding for early education. The playgroup supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The playgroup employs five staff; of these, the manager holds appropriate Early Years qualifications.

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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 use good procedures to help them become aware of personal hygiene and self care. They ably take themselves to the toilet and receive regular reminders about blowing their noses and disposing of their tissues appropriately. Good standards of hygiene are used within the premises. Equipment and furniture are cleaned with antiseptic sprays and wipes and a written health and safety policy help staff to maintain hygiene at all times. All regulatory paperwork, such as accident records, are well maintained. Staff consult with parents about all health issues therefore, children's health is promoted.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receive snacks which are healthy and nutritious. The provider has plenty of photographic evidence showing children participating in food projects which promote healthy eating. For example, children regularly taste different fruit, such as Pink Grapefruit, and talk to staff about the food that helps their bodies grow. Children are encouraged to pour their own drinks. They have choices of milk or water. Children are learning about healthy eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have lots of opportunities for physical activities. They eagerly take part in daily indoor activities, such as using balancing equipment, the small climbing frame and slide or happily moving to music and performing action songs. They regularly take walks around the village or use the outdoor play area to the rear of the premises. Children enjoy their physical play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are looked after in a clean, well maintained building. Along with their parents they are welcomed onto the premises, greeted by staff who know them very well. The group's allocated notice boards are filled with brightly coloured posters and some examples of children's work. The large windows and glass doors allow lots of light into the hall which gives it a bright airy feel. Children are looked after in a suitable premises with a welcoming atmosphere.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected by a range of good, well thought out safety policies which help staff promote safety with the children. For example, they regularly talk to children about safety and the consequences of their actions, in particular when children run around the room instead of walking. Daily, written risk assessments are carried out on the premises. Toys are suitable, very well maintained and stored appropriately in two large cupboards. A safety gate is situated at the kitchen door to stop children's entry and socket covers are in place. Children are beginning to learn about risks.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children regularly practise the group's emergency evacuation procedures and all children and staff have the opportunity to participate. They use a variety of exits and the provider has arranged for emergency accommodation within the local primary school. Staff also complete risk assessments for outings and using the outdoor play area. Children have the opportunity to keep themselves safe in an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected by the range of well thought out Safeguarding Children policies and procedures which have recently been fully reviewed. All staff are very aware of their responsibilities towards protecting children and have received individual copies of relevant booklets and procedures. The provider is active in trying to book staff on the Local Authority Safeguarding Children course. All visitors to the group are required to sign the visitor's book

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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 and children's existing injuries are recorded. Children are also protected by a departure procedure which involves parents nominating suitable people to collect children when they can't. Children's well being is promoted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are looked after by caring staff. Children offer and ask for lots of hugs and cuddles with staff. They like to hold their hands and sit on laps at various times throughout the session. Children are heard to remind staff that they are their friends. Both children and staff enjoy each other's company and lots of laughter and giggles can be heard during many activities. Staff know the children very well and have good regard for the Birth to three matters framework.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children play with all activities. They enjoy messy play, painting and sticking, dressing up and role play, as well as the more traditional table toys. They move freely around the room selecting toys and activities to use from the range available each day. Children also participate in activities which help them work together and gain confidence, such as, controlling the parachute together or singing their tidy-up song whilst they help clear away toys. Children are happy, confident and have good relationships with staff.

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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 understanding of the Foundation Stage. They operate Key worker groups. The children are allocated to staff to whom they appear to be developing a rapport with. This enables children to feel relaxed with a special adult. They use the initial information provided by parents, to assess children's abilities. They carry out written observations on children which then contribute to the children's progress records. However, the observations being recorded are limited which in turn means that the progress records do not reveal the full range of children's achievements and progress. The planning is flexible. The long term plan includes all activities relating to festivals and celebrations and changes in the seasons. The short term plans allow staff to be inventive with activities and cater for children's likes, dislikes and favourite activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. They happily choose books in the book area and discuss the pictures, using them to tell each other stories. At story time they listen to stories, join in the telling and are encouraged to think about different aspects of the story through discussion with staff. Children are creative as they use different mediums to construct items, such as mini aquariums using coloured sand and food colouring. They enjoy using cutters at the drawing table. One three year old child was able to identify the dolphin shape she was cutting out, with a dolphin picture on the world globe on the adjoining table.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children love to talk about themselves and their experiences. They are confident and show this as they are able to strike up conversations with strangers or sing a song alone on a microphone. They also show concern for small creatures as they help care for the large African land snail or take pretend pets to the vet if they are sick. Children ably use different equipment during the session. They use magnifying glasses to look at the different colours in bubbles, and they can switch the cog machine game on and off and know that the cogs won't turn unless the teeth are interconnected. They also play with toy laptop computers. Both three and four year olds can easily identify shapes, such as circles and triangles, and regularly count by rote as they count the numbers of children attending each day or how many toys they have. However, mathematical activities are limited and although staff challenge children regularly, the challenges

