Willow Bank Junior School

Broughton Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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109890 Unique Reference Number 13 December 2007 Inspection date Helen Mary Ball Inspector

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Broughton Infant and Primary School, Broughton, Stockbridge, Hampshire, SO20 8AN

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E-mail

The Trustees of Broughton Playgroup Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional 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?

Broughton Playgroup opened in its present location in 2000 and operates from the school hall

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

in Broughton Village Primary School, Hampshire. A maximum of 19 children may attend the setting at any one time. The setting is open each weekday from 09:00 to 11:45 during term time. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 27 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 21 children receive funding for early education. Children primarily come from the local area. The setting currently supports four children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and is able to support children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The playgroup employs four members of staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification.

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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 in the event of minor accidents because all staff hold a current first aid qualification, and all necessary consents have been obtained from parents to seek emergency medical advice or treatment. Documentation effectively supports children's health and welfare. For example, accident and medication records are countersigned by parents, and comprehensive policies are in place. Children are protected from the spread of infection because they understand why they must wash their hands before eating, and staff ensure that tables are suitably cleaned before snack time.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy playing outside and their outdoor learning is planned into the curriculum on a daily basis. They benefit from a range of physical activities to develop their large muscle skills, as well as hand/eye coordination. Children use a wide range of equipment when playing outside. For example, children ride bikes and they enjoy pedalling and steering with increasing control. Children are showing good progress in throwing and catching activities. Children understand the effect of exercise on their bodies and they can tell the inspector that they need to keep moving in order to stay warm.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from healthy snacks, when they select from a range of organic fruits purchased from a local farm. However, drinking water is not always freely available to children throughout the session. Children enjoy the café-style snack system because they can choose when to eat their snack and who to sit with. This creates a sociable experience for children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Staff offer a warm welcome to children and this enables children to settle quickly; they have fun at this setting. Children greatly benefit from the calm and harmonious atmosphere, where there is a buzz of purposeful activity. The environment is well organised, bright and colourful. The hall is organised into curriculum areas and this means that children have plenty of space to play and they can relax in the book corner which is divided from the main play area. Children greatly benefit from a wide range of accessible toys and resources which cover all areas of learning. These are organised in clear, labelled boxes which means that children can self-select; this encourages children's independence.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are kept safe by a range of effective procedures and their welfare is assured in the event of a fire because they take part in regular fire drills. Children are safeguarded because staff have undertaken training in child protection. Children are secure because doors and gates are kept locked during session times. Staff are exceptionally skilled at supervising children closely without compromising children's independence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and busy at this setting and they have fun. They settle quickly because staff are friendly and welcoming, and they freely access a wide range of inviting activities. Children have good relationships with staff, and there is laughter throughout the setting as staff and children play alongside each other. The keyworker system means that staff know individual

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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 well. Children benefit from the way the sessions are organised around a continuous curriculum and free play. This allows children to develop independence and have a sense of purpose in many of the tasks they do. Some systems are in place for staff to monitor and maintain an overview of children's choices to check whether they access the whole curriculum. Children learn to care for living things. They tell the inspector that the playgroup hamster "Buzz" needs clean water every day and that his cage needs to be clean for him to stay healthy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good and children are making good progress in all areas of learning. The continuous curriculum means that children have many opportunities to learn through play in their chosen activities and at their own pace. As a result children show exceptional levels of concentration because they are interested in what they are doing. Children are confident in approaching adults when they want help and staff offer plenty of relevant praise and encouragement. As a result, children's self esteem is high. Children learn about a range of cultures and beliefs through carefully planned activities and some are linked to children who attend the setting. For example, they celebrated Thanksgiving when they made pumpkin pies and a parent told the children the story of the first Thanksgiving. Children are very keen to work at the computer using simple programmes; they use the mouse with control and some

