Walesby School Playgroup

Walesby School Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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EY271979 Unique Reference Number 13 March 2008 Inspection date Angela Hufton Inspector

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Walesby Primary School, New Hill, Walesby, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG22 9PB

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E-mail

Walesby School Playgroup Registered person Integrated Type of inspection 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 satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Walesby School Playgroup opened in 2003 and incorporated 'Night Owls After School Club' in 2007. All aspects of the provision are run by the voluntary management committee. The provision operates from the pre-school room in Walesby Primary School and serves children from the village and rural surrounding areas. There are close links with the school. A maximum of 21 children, aged two to five, may attend the playgroup or wraparound session at any one time. Currently there are 24 children on roll including 19 children in receipt of early education funding. The after school aspect of the provision is registered to care for a maximum of 23 children aged three to eight at any one time. The setting accepts children up to the age of 11 and currently has 47 children on roll including 11 children under eight. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Children attend on a part-time basis. The provision is

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

open each weekday from 11:15 until 12:30 for the wraparound session; 12:30 until 15:00 for the playgroup session; 15:15 to 17:40 for the after school session. The provision operates during Nottinghamshire term time. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The provision employs 13 staff, including a manager for the playgroup session and a manager for the after school session. They hold appropriate qualifications for their roles. Of the other

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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 staff six hold Level 3 qualifications and a further two staff are working towards this. The provision receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and '4Children'.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are beginning to learn about healthy eating because staff have a sound understanding of childhood nutrition. They help themselves to a selection of healthy snacks, most children enthusiastically tucking in to pieces of apple and banana or slices of toast and cheese spread. Children talk about their favourites such as green grapes and try to identify the pictures of the fruit within the printed table cloth. They begin to understand that fruit and milk is good for them. Children's individual dietary needs are met as clear information is gathered from parents about allergies or special dietary requirements and this ensures children can eat safely. Most staff hold current first aid certificates so that they know what to do in the event of an accident or emergency. Children who become unwell in the setting are reassured and given appropriate attention until their parents arrive. Other children are protected from any cross-infection as

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Helping children to be healthy

staff deal calmly with the situation. Individual records are in place to make sure that the appropriate care is given with regard to medication or emergency treatment. Whilst clear recording systems are in place for accidents and these are generally shared with parents, at times the level of detail is insufficient to fully ensure all aspects of children's on-going health needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn about personal hygiene through regular routines such as washing their hands after using the toilet. They talk about germs being 'invisible' and 'they can make your tummy poorly'. Staff act as good role models, wiping down surfaces before serving food and after children have eaten to help children to stay healthy. Children learn about leading a healthy lifestyle through practical experiences; they run around and exert themselves outdoors, which helps them to learn the importance of regular fresh air and exercise. Children develop good physical coordination as they pedal, or speed along on various wheeled toys and understand why they need to wear helmets to stay safe. This helps them to develop good muscle control, feel relaxed and develop a sense of overall well-being. They have good opportunities to develop their climbing skills as they adeptly move up and down the spider's web. Children also have

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Helping children to be healthy

good opportunities to move in a variety of ways as they practice crawling along or balancing on a beam. They have great fun practising their throwing skills as they aim a bean bag through a hoop, trying this from greater distances each time and jumping with glee at their success.

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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 welcoming and well-maintained environment. They move around safely in the space provided under the constant supervision of the staff. The premises are secure and staff are vigilant in only releasing children to known adults. Children and adults practise the fire drill regularly so they know what to do in an emergency. Children are beginning to learn about keeping themselves safe as staff explain the dangers to them to ensure they learn how to avoid accidental injury, such as why they need to sit carefully on their chairs at snack time. Children's safety is further promoted through generally effective use of risk assessments to identify potential hazards and accident records are monitored for patterns to identify any safety measures that need to be taken.

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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 Children play with a good range of equipment and resources that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. Resources have been chosen to support children’s play, they are cleaned and checked regularly to ensure that they remain safe and in good condition. The recent addition of an armchair has proved popular and children enjoy sitting with their friends to read stories. Children are suitably protected and kept safe from harm in the event of child protection concerns because all staff have an understanding of their role. However, the settings policy does not clearly state staff or committee responsibility. The policy does not refer to the procedures laid out in government guidance. In addition, details of children's existing injuries are not consistently recorded to promote their welfare. Staff are unsure who should be doing

