Northwood Primary School

St. Paul`s Community Playschool Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

118166 Unique Reference Number 30 January 2008 Inspection date Daphne Prescott Inspector

p.1

St Paul's Church, Ridley Hall, Ridley Avenue, London, W13 9XW Setting Address

p.1

020 8799 3779 Telephone number playschool@stpauls-ealing.org E-mail The Tustees of St. Paul's Playschool Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

p.1

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

St. Paul's Community Playschool is managed by a voluntary management committee made up of parents of children at the playschool and members of the church. It opened in 1992 and operates from one of the church halls within The Ridley Hall, Northfields, in the London borough of Ealing.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 23 children may attend the playschool at any one time. The playschool is open each weekday from 09:30 to 12:00 during term time. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 44 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, nine children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local community.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The playschool currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The playschool employs seven staff, of these five of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications.

p.2

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

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy being cared for in a healthy environment in which effective methods are used to promote their well-being. They consistently engage in useful routines such as regularly washing hands, at appropriate times 'such as' after using the toilet and before snack. Staff follow effective procedures to prevent the spread of cross infection. They behave as positive role models by consistently washing their own hands and wiping tables before and after snacks. Children are protected in the event of an accident because there are sufficient numbers of staff appropriately qualified in emergency first aid. Clear systems are in place for the reporting of all accidents, and a record of all medicines administered to children is kept.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy nutritious snacks as they happily make their choices from a lovely selection of fresh fruit at the snack table. Children clearly enjoy visiting the snack table which enables them to identify when they become hungry. Staff and children sit together which creates a relaxed and social atmosphere in which social skills and good manners are promoted. Children are encouraged to enjoy and try new fruits and chat with their friends. Older children enjoy the opportunity of helping as they cut the bananas by using suitable utensils thus promoting children's independence. Important information about dietary needs and parental preferences is ascertained through the record forms and shared with staff. As a result, staff have a clear knowledge of ensuring children's individual dietary needs are adhered to.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

The outdoor area forms an important feature of the playschool. Children are able to choose to play indoors or outdoors throughout the morning. This ensures they benefit from fresh air and have good daily chances to engage in vigorous play. Children develop their coordination and control as they climb, jump, run, balance and learn to catch and throw. They engage in much energetic play as they use some space to ride around on their bikes. Indoors, children demonstrate a secure awareness of space as they safely manoeuvre around objects and one another. There are many opportunities for children to develop their hand-eye coordination as children use pencils, glue sticks and paint brushes with good control.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are warmly welcomed into the playschool by staff. They arrive happily and settle quickly into this child focussed and very friendly environment which stimulates their interests. Good use of the available space is made, enabling children to move around safely and with confidence. The hall is decorated with many examples of children's work, posters and pictures. There are ample good quality toys and resources which meet the needs of the age range attending. Children are able to make choices as play equipment and resources are stored at low-level to encourage their independence.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety is of prime importance to the staff. The premises are secure as staff diligently monitors the door. They ensure that anyone wishing to gain entry is suitably identified before gaining access and a record of visitors is maintained. Children are well supervised as staff are effectively deployed for their safety. They are also kept safe as some systems for addressing safety issues are in place. For example, staff carry out visual checks each day before the children arrive to ensure that children can enjoy an environment that is safe. However, children's safety is not totally safeguard as written risk assessments have not been completed for an assessment

p.3

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 of the premises. Priority is given to fire safety; there are well-signed fire exits and fire fighting equipment in place. There is also an emergency escape plan which has been practised with the children for their safety and wellbeing.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s wellbeing is also well protected because staff have a clear understanding of their role in relation to child protection issues. They know the indicators of abuse and the procedure to be followed for reporting concerns. The manager ensures that procedures are up-to-date and that staff understand their responsibilities.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children under three years of age are engaged in delightful activities that catch their attention particularly well. Staff are informed about the Birth to three matters framework and they plan activities that effectively support younger children's development and learning. Children are assigned to a key worker who takes a special interest in a small group. All staff observe the children and they conscientiously note their responses to the activities. Children's strengths and areas for further development are identified from these observations and staff make good use of the information to plan in order to meet their needs.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Younger children are becoming competent learners as they have fun exploring the properties of sand as they look for the glitter as the sand trickles through their fingers. They play a range of musical instruments and find out what different noises they can make. Staff play with the children but they do not limit the way children play. They promote children's language development by modelling clear speech. Children gather round the staff to listen to stories. They are beginning to take an interest in the pictures and they are making good progress with their listening skills. Children have a lovely time as they energetically join in action songs and enjoy singing with their friends. They also enjoy opportunities to express themselves through imaginative play, playing in the home corner. They are developing their creative abilities as they confidently manipulate glue sticks and paint brushes. They smile with a great sense of

