Evesham Adventure Playground

Evesham Adventure Playground Inspection report for early years provision

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205234 Unique Reference Number 11 September 2007 Inspection date Sally Wride Inspector

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Evesham Adventure Playground, Woodlands, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 1XH

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E-mail

Evesham Adventure Playground Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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?

Evesham Adventure Playground opened in 1984 and offers a range of childcare facilities. It operates from a self-contained building and a mobile classroom in Evesham. The setting serves the local area and has links with local schools. There is a fully enclosed play area available for outdoor play. An on-site forest school is used by children attending the setting and also children who visit from other groups.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 18 children may attend the pre-school at any one time and a maximum of 30 children may attend the out of school club at any one time. There are currently 26 children from two to four-years-old on roll. This includes 13 funded children. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 until 12:00. A lunch club operates on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:00 until 13:00 for older children due to start school. Afternoon sessions are available on a Tuesday and Thursday from

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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 12:00 until 15:00 and all children are able to attend this. The out of school club runs during the holidays from 08:00 until 18:00 for children aged from four to under eight-years-old.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are three full-time and three part-time members of staff who work with the children. Over half of the staff have early years qualifications to National Vocational Qualification Level 2 or 3. There are two members of staff currently working towards a recognised early years or higher level qualification. The setting receives support from a mentor teacher from the local authority. The premises are also used by the community for a weekly parent and toddler group and other childcare related activities.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children benefit from a care environment that is warm, welcoming, clean and well maintained. Their playthings are frequently cleaned to ensure that they remain hygienic for the children to use. All of the required health documentation is in place and well used. There is a well stocked first aid box readily available and effective procedures in place for if children become ill whilst in attendance at the group. Children develop an understanding of the importance of good hygiene practice. They use good quality hand washing resources and facilities at appropriate times, such as after they have used the toilet and had their nappy changed and prior to snack and lunch times. Children benefit from staff who remind the children that they must wash their hands to wash away the germs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy daily opportunities to play outdoors. They enjoy activities in an enclosed play area and use a range of equipment when playing outdoors that develop and extend their physical skills, for example, digging in sand, playing with balls and running around in the fresh air. Children benefit from regular visits to the on-site forest school. They dress appropriately for the weather and explore the natural environment, taking acceptable risks in a controlled environment. They develop an understanding of forest school rules and are able to recall these at the start of each forest school session. They make dens, play in shelters, hunt for insects and explore mud pits. They engage in games with their peers that cater for other areas of learning, for example, children extend their counting skills through number games.

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Helping children to be healthy

Some of the children stay for a lunch club and enjoy eating packed lunches provided by their parents. This ensures that their dietary needs and preferences are well catered for. Their dietary needs are well known by staff through consultation with parents. Lunch boxes are kept in the refrigerator to ensure that they are stored at appropriate temperatures prior to being offered to children at lunch time. Staff sit with the children and eat their lunch with them. This creates a sociable experience for children as they chat about their day. Although children enjoy healthy snacks provided by the setting and see posters of both healthy and less healthy foods, there are missed opportunities to extend children's understanding of the importance of eating a healthy diet. This is because the nutritional benefits of healthy foods are not explained to children and they have little understanding of why it is important to eat a balanced diet. Children

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Helping children to be healthy

self-serve their snacks at snack time. They are provided with four choices of different fruits and vegetables, including pineapple, raisins, cherry tomatoes and apples. Picture and word cards are displayed by the corresponding fruit which assists children's reading and letter recognition skills. Children help with the planting and tending of seeds and help to grow fresh fruits and vegetables which they then enjoy eating at snack time and cooking with, for example,