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

this, including when children arrive directly from school. Therefore children’s welfare is not fully safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the playgroup and afterschool club, they benefit from warm and affectionate relationships with staff which develop their confidence and a sense of security. The homely atmosphere means that children separate happily from their parents and carers and settle into their activities quickly on arrival. Children play happily together and are developing positive relationships with one another and this contributes to their sense of belonging. For example, children in the afterschool session seek out particular friends and become engrossed in imaginative play with small world toys. They have great fun creating a farmland scenario, each having their own separate land but helping the horses jump over the fences and giggling in delight. Other children in the afterschool session enjoy making bead pictures and taking their creations home such as a letter 'b' for their siblings birthday. Younger

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children are involved and interested in the good range of activities and resources on offer, which they access to develop their own play. All children confidently offer their comments and ideas, which staff treat with respect and this develops their self-esteem.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have suitable experience and knowledge of the Foundation Stage. They use their understanding to plan a satisfactory range of activities, over a period of time, so that children access learning opportunities across all areas of the curriculum. Key workers monitor children's progress towards the early learning goals and use the stepping stones to inform children's assessment records and track their development. However, these observations are often repeated and do not clearly identified the progress children have made since the previous observation. Clear evaluation of children's learning is limited. Information from children's assessment records is beginning to be used as the basis for planning, however, this is at an early stage and has yet to maximise individual children's progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children demonstrate a sound understanding of numbers, counting and calculation. They readily use numbers in their play and enjoy singing number rhymes such as 'Once I caught a fish alive'. Children begin to learn about more and less as they work out the numbers of red and grey cups at snack time and if there are enough for all the children at the table. They access resources for matching and ordering and they are beginning to sort objects for size and colour. Children develop their technology skills as they competently use the computer and a range of appropriate programmes. Their independence skills are developing well. They persevere in tasks that stimulate them and concentrate as they read familiar stories to their friend or visitors to the setting. They demonstrate pride in their achievements, effectively supported by appropriate

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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 praise from the staff. Children's behaviour is good and they are developing good turn-taking skills as they negotiate for popular resources, such as the computer and understand when the sand reaches the bottom of the timer they must move onto another activity. They are developing good listening skills as they competently follow simple instructions to carry out small tasks. Children learn to take responsibility for tasks such as handing out the fruit at snack times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children express their imagination in role play as they re-enact familiar scenarios and enjoy varied opportunities as the role play area is changed to a post office or travel agents. All children are interested in what they do. For example, they select junk materials to create models and have fun making sandcastles of varied shapes and sizes, through which they also develop their manipulative skills. They learn about the world around them through topic work about their village and enthusiastically point out their friend's house. Children speak confidently in groups, sharing their knowledge with others and talking about what they know. For example, they discuss that it is windy or cold and they need their big coat on. They are confident to sing to their friends and make jokes, such as telling a staff member they are going to sing one song and then singing another. Children's early writing skills are developing as they begin to use

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

marks to represent their ideas. They understand that print carries meaning and they enjoy listening to well read stories or looking at books alone.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children in the playgroup benefit from good settling in procedures that are based around their individual needs which helps to support children in the transition between home and the setting. They further benefit because close relationships are established with the local toddler group and home visits are carried out before children attend playgroup. This helps to develop children’s sense of belonging. Good links are established with the school to ensure continuity of care and learning. All parents receive information about the setting so they know about activities and events, and have daily opportunities to discuss their child with staff. Most documentation is in place to share information with parents and carers so that they know about the setting's policies and procedures. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities benefit from caring one-to-one support, which enables them to participate at an appropriate level. Staff

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Helping children make a positive contribution

work with parents, carers and other agencies to support the children's needs, which ensure that they are included within the setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Their behaviour is good and they are learning to work together co-operatively. Staff act as good role models, using positive language to reinforce the rules of the setting, for example, in the afterschool club helping a child understand why they need to say sorry when they have accidentally run into another child during outdoor play. Staff use appropriate methods to help young children share and take turns, such as using a tambourine to indicate that they need to pass their bike or scooter to another child. The behaviour policy does not fully support this good practice as it refers to the exclusion of children for inappropriate behaviour and does not explain to parents how the setting are supporting children to learn about good behaviour. Children access a suitable range of resources that promote a positive view of the wider world and this helps them

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Helping children make a positive contribution

to understand about their differences and similarities. Children in the afterschool particularly enjoyed making a large scale Chinese dragon and enthusiastically talk about this as they look through photographs of the Chinese New Year activities they were involved in. This helps them understand about other cultures and festivals.

