Norland Fun Club

Norland Fun Club Inspection report for early years provision

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303784 Unique Reference Number 28 June 2007 Inspection date Shaheen Matloob Inspector

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Berrymoor Road, Norland, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX6 3RN Setting Address

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E-mail

Norland School Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Sessional 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?

Norland Fun Club opened in 1990 and has been re-registered under the new premises in April 2007. It is run by a voluntary management committee and operates from a portacabin near Norland Primary School, on the outskirts of Sowerby Bridge. The same committee are responsible for the out of school club, which also operates from the portacabin. All children share a secure, enclosed, outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 15 children may attend the pre-school and a maximum of 16 in the out of school club at any one time. The pre-school is open weekdays during term time from 09.30 to 12.00 and then again from 12.30 to 15.00, with an additional lunch club which runs from 12.00 to 13.30. The out of school club is open weekdays during term time only from 08.00 to 09.00 and from 15.30 to 18.00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 28 children aged from two to under five years on roll at pre school. Of these 14 children receive funding for early education. There are currently 22 children on roll at the out of school club. Children attend from the local community and surrounding areas. The pre-school employs five part-time staff. All of these hold 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 are protected from illness as the pre-school promotes good personal health and high standards of hygiene are maintained throughout. Children have a secure understanding of personal hygiene and how to keep themselves healthy. Staff ensure that good practices are observed and followed. Well planned daily routines and activities enhance children's knowledge and understanding of health and hygiene. Children clearly understand the importance of hand washing as they explain how it 'stops germs, which make you poorly'. Children are protected from illness as the pre-school promotes a healthy lifestyle and a clear illness policy excludes children who are ill and infectious. Parents are asked to inform staff who can then act appropriately in the best interest of other children to prevent the spread of infection. Arrangements for accidents, medication and first aid fully meet requirements and protect

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Helping children to be healthy

Well thought out routines and the effective organisation of space helps children to rest and be physically active according to their individual needs. Children have a spacious environment in which they move around freely and spontaneously; they use their bodies whilst playing, such as lying on their tummies to play on the floor. They move with pleasure and confidence as they push dolls in pushchairs backwards and forwards and drive cars on the floor. They show respect for other children as they respect each other's personal space when playing alongside each other. Children have developed a good understanding of a healthy lifestyle and recognise the importance of keeping healthy and those things which contribute to this. For example, they know that 'exercise makes your body healthy' and that 'you need a drink because running around makes you tired and you need a rest'. Children have a growing awareness of sun safety

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Helping children to be healthy

and explain that 'you have to wear sun cream in the sun because you will get sunburnt'.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished. Staff recognise the benefits and the importance of healthy eating. Children are offered a range of well balanced and nutritious snacks. These are appealing to children and avoid large quantities of fat, sugar and preservatives to promote healthy growth and development. A multicultural diet is offered to ensure that children from all backgrounds encounter familiar tastes and to ensure that children have opportunities to try unfamiliar tastes. Clear records indicate dietary requirements and preferences and children's individual needs are well catered for in accordance with parents' wishes. Children recognise the importance of healthy eating and have a secure knowledge of what constitutes this through planned activities, such as a visit to the local dentist. Children differentiate between good and bad foods and know that chocolate and fizzy drinks 'will give you holes in your teeth'. They also recognise

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Helping children to be healthy

that fruit and vegetables are healthy and that they must eat five potions of fruit and vegetables daily. Lunchboxes provided by parents are extremely healthy and appetising which children relish and enjoy eating.

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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 warm and welcoming environment where the risks of accidental injury are minimised, due to the well designed setting, which has good safety and security precautions. Vigilant staff ensure that the safety of children is of paramount importance and use their detailed knowledge of children's developing abilities to ensure that robust safety measures are applied. Daily safety checks are carried out before children arrive and children