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 making soup. Children are suitably hydrated because fresh drinking water is accessible at all times and drinks are regularly offered.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children use a well presented mobile classroom that is attractively presented through the effective use of wall displays of children's artwork. Bright, colourful and informative posters are well displayed and the good organisation of toys and equipment creates an inviting feel. Children have access to a wide range of good quality toys that are stored in low-level storage units. They are able to easily access their playthings and make independent decisions about what they would like to play with and how they would like to spend their time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's care environment is safe and secure. Detailed risk assessments have been developed and are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that all perceived risks are identified and minimised. In addition, daily visual risk assessment checks are conducted, both indoors and outside, prior to the children's arrival to ensure that the environment is safe and free from hazards. There are effective procedures in place for the safe arrival and collection of children. All of the required written parental consents are in place, including those for planned and routine outings. Children develop an understanding of good road sense as they use the 'stop, look and listen' technique when crossing the road. They participate in regular fire evacuation practises to ensure that they are aware of the action that they should take in the event of a fire. They develop an understanding of forest school rules as staff verbally remind children of

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

areas that they are able to play in during the session.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded due to effective child protection policies and procedures. All staff have a clear understanding of the known indicators of child abuse and of the action that they should take in the event of a concern about a child in their care. Child protection policies and procedures are openly shared with parents to ensure that they are well informed.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled and enjoy their time at pre-school. They are actively involved in a wide range of activities both indoors and outside, which promote all areas of their learning and development. Children are confident to initiate and extend their own play ideas as they freely move around the setting, accessing activities of their choosing and self-selecting from the wide range of toys and resources that are available. Children enjoy good relationships with staff who readily involve themselves and interact in their play. They are forming positive relationships with their peers and happily engage in small and larger group games in addition to playing alongside other children. All children are well supported by their key worker staff. Younger children benefit from access to the full range of activities that are on offer and participate at a rate best suited to meet their individual stage of learning and development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have a clear understanding of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and use this in their practice with children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and work together to plan a wide range of topic related activities which appeal to the children and cover all six areas of learning. Although an evaluation,

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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 observation and assessment system is in place, information gained from these is not routinely fed back into planning. This does not ensure that all children's individual learning needs are recognised and planned for. Staff and parents work together at the start of a child's placement to complete a questionnaire that informs staff of children's starting points and meet regularly thereafter to discuss children's progress and highlight any concerns. Children progress well because staff interact with them and make good use of questioning and spontaneous learning opportunities. This supports and extends children's learning well. Children make good progress because staff manage their time well and are involved in children’s play and learning. For example, they work with the children and are actively involved in their play. They ask the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children questions to encourage their thinking and further their understanding. They laugh with the children, have great fun and are always available for comfort and cuddles. The daily routine is flexibly applied to ensure that children have plenty of time to finish their chosen activity. Children are well behaved and benefit from consistent behaviour management strategies that ensure children develop an understanding of right from wrong.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show a strong sense of belonging and develop good self-esteem. They enjoy looking at photographs of themselves and proudly point to their completed work on display. Children are interested, keen to learn and actively and purposefully engaged in activities. They play cooperatively together, show concern for others, and are able to wait their turn and share tasks, such as tidying up at the end of the session and placing resources back on the low shelves and storage containers. Children manage their self-care skills well as they independently access toileting facilities. Older children pour their own drinks throughout the morning and at snack time whilst younger children are well supported by staff. Children enjoy a celebratory party at the end of each topic. They dress up in relevant costumes associated to the theme and enjoy games, party food and a day of fun.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children communicate well with both their peers and the staff. They ask each other questions and chat to each other as they play, talking about what they are doing and the activities that they are involved in. Although children have easy access to books, the book area is a less popular area of the pre-school. They do however join together for group book times where they sit quietly to read or sit with staff to listen to a story. They have good access to writing resources and spend time drawing, often ascribing meaning to their marks. For example, children draw faces on the white board and talk about the facial features that they have drawn. Many of the children are able to form recognisable letters, whilst others are able to write their names. They see their names and other text in print displayed around the setting which develops their understanding that print carries meaning. Children develop an understanding of letters and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the sounds that they make through a phonic learning system. They are asked to consider the initial letter sounds of their names throughout the session.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children see numbers displayed in their base room. Many of the children recognise some numbers and all children count well up to 10 and above. Staff introduce the children to strategies to help them with counting, such as using their fingers as props. They practise writing numbers on the white board and concentrate well as they copy numbers that staff have written for their reference. They develop concepts of simple addition and subtraction skills as they readily join in with number rhymes and songs. Many children recognise many shapes and use their problem solving skills to slot different objects into shape sorting toys.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop a sense of time as they complete the weather chart each day. They talk about the days of the week and use a number chart to count up until the date of the month. They talk about the month and the seasons and what the weather is like outside. Children enjoy exploring natural materials such as sand, water and soil. They explore the concepts of volume