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children are skilled at using simple "drag and drop" techniques.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy books and join in with group stories with enthusiasm. Children have an abundance of opportunities to make marks and practise their writing skills through a wide range of activities. Staff carefully plan a well resourced role play area and this covers all areas of children's learning. For example, children delight in "working" in the post office where they write letters and post cards, sell stamps and use a till confidently. They make envelopes with card, sticky labels and sellotape and they excitedly post their letters. Children take turns in collecting the letters and delivering them around the group with a sense of great importance. Children self-register at the setting and most children can read their names without help. Staff encourage children to write their names on their art work and children confidently fetch their name cards to copy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children confidently count and recognise numbers when playing simple board games and through daily routines. Children's creative development is a strength of the setting. They relish the vast range of art and craft equipment and delight in rummaging through the art trolley as they create pictures using glue, paint, glitter, snow and stars. Staff ensure that children have free access to a range of brushes, sponges and scissors. Staff understand how children learn and do not restrict children's creative work; they value the process of children's efforts and praise the outcome. As a result, children develop a great sense of a job well done. Children's delight in their work is infectious; as a child finishes her picture, she puts her hands on her hips and claps herself and children alongside her spontaneously join in the clapping.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Planning is thorough and effectively ensures that children make good progress and are challenged. Staff understand how children learn and they provide effective teaching to help children progress. They are suitably deployed and work well as a team to provide a high level of sensitive support for children. Activities are thoroughly evaluated to ensure the intended outcomes have been met, and to allow future provision to be successful. Children make very good progress because their learning is accurately measured through observations and assessment. Parents are consulted before their children start at the setting and this means that staff understand children's individual levels of development when starting at the pre-school. Ongoing progress is carefully recorded and monitored to ensure that all children are developing their skills and knowledge.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children benefit from this inclusive environment. Staff treat children with great respect; they listen carefully to what children have to say and value their efforts. Children have opportunities to learn about other cultures and children play with a range of resources which reflect positive images of society. Toys and equipment are accessible to all children, and staff ensure that activities are differentiated to take account of children's individual stages of development. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported. The special educational needs coordinator oversees their learning and liaises with relevant outside agencies such as speech therapists to ensure children's needs are met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave very well given their ages and stages of development. They play cooperatively together and form good friendships. They share toys and take turns as they play. However, there are no systems in place to help children understand the time they take at an activity. For example, some children take longer at computer games than others and this can cause some frustration. The excellent organisation and presentation of activities impacts on children's behaviour. They are interested and busy throughout the session, and staff are consistent in their explanations to children. This promotes overall good behaviour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the effective partnership that exists between their parents and the pre-school. Families are given a great deal of information and have induction visits prior to their child starting. This reassures parents and children and helps children to settle quickly. Parents are invited to help at sessions and this gives them an insight into the running of the pre-school. Parents report that staff are approachable and friendly. Parents receive a comprehensive prospectus and the setting takes account of parents with additional needs as they have produced a prospectus both in Braille and on tape.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good in relation to nursery education. Staff find out about children's starting points and share children's assessment records with parents. This means that they can effectively work together to plan children's next steps in learning. Parents receive an initial information pack about the Foundation Stage, but they are not always made aware of how the activities provided help their children to progress through the stepping stones, or how they can help their children at home. Parents report that they are very happy with the progress their children are making, and feel that they can approach the staff at any time if they have concerns. Parents can see their children's records at any time, and also have planned meetings when they can meet with their child's keyworker for more formal discussions.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children settle quickly to activities when they arrive because the room is well prepared and staff are on hand to welcome them and support them in their play. Children understand the playschool routines, and the continuous play provision provides a relaxed framework for children. Children's health, welfare and learning are underpinned by the comprehensive range of policies and procedures. Staff work exceptionally well as a team and this means that children receive seamless care and education.

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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 pre-school is supported by a parent committee. They meet regularly to discuss relevant issues and the committee is successful at arranging fundraising initiatives that are enthusiastically supported by parents. Committee members are dedicated to performing their roles effectively and they have developed suitable recruitment and vetting procedures when appointing staff. They ensure that Criminal Record Bureau checks are carried out, staff complete an induction period and then take part in annual appraisals. However, the interview process does not fully explore applicant's medical history. The appointment of staff is underpinned by the staffing policy.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of the nursery education are good. The supervisor leads a very stable staff team who work exceptionally well together. Curriculum planning of the nursery education is thorough and the manager and staff continually evaluate the provision to ensure that children’s learning is maximised. Organised training and the sharing of professional expertise enables staff to develop their skills further.

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Organisation

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 setting was asked to ensure supervisory staff obtain relevant qualifications, ensure the attendance record shows times of arrival and departure and to ensure that the premises are secure at all times. The supervisor now holds a Level 3 qualification and has a good understanding of how children learn. The premises are secure and register is accurate. This means that children are safeguarded.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection the setting was asked to improve the planning and assessment of physical play activities to ensure consistent development, provide opportunities for children to label their own work, and to provide more opportunities for children to work with pattern and number.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, children are consistently supported in labelling their work, and they experience a wide range of activities to develop their number and pattern work. For example, they play simple board games and show concentration when threading beads in a pattern. Children's physical development is well promoted because staff consistently plan a wide range of activities to develop children's large and small muscle skills.

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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 good.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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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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): • consider ways to encourage children to monitor their turn taking, so that their independence is further developed • put systems in place to ensure that all new staff are medically suitable to work with children • ensure that drinking water is accessible to children throughout the session

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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): • continue to develop and implement systems to monitor and evaluate the provision to ensure that children access all areas of the curriculum • enhance partnership with parents further by sharing Foundation Stage plans with parents so that they are fully aware of what their children are doing on a daily basis and further support parents in linking the learning to their home environment

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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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