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

achievement when they have finished their sticking activity as staff give the children plenty of praise and encouragement. Children are also delighted when they catch toy fish in the water tray using the magnetic fishing rods with great skill and control.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are progressing well because of the staff's good knowledge of how children learn through play. Staff are very enthusiastic and they plan a well balanced curriculum which is linked to the stepping stones of the early learning goals. Staff meet regularly to plan and provide a range of activities linked to a weekly topic. This helps children to learn the same concept in different ways. For example, children learn about 'light and dark', by using torches under a tent in the home corner and sticking stars and moons in the creative area. Staff speedily recognise and make good use of learning opportunities as they arise. They find reasons to count in art work, refer often to shapes and sizes and use lots of good vocabulary when children are playing to help them to learn unobtrusively. Staff consistently frame questions carefully to help children to support and extend their thought

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

processes and actively engage them in their learning. As a result, children are enthusiastic learners and participate with enthusiasm in a wealth of practical activities.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children demonstrate good social and emotional development by their happiness and their engagement in the activities. They are forming friendly relationships with each other and

p.4

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 of different ages get along well together. Children sustain concentration and preserve in their chosen tasks to successfully complete puzzles, make cards, paint pictures and look through books. They are gaining a good level of independence as they make their own choices playing indoors or outdoors. Children learn to listen and respond positively to instructions and actively help to tidy up.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Some children can already write their names unaided. Clearly written labels all around help children gain familiarity with print. They have easy access to a wide range of good quality mark making materials and displayed examples of work show that they make good use of them. The holistic approach to teaching enables children to write lists whilst engaged in their imaginary play and label their own work. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to link sound to letters during activities. The layout of resources makes it easy for children to relax and rest with a book in the book area. They happily make their selections from the good range of small and large books, following the text to retell the stories and share these with their friends. Children successfully repeat much of the mathematical language they consistently hear to describe, shape, pattern, and size and quantity. For example, sitting outside on the play bus,

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children talk about big and little, staff then help children to recall their learning on sizes. Children show dexterity as they skilfully roll, shape and make dimensional shapes, out of play dough. They are confident in the use of numbers and are able to count to 10 and beyond.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are introduced to modern technology by a laptop. They are good in manipulating and controlling the mouse. They use other technology, such as calculators and learn how things work, as they press the buttons to use the calculator. Children have great opportunities to observe, investigate and explore living things. They are also given opportunities to build and construct. Children enthusiastically spend time playing with construction sets. For example, they join construction pieces together to build a track and adapt their work as necessary so that the train can ride around the track. Children find out about their local community because staff provide opportunities through visiting the post office and outings to the local church. Through themed activities, they are developing a good awareness and understanding of their own and other cultures as they learn about different cultural festivals.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They clearly enjoy the daily opportunities for singing. Children enthusiastically participate learning the actions to the songs as they sing with great excitement. Staff skilfully lower their voices and slow their movements to emphasize the different rhythm in the song. Children respond positively and clearly enjoy quickening their pace as the voices get louder and faster. Children have good opportunities to develop their imagination. These popular areas both indoors and outdoors enables children to mimic their understanding of the world as they feed their dollies and put them to bed. Children delight in the rich creative opportunities to explore a variety of textures, shapes, and colours, as they eagerly stick and paint to communicate their thoughts and ideas.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children benefit from continuity of care because the staff take heed of information shared at the time of registration and they meet individual needs well. They take into account issues such as special likes and dislikes and children's home language and culture when they are planning activities. This enables all children to feel secure and consequently they receive greater chances of strengthening their self-worth and of developing a strong identity. Children with English as an additional language are supported within the playschool. They settle well because staff ensure that they find out some basic words in the child's first language. Children are