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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 are closely supervised indoors and outdoors. A good balance between freedom and safe limits enables children to have growing independence and allows them to explore and actively increase their capacity to learn.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn to keep themselves safe and avoid accidental injury because gentle reminders from staff point out potential dangers, such as no running indoors and children are very clear about not touching electrical equipment 'because you will get burnt'. This helps children learn to keep themselves and others safe. Children learn to keep themselves safe on outings; they understand that they 'must hold hands, look both sides to check if there is a car coming and wait for the green man to cross the road'. Fire safety is effective and fire evacuation records are clear. Children clearly understand the fire safety procedure and know what to do in a fire; they know that they must go outside. Children know that they must not go back into the building because they 'might get burnt'.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children use a wide range of exciting, stimulating and good quality toys and resources, which includes a range of raw materials which can be used in a variety of ways and encourages an open-ended approach to creativity and problem solving. These are organised at child height to encourage independent access and allow children to make informed choices about their play. Toys and resources are checked and cleaned regularly to ensure that they remain safe and meet safety standards, to avoid accidents later.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected. Staff have a good understanding of child protection issues. They ensure that their prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of children. All staff are able to implement the relevant child protection procedures and ensure that children are safeguarded and their welfare is paramount. The designated person is clear about her responsibilities and ensures that all staff complete and maintain appropriate records.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled in the exciting and welcoming setting. They arrive at pre-school and leave their parents with ease and confidence, as they enthusiastically complete self-registration by pegging their name onto a washing line. Children happily talk about why they like coming to the pre-school; 'I like playing and drawing' and 'I like doing lots of fun things like baking'. Children play an active part in the setting as they help to devise some procedures, such as the behaviour rules and fully understand the setting's routine and know that when the timer is set 'it is time to tidy up and then lunch'. The pre-school daily routine is displayed at child height in photograph form to help children develop a good understanding of time and routine. Children often share responsibility for some decisions as staff involve them in decision making about activities, food and their care routines. Knowledgeable staff effectively

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

implement the Foundation Stage and the 'Birth to three matters' frameworks to focus on improving outcomes for all children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

During registration children have excellent opportunities to gain bilingual language skills as they choose which language they want to reply in. For example, children chose to reply to their name in French and are able to do so confidently and clearly. Children also develop numeracy skills as some can count up to 13 in French. Children are motivated and interested in a wide range of purposeful activities, which support their development and learning. They thoroughly enjoy mark making and drawing as they explain in detail that their picture is 'in space and a shooting star'. Children use manipulative skills to wind wool onto and through circles to make spiders as a continuation of their bug theme. They talk enthusiastically about their previous

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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 bug hunt and how they looked at worms that are 'wriggly and eat dirt' and 'pink spiders'. Excellent displays of bugs and an exciting interest table, with a microscope, allows children to look at books about bugs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Teaching and learning is good. Norland Pre-School provides good quality nursery education which enables children to make good progress in their learning and achievement and the early learning goals. A wide range of activities and first-hand experiences are successfully planned to reflect the six areas of learning. Teaching is rooted in an excellent knowledge of the Foundation Stage, a good range of teaching methods and a clear understanding of how children learn. Children's assessments and achievement records are clear, thorough, and the information gained from them is used to guide planning and plan the next steps in children's learning. Staff use generally use good monitoring procedures well to evaluate activities and improve the quality of their teaching. However, these currently do not include what further action is to be taken in order to improve teaching methods.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are involved in well planned and well thought out activities which consistently cover the six areas of learning and offer good challenges. They participate in a baking activity to make 'bug buns'. Children use laminated recipe cards to follow the instructions, which are in type and in picture form. Staff effectively question children and develop their mathematical knowledge, and use simple calculations and measurements, such as 'one cup', 'halves' and 'quarters', and 'how many people do we need to share with?'. Children also look at the state of ingredients and recognise solids and liquids and predict what they will look like once they are whisked and which one pours more easily.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children separate from carers with confidence and self-assurance. They truly have a sense of belonging as their artwork is respected and displayed attractively around the room. They also complete self-registration which gives them a sense of belonging and ownership. Children relate to others in the group and make attachments as they talk about their best friend. Children have conversations with each other frequently as they complete jigsaws and talk about how jigsaws are 'boring, but they are very interesting as well'. Children talk freely about their home as they discuss their family make up; 'This is my sister, and in September I am going to have a baby brother or sister'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use writing as a means to record as they use mark making tools in other areas of play to make lists for shopping. They are able to sit and concentrate for long periods of time either independently or in groups during story time. Children enjoy stories in small groups as they listen intently to staff talk about bugs and use a book to identify certain bugs. Children are fully involved in the story as they are asked to count legs. Most children aged three years can count confidently to six and older children can count to 10 and beyond. They particularly enjoy sitting in the quiet story area, where they can have tranquil moments as they read a story to each other, quietly playing the role of teacher and child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children differentiate marks on paper and give meaning to marks as they draw a picture of their 'daddy, whose favourite colour is black'; 'daddy has got very long arms because he is 42 and he's got spiky hair'. Children's language development is excellent. They clearly distinguish sounds and can identify one from another. They say initial sounds and know what sounds represent which letter as they link letters to sounds of the alphabet and associate these with their name.