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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 and capacity whilst using their senses to explore the feel of the materials, pouring them from one container to another. They use a range of construction materials to design and build models and enjoy exploring the wider world through looking at books and maps and talking about where they have been on holiday with their families. Children experience outings and trips to local places of interest such as local restaurants, shops, the library, parks and playgrounds. They enjoy going out to feed the ducks as they walk along the river and enjoy occasional boat and train journeys as part of planned activities. Children have developing confidence in the use of Information and Communication Technology equipment. They demonstrate good mouse control as they play on age-appropriate computer programmes and watch with interest to see

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the actions that programmable toys make after they have pressed different buttons. They engage in the celebration of festivals from around the world throughout the year, such as Diwali, Chinese New Year, Harvest, Christmas and Easter. Parents visit the setting to watch the children perform in the Christmas nativity play and Easter concert, among other events and shows throughout the year.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The role play area is a popular choice with children. They enjoy a good range of resources and dressing up clothes and explore different roles with their imaginations. They thoroughly enjoy acting out familiar stories such as 'We're going on a bear hunt' and recreate the story with actions and movements as they wade through mud and experience snowstorms. They use small world figures to act out imaginary situations with their peers. They explore a range of musical instruments and listen carefully as they experiment with the different sounds that they can make and readily join in with familiar rhymes and songs. Children enjoy a wide range of both structured and free art and craft activities. The well resourced arts table is easily accessible to children each day which enables them to independently initiate their own creative learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop well physically as they engage in daily activities outdoors using a range of sports equipment. They use balls of different sizes to practise their throwing, catching and kicking skills and enjoy running around in the fresh air. Their fine motor skills are developed as they use tools such as scissors and use spoons to coordinate serving themselves snacks at snack time. They learn about different parts of their body as they point to areas called out by staff, for example, wrists, thighs, tummies and eyelashes. They learn about the importance of keeping their teeth healthy through stories about visits to the dentist and using toothbrushes and toothpaste to clean a model set of teeth. They are introduced to new vocabulary such as gums, germs, bacteria and corrosion and share their experiences of cleaning their teeth at home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are welcomed and play a full part in the life of the setting because staff value and respect their individuality and the family context of each child. They enjoy activities and resources which promote a positive view of the wider world, which increases their awareness of diversity and their understanding of others. A mirror is provided in the quiet room alongside picture symbols of different emotions for children to explore during times of reflection. They are also encouraged to consider how other children may feel, for example, if toys are not fairly shared. There are effective procedures in place to identify and support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Strong partnerships between staff, parents and external agencies effectively promote children's well-being and help each child develop their full potential. Well detailed individual education plans are produced to identify short-term targets for children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

These are regularly reviewed in partnership with parents in order to assess the progress of the child. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development.