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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 also limited and do not push the children further, especially in the areas of measurement and volume.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children ably manoeuvre their bodies through the small climbing frame and play tunnel. They really enjoy the hobby horses on which they canter around the room as princesses or soldiers. They also enjoy regular walks to the local church or the allotments as well as other places in the village.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children see a good range of positive images in the toys, books and in the homemade supporting pictorial images displayed around the room. The provider provides laminated pictures of people and children from different racial and cultural backgrounds. However, there are very few images throughout the group regarding disability. All children are welcomed into the group and get involved in a range of different festivals and celebrations. Children begin to learn about the wider world. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are fully catered for. The group provides a fully trained SENCO and has a well thought out special needs statement. Staff ably work with parents and other health professionals. Children's individual needs are met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn about their behaviour through the range of good behaviour management strategies being used by staff. Children show concern for each other. One child rushed to comfort another when she was crying and would not leave until he was sure she was alright. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are usually polite and respectful to staff and each other. Staff use sand timers to show children how long they have to wait for a toy or an activity. Children build self esteem and play within well defined boundaries.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the staff working in partnership with their parents. Parents receive lots of written information about the running of the group which include copies of their own policies, newsletters and information posted on notice boards. They also receive plenty of verbal information too. Parents report that they feel welcome and part of the group, trust staff and are happy to receive staff advice on activities to do with their children at home. The provider has a number of excellent references from parents. Children benefit from continuity of care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents whose children are in receipt of nursery education funding, report that they receive plenty of information regarding the Foundation Stage. They know they can see their child's records at any time and where to find them. They also report that they are very involved in their children's learning. Children regularly take home a teddy bear which experiences their family life or goes on holiday with them. Parents write an account of the visit and take photographs of teddy having fun with the child. They also help children find items for interest tables. Children benefit from their parents' involvement in their learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The provider has recently reviewed all procedures regarding staff and their suitability. All staff now hold Criminal Record Bureau disclosures. There are suitable procedures to ensure volunteers and students are never left alone with children. All staff have been in post for at least two years which means that children are cared for in a consistent manner and by suitable persons.

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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 provider displays her registration certificate and all regulatory paperwork is in place and well maintained. The attendance record includes children's arrival and departure times. The operational plan consists of a number of folders and files which are readily available for inspection by parents. Staff are experienced and are waiting for qualification courses and other workshops to become available in their area so that they can increase their knowledge. However, there is no appraisal system in place to help staff acknowledge their strengths or help them identify their training needs. A good range of information is kept on children, which is confidentially maintained and stored appropriately. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is satisfactory. The provider has a clear vision of what she wants for the group. Most practices and procedures have been well thought out and are carefully monitored and addressed and she is working with the local Early Years Advisory Teacher to decide on the best methods of planning for the Foundation Stage curriculum. However, until those decisions are made, there are no effective procedures for the provider to monitor the Foundation Stage and it's delivery.

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Organisation

Equipment and toys are carefully selected to provide children with a suitable range of activities and regular assessments are carried out to ensure the building, toys, staff and children are safe. She encourages staff to work as a team and welcomes their input into the running of the group. They hold regular team meetings to discuss the children and the planning. The provider is also forging links with the local primary school to encourage regular visits from the reception department. Finally, the provider regularly reviews her service by using parental questionnaires and acting on their comments.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider has responded to a number of actions set at the last inspection. Two concerned safeguarding children. They were: to update the safeguarding children's welfare policy to include procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer; and to ensure all staff know about child protection and to make sure effective procedures are in place to ensure that un-checked adults do not have unsupervised access to children. The provider has fully reviewed the safeguarding children policy and has introduced a procedure to deal with any allegations made against staff. She has also provided staff with written information about abuse and what to do if they have concerns. All adults working with children have completed Criminal Record Bureau disclosures and students and volunteers are made aware of their responsibilities. Children's well being is now promoted.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Four actions dealt with nursery education systems. The provider was asked: to plan a range of challenging and interesting activities that build on children's existing skills and knowledge and promote their progress in all six areas of learning; to establish systems to identify children's starting points and provide parents with opportunities to share and contribute to their child's development records; to establish systems for assessing regularly what children know, understand and can do, and use this when planning activities; and to improve leadership and management by developing rigorous systems to monitor, review and evaluate the educational programme.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider is reviewing her planning and has incorporated activities for children which are interesting and exciting, For example, they have grown a pumpkin and used it during Halloween celebrations. She has introduced a 'getting to know you' sheet which parents complete and staff review to gain details of children's abilities as they begin their time in the group. Parents are also encouraged to comment on progress in their child's record books. The provider has

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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 reviewed the process for recording observations on children. She is yet to fully decide on the final process. With this in mind, she has been unable to fully meet the last action concerning rigorous monitoring systems, which remains as a recommendation for this inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Finally, one action concerned re-organising the session so that children did not have long periods of waiting time and so that the amount of activities provided were manageable and purposeful. The provider has re-organised the session to ensure children are now purposefully involved during most of the session and are safely employed in suitable activities.

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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): • ensure positive images of disability are available within the toys, books and posters each time children attend • implement an appraisal system for staff which will help to identify their individual training needs

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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 children's progress records are comprehensive by increasing the observations recorded by staff • continue to improve leadership and management by developing rigorous systems to monitor, review and evaluate the educational programme • ensure children are challenged with regard to maths, particularly in the areas of weight and calculation

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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 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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