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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 show an interest in mathematics and counting and use number spontaneously through play and general conversations. They count the number of legs on a spider, talk about how old they are and the date of their birthday, and their house number. Children enjoy the story of 'The hungry caterpillar'. They count the number of foods the caterpillar eats and children predict and recognise the days of the week. More able children use mathematical language and understand simple calculations. They explain whilst using a calculator that 'one and one is two of course' and 'two and two is four'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident around technological equipment as they 'have got a computer at home'. They understand how to operate the computer and perform simple functions to draw and paint using a simple paint programme. They understand that certain tools are used for a purpose, such as the mouse, and perform instructions to print their work. Children are confident enough to speak to staff about what they want and ask for help. For example, whilst using the computer a child approached a member of staff and asked for help; after receiving assistance he replied, 'I did that, but it didn't work'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children differentiate between colours and have an excellent understanding of colours including differentiation between light and dark, and the various shades. For example, children recognise that violet is another shade of purple. Children also talk about complementary colours, such as 'pink and purple go together nicely'. Attractive displays demonstrate that children participate in three-dimensional activities, such as displays of bug exploring and flowers in the story area.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued and cared for in a positive environment where staff promote a better knowledge and understanding of the world around them, and ensure that children learn about other people's cultures, including differences and similarities. Staff ensure that all activities are open to all children and families who use the service. Pre-school staff care for children in a manner which is consistent with families' values and practices. Staff are committed to meeting children's personal needs and to be proactive in providing a curriculum that promotes inclusion for all children in order to achieve their full potential. Children benefit from activities and resources as they celebrate and share religious beliefs. They broaden their horizons by listening and dancing to a wide range of music, visiting places of interest, and handling books and resources which positively promote anti-discriminatory practice and enhance their knowledge

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Helping children make a positive contribution

of diversity. Children have excellent opportunities to reflect and have tranquil moments; an example of this occurred when a child played uninterrupted for a long period of time whilst she fed her bugs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn to respond to expectations for their behaviour as the pre-school creates a stimulating and exciting environment where children flourish and know what is expected of them, as they are free to develop their learning without hindrance. Children have a clear understanding of good behaviour and know that being good means 'play nicely'. Staff ensure that all rules are applied consistently so that children have the security of knowing what to expect and can build useful habits. Staff create an environment where children develop self-discipline and self-esteem in an atmosphere of mutual respect and encouragement. Good behaviour is rewarded with praise, encouragement and rewards, such as stickers which mean 'prizes'. Children manage their behaviour exceptionally well, as they are consistently polite, considerate and extremely well behaved. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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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 Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents benefit from a mutually supportive and respectful relationship with staff and work well to promote children's education. Staff recognise that parents are the first educators of children and the pre-school staff promote an appreciation of the children's educational programme, which has a positive effect on children's development and learning. Staff encourage parents to be involved in decision making and seek their views with regard to educational provision and care. Parents are able to contribute their own skills, knowledge and interests to the activities of the group, such as parent helpers. Information about the setting and its provision for nursery education is of a high quality and accessible to all parents. Parents are fully involved in their children's learning and value the two-way sharing

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Helping children make a positive contribution

of assessments and achievements which inform planning for the progression in children's learning. Regular newsletters, open days and planning documents actively encourage parents and carers to become involved in their child’s learning in meaningful ways.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care is enhanced by the effective and efficient organisation. Enthusiastic and motivated staff who are effectively inducted, greatly enhance children's care and learning. The quality of organisation and the excellent leadership and management of the pre-school contribute towards this. Recruitment and vetting procedures contribute to children being protected and cared for by staff with relevant qualifications and a high level of knowledge and understanding of child development to ensure that children receive good quality care and education. All staff work well together as a team and their deployment effectively contributes to children’s good health, safety, enjoyment, achievement, and ability to take an active part in the setting.

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Organisation

Knowledgeable staff understand and follow the setting's comprehensive policies and procedures to protect children, promote their well-being and support them to develop to their full potential. All legally required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is comprehensive, clear and well organised. However attendance records require minor amendments. Record keeping systems are used well to meet children’s needs and keep them safe.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. Staff are well established, dynamic and have a very positive impact on all children's learning and progress. The setting has a clear vision for the nursery education with a strong focus on the personal development and achievement of all children. There is a strong, clear purpose and commitment to training, professional development and improvement. Regular supervision and appraisals ensure that staff training needs are effectively identified and met. The pre-school leader recognises that self-evaluation is the key to continuous improvement and has implemented thorough systems to monitor and assess their provision using action plans and parental questionnaires. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was asked to develop the existing medication procedure to include written parental consent before medication is administered to children and consider developing the existing key worker system to help children develop social skills for whole group activities.

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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 The setting has made significant changes and has addressed all the above recommendations in order to promote safety and enhance children's all round skills. Medication records fully meet requirements and an effective key worker system is in operation for all children who attend the pre-school.

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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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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that attendance records consistently contain details of times of arrival and departure.

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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): • develop activity evaluations to include further action to be taken in order to enhance teaching and 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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