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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 behave well and benefit from staff who apply clear and consistent behaviour management strategies to help them understand desirable behaviour within the group. This is achieved through age-appropriate explanations to children and through positive strategies that help children take responsibility for their actions. Children enjoy warm praise and encouragement for their efforts and achievements. Their good manners are both encouraged and recognised. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit because their parents and the staff have good working relationships. Staff have a friendly but professional approach. Parents receive well written information about the setting. They are provided with a written prospectus and have free and easy access to the range of policies and procedures, which are openly shared. They benefit from well presented notice boards and newsletters that detail information about the setting, activities provided and more general information about childcare and development and activities that they can try at home with their children. Staff are readily available to parents at the start and end of each session, which benefits children as important information is exchanged about their care and learning needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents receive an information pack about the Foundation Stage curriculum and the six areas of learning. This pack also includes activity ideas that parents can try at home with their children. Weekly planning documents are displayed within the pre-school setting to ensure that parents are well informed of the activities that their children will be involved in whilst at the setting. Children eagerly take it in turns to take Lola the teddy bear home for weekend visits. Children work with their parents to write about the activities that they have enjoyed with Lola during the weekend and share their adventures with their peers and staff when they return to the setting the following week. This supports and encourages children's learning from home. Parents are provided with information about the phonic learning system that the setting use with their children. This enables them to extend

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Helping children make a positive contribution

their children's learning from home. Children benefit because staff are always available to talk to their parents at the start and end of each session. During this time information about children's learning needs are discussed. Observation and assessment files can be viewed by parents at any time throughout the year and are more formally shared at parents meetings.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from the effective organisation of the group. Space and resources are well-organised and allow children to make choices and develop their own ideas as they play. They are able to freely access toys and equipment which are clearly labelled with both written text and picture symbols. Children are protected as well thought out recruitment, vetting and induction procedures are in place. This ensures that staff are suitable, well qualified and prepared for their work with children. Staff training is given high priority. This allows staff to extend their own personal and professional development, in addition to improving the care, learning and play opportunities provided to children.

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Organisation

All of the required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place, carefully stored, well-organised and effectively maintained. They are regularly reviewed and are only accessed by the staff, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained. The operational plan and all of the required policies and procedures are in place and are reviewed regularly to ensure that they reflect current good practice and professional advice. They are openly shared with parents and are well known by staff. Although staff have considered the effectiveness of the care and education provided, there is no formal system of self-evaluation

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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 in place. As a result, areas of strength and those for further improvement are sometimes overlooked and does not support the ongoing progress of the service provided.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is good. The manager is highly committed and enthusiastic in her work with children. She is well supported by new staff who have recently joined the setting. Effective procedures are in place to support the development of a strong staff team, such as weekly staff meetings and daily conversation. The manager provides support, acts as a positive role model and offers direction to ensure that staff quickly become familiar with their roles and responsibilities within the group. Annual staff appraisals are conducted as a means to identifying staff training needs and to monitor their practice with children. These are undertaken more frequently with newer members of the team to ensure that they receive suitable support as they settle into their roles. There is a clear vision for the delivery of nursery education with a strong focus on the personal development and achievement of all children.

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Organisation

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and know how to apply this in practice to support children in their learning and development. An effective key worker system ensures that children receive appropriate support during their play and learning. However, information gained from evaluations, observations and assessments is not routinely fed back into planning to ensure that activities are adapted to meet individual children's stages of learning. The manager informally assesses areas of strength and those for further improvement and makes some changes as required. However, progress made is not formally evaluated to assess the impact on 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 care inspection the provider agreed to conduct a risk assessment. Since then, a full and well detailed risk assessment has been conducted for all areas of the setting. All risks have been identified and where necessary, action taken in order to minimise them, ensuring that children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. The risk assessment is regularly reviewed and updated and daily visual checks ensure that the environment is safe and free from hazards on a day to day basis. The provider agreed to obtain appropriate training, advice and written parental permission for administering invasive emergency medication. Since then, two members of staff have trained in the use of EpiPens and have ensured that parents provide their written consent for the administration of all medications. The provider agreed to ensure records, policies and procedures, which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision and

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Improvements since the last inspection

to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Since then, all policies and procedures have been reviewed and updated to ensure that they reflect current good practice and professional advice. All records are well maintained and are stored well to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.

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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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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): • further develop children's understanding of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle • develop systems of formal self-evaluation (also applies to nursery education)

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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 information gained from evaluations, observations and assessments is fed back into planning to ensure that activities are adapted to meet individual children's stages of learning.

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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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