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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 The partnership with parents and carers of children in receipt of early education is good. Staff meet regularly with parents to discuss their child’s progress and they receive information about playgroup activities. This is further supported through open afternoons where they are given information on the Foundation Stage. A large file of photographs is available for parents to see how the different activities their child is involved in links to the different areas of their development. Parents do not currently contribute to their child's profile when they start at the setting, however, a home link diary has just been put in place and is beginning to help parents understand how they can use opportunities to support their child’s learning at home. This means they are aware of how activities help children learn and make progress towards the early

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from a welcoming and attractive environment that enables them to enjoy and achieve during their time at the playgroup and afterschool club. Staff demonstrate enthusiasm for creating a play and learning environment that stimulates and interests all children. Whilst there is a clear supervisor in place for the playgroup and after school sessions, there is no clear person in charge of the wraparound session. This does not benefit the overall welfare of the children, although they are cared for by suitably qualified and experienced staff.

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Organisation

Policies, records and procedures are in place and stored securely with the appropriate regard for confidentiality. However, some policies and procedures have not been sufficiently updated to promote best practice which potentially compromises children’s welfare and safety. For example, staff registers do not clearly demonstrate which staff are caring for which children. Policies are also not consistent across all aspects of the provision, for example, the complaints and behaviour policies in the afterschool have different details to those in the playgroup. This does not fully support children's welfare. Changes in the supervisors of the playgroup and afterschool club have not been notified as required. This is a breach of regulations to protect children. Although these supervisors have now been notified to the regulator, there is an impact on the overall quality judgement of the provision.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of children in receipt of funding for early education is good. The playgroup supervisor is committed to improvement to ensure that all children have access to good quality learning experiences and has begun to identify areas for improvement. Clear training and appraisal systems, managed by the committee, ensure that staff continually improve their knowledge to enable them to support children's learning. Sound recruitment procedures are in place and staff are vetted, which helps ensure children are suitably protected. Good levels of staff hold early years qualifications and children benefit from their sound knowledge and understanding of how children learn. The staff's ongoing commitment to attend further training and regular meetings enable them to work effectively as a team.

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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 agreed to three recommendations to improve their practice. The first of these was to provide children with a regular range of varied activities and resources that promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. The setting have taken some steps to address this and children access a suitable range of resources and take part in looking at festivals such as Diwali or Chinese new year. This helps begin to develop

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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 their awareness of others. The second recommendation was to make alterations to the physical environment to enable children better access to areas that encourage self help skills such as the height of coat pegs, access to toilets and wash hand basins. Children are now able to independently access toilets, their coat pegs and resources have been re-organised so children can self-select their play materials.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The final care recommendation was to develop clear systems to update and monitor all policies and procedures, to ensure all recording and reporting requirements are included, and that they are shared with parents. Whilst some systems have been developed, such as reviews of the operation plan, insufficient progress has been made to ensure all policies and procedures meet current requirements and promote good practice. The setting have since incorporated 'Night Owls After School Club' and policies and procedures are not consistent across the different aspects of the provision. This has been carried forward for further development.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the setting agreed to three recommendations to improve their practice. These were to plan to use opportunities in daily routines to introduce simple problems and raise children's awareness of sounds in words and letters. The setting have taken suitable steps, for example, using snack time to introduce counting and calculating such as do we have enough cups for the children sitting at the table or asking children to find their names when collecting their book bag to go home. A further recommendation was to improve access to design and making tools and materials to support children's independent learning. The setting have organised the room into clear areas including a construction area where children are able to go independently to design and make objects. Children are also able to access tools such as scissors when taking part in collage work or junk modelling.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The final nursery education recommendation was to share records of assessment with parents and provide more ways for parents to contribute what they know about their child to the assessment process. Open afternoons have been arranged where parents attend and look at their child's assessment records with the key-worker for their child. The setting have also recently introduced home link diaries to encourage parents to contribute what their child can do at home. This helps develop the partnership with parents and supports the planning for children's individual progress.

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE 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): • ensure the child protection policy and procedures comply with those of the Local Safeguarding Children's Board, including the recording of existing injuries, are based on the procedures laid out in the government booklet 'What To Do If You're Worried A Child Is Being Abused - Summary' and that staff and committee are able to put the procedures into practice • demonstrate that staff are deployed effectively within the provision to ensure the safety, welfare and development of children with particular reference to the 'wraparound' sessions • ensure the early years childcare inspector is informed at the earliest opportunity of any changes in the registered person or person in charge • ensure records, policies and procedures which are required to promote the welfare, care and learning of the children are revised in line with current requirements and

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The quality and standards of the care

regulations, and are consistent across all aspects of the provision with particular reference to registers for staff, visitors and children, accident records, the behaviour and complaints policies.

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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 the use of initial profiles to clearly identify children's starting points and improve the ways in which parents can contribute to this process • continue to develop the methods of observation and assessment to identify and evaluate children's learning and their next steps; using this information more effectively to inform planning for children's individual progress.

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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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