p.5

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 learning about the world around them. They learn about festivals and traditions celebrated in the local and wider community as they acknowledge different festivals. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are welcome into the playschool as the manager and staff have a positive attitude towards this area of childcare. There is a special educational needs co-ordinator to support the needs of children and to act in the best interests of each child. The staff are well informed about helping children if they experience learning difficulties. They share their knowledge with each other and liaise well with parents and outside agencies.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Behaviour management is a strength in the playschool. The children respond well to the kindness of the staff. Children learn to be pleasant to one another because the staff are good role models. Children share their thoughts and feelings openly in an environment which welcomes their views and supports their individuality. Children consistently receive good levels of praise and encouragement for their achievements to boost their confidence and enhance their self-esteem. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers in relation to nursery education is good. They are provided with information which explains the education that is provided for their child. This includes information about the Foundation Stage curriculum and the six areas of learning. Children's developmental records are always available and easily accessible to parents. They are welcome to discuss their child's progress with staff at anytime. The playschool also sends home reports about their child's development and learning and invite parents to comment on these. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection spoke highly about the playschool. They are happy with the educational progress their children are making and information about the curriculum is shared with parents.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the friendly interaction between staff and parents. Quality information is readily available at the playschool. It is shared via newsletters, notices displayed and frequent conversations with staff. Parents are also invited to attend social events and fund raising events. Staff obtain detailed information about each child's interests and individual needs from parents to ensure that children receive the appropriate care. At the end of the morning staff are available to exchange information with parents.

p.6

Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. There have been changes to the committee members since the last inspection. Appropriate notification and the required documentation have not been forwarded to Ofsted with regard to informing Ofsted of the changes of committee members. This is a breach of regulation.

p.6

Organisation

The staff team is an established and motivated team; they are extremely kind and caring towards the children. Staff are clear about their individual roles and responsibilities; the morning runs very smoothly for the children because staff are very aware of their specific duties. For example, supporting children during activities and managing the door at arrival and home time. Their individual skills and experience is valued and the majority of the team have taken additional responsibility to support their own development. Staff work well with the parents to ensure they have a good knowledge of children’s individual needs. Children’s care and learning is enhanced by the effective deployment of staff because the manager maintains the child staff ratios which help to ensure children's well-being. This ensures that all children are secure and engaged in activities.

p.6

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 majority of the required records, policies and procedures to ensure the safe and efficient management of the provision are in place. Although, children's welfare is compromised as the daily attendance register of the children and staff needs developing to ensure their hours of attendance is accurately recorded. The manager is aware that the daily registration systems need improving and that she also needs to conduct risk assessments of the premises.

p.6

Organisation

Leadership and management for nursery education is good. The playschool is run by a motivated manager who is committed to providing good quality care and education for children; these aims are clearly understood by staff. The team share a clear understanding of how children learn and the Foundation Stage curriculum. As a result, they create a supportive, challenging and stimulating environment for the children to grow and develop. The manager shares her knowledge and experience of childcare with the staff. She firmly believes in helping her staff to attend useful training courses to underpin their work in the setting. The manager has a clear understanding of the playschools strength and weaknesses and together the team support reflective thinking and practice to ensure the children's progress. They are aware of developing the programme in helping children to link sounds to letters. Children receive good levels of

p.7

Organisation

care and education because the staff are highly organised to support positive outcomes for children across all areas of their development and learning. The setting is meeting the needs of all the children for whom it provides care.

p.7

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the provider agreed to ensure the format of the attendance register can be clearly understood in the event of an emergency. Review the organisation of snack time with the aim of encouraging the independence of the children through self-service. The manager ensures that all the children's names are clearly recorded in the daily register. Snack time has been organised so that children can independently help themselves to fresh fruits and drinks, thus promoting their independence skills.

p.7

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last Nursery Education inspection the provider agreed to develop the programme for literacy to enable children to understand that writing is used for a variety of purposes with the aim of promoting reading skills; provide opportunities for children to develop mathematical concepts of size, volume and quantity through everyday practical activities and routines; create opportunities for children to investigate and make sense of the natural world and modern technology; create opportunities for more able children to develop climbing and balancing skills during physical play and increase opportunities for children to hear and create music and begin to develop a sense of rhythm.

p.7

Improvements since the last inspection

The playschool provides many opportunities for children to write for a variety of purposes and develop mathematical concepts through activities. Children enjoy a range of investigating the natural world and modern technology. They have the opportunity to develop their physical skills as they have fun balancing and climbing on the apparatus' provided. They also enjoy listening to different types of music and creating their own. Thus, supporting and enhancing children's development and learning.

p.7

Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted. 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.

p.7

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

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.8

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

p.8

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.8

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): • conduct a risk assessment of the premises and an action plan that identifies action to be taken to minimise identified risks • review the system for recording children's and staff's hours of attendance • improve knowledge and understanding of the requirements set out in regulations and set in place a procedure to notify Ofsted of any changes in committee members within 14 days of the event, if possible in advance.

p.8

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 opportunities for children to link sound to letters during activities.

p.8

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

p.8

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

p.8