Panda Play Playgroup

Panda Play Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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205715 Unique Reference Number 19 March 2008 Inspection date Linda Cook Inspector

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The Old School Hall, West Street, Winterton, North Lincs, DN15 9QG Setting Address

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E-mail

Panda Play Playgroup Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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?

Panda Play Playgroup opened in 1993 and is managed by a voluntary committee. It operates from The Old School Hall, a community centre, in the village of Winterton near Scunthorpe. It serves children and families living in the local area. Facilities, such as the local infant school and library, are close by.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group has use of two large halls, kitchen and toilet facilities and an enclosed outdoor area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 40 children on roll and 17 are in receipt of nursery education funding. The group welcomes children who have additional education needs and /or disabilities. Currently no children with English as an additional language attend.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The playgroup opens during school term times. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday sessions are from 09.15 to 11.45 and on Wednesdays and Fridays the setting is open all day from 09.15 to 15.15.

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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 Four staff work with the children, all of whom hold a recognised childcare qualification. The setting receives the support of an early years teacher from the local authority and has completed two of the three steps in the local authority quality assurance scheme, 'Steps to Quality'.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children begin to understand the benefits of a healthy diet, through the provision of nutritious snacks including fresh and dried fruit. There is a cafeteria style arrangement for snack time and children can choose when they want to eat. The children talk with staff about how fruit grows and which foods are good for them increasing their understanding of healthy eating. Parents provide packed lunches for those children who attend the two full days and the children develop their social skills as they sit together with staff to eat their meal.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children are cared for in a welcoming, clean environment where they learn about good hygiene practices. They independently attend to their own personal care needs, washing their hands after visiting the toilet and before eating, with minimum support. They are effectively protected from cross infection as they are provided with liquid soap, wipes and individual means of drying their hands, and there is a clear sick child policy. All staff have a current first aid certificate and appropriate accident and medication records are maintained.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy being active outdoors; they access the secure outdoor play area most days. Children move with control and co-ordination, they successfully negotiate obstacles and develop their physical skills as they confidently use a range of resources that support their physical development. They move around the environment safely, with control and are beginning to respect each other's space as they find a place to sit at group circle times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Risks of accidental injuries to children are minimised because staff are vigilant in their supervision of the children and they complete regular risk assessments to reduce potential hazards. The premises are secure and the arrangements for the delivery and collection of children are well organised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good understanding of how to let children have the freedom and independence to explore and investigate while maintaining safe limits. They encourage them to learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, by discussing road safety before taking children on outings and ensuring children are given age appropriate explanations as to the reasons behind the behavioural boundaries which are in place. They are provided with regular opportunities to practise the emergency evacuation procedure. Visits to the pre-school by the community policeman, fire service and school crossing patrol person also increases children's awareness and enables them to develop an appropriate sense of danger and learn how to protect themselves from harm.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children use a wide range of good quality equipment which is clean and well maintained. Toys and resources are made accessible to the children for self selection, safely within their reach. Children are protected from possible abuse because the staff have a sound knowledge of child protection issues and there is a named person who takes the lead on child protection. All staff

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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 attend safe guarding children training and this is updated. A clear child protection policy ensures they are aware of the procedures to follow should they have concerns and relevant information is kept on file for reference.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children settle very well at the pre-school due to the effective implementation of the settling-in policy and the clear focus on this by the caring staff. Children are confident when they arrive and they separate well from parents and carers. They find their name card and post it in the container provided before they eagerly seek out friends and their chosen activity. They develop their independence to a good level as they operate independently in the environment. They spend their time purposefully and remain motivated, interested and involved throughout the whole session. The use of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and its incorporation in the planning process ensures young children enjoy a wide range of activities which enable them to build on what they know and can do.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching is good. Staff work well as a team; they are clear in their roles and provide consistent levels of support and interaction with the children. Children make good progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Staff are secure in their understanding of the Foundation Stage of learning and this is demonstrated in the detailed planning linked to the areas of learning. Regular observations of the children contribute to the assessment process; these are recorded in the children's individual assessment files. The clear links between the two allow staff to successfully plan for the individual next steps in children's learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The available space is used well, this enables the children to successfully initiate their own play and staff ensure children have sufficient time to complete activities. Staff show particular skills at extending children's learning through sensitive questioning encouraging children to extend their thinking and predict what might happen next.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Careful thought is given to the resources provided and they are used very effectively to motivate and extend children's. For example, the props used at story time effectively involve the children in the story and maintains their interest. While there is a satisfactory range of play opportunities and resources in the outdoor area the setting continues to develop the outdoor area to ensure the whole curriculum is available to the children and reflects that indoors.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing very good communication skills, they are confident in speaking to others and eager to share their experiences with the staff. They participate in group activities and listen to others. They demonstrate emergent writing skills; they are encouraged to write their name on their work and form recognisable letters. They begin to recognise their name in print as part of the arrangements for registration and snack time. They are able to link letter sounds and most children can sound the letters of their names. Children have good access to a wide range of books; they handle them well turning pages appropriately and following print from left to right. They listen attentively to stories and join in the telling of their favourite ones.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop their numbers skills through a variety of everyday opportunities which encourage them to count, recognise shapes and make simple calculations. For example, they

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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 count the number of children present, calculate how many cups and plates they need and identify shapes such as circles, triangles and hearts. Mathematical language is evident in their play as they talk about things being bigger, smaller, full and empty. They use a range of commercial resources and junk materials to construct and make models in 2D and 3D.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have many opportunities to increase their knowledge of the world about them through activities and topics planned by staff. They talk about the weather and the seasons. Outside the children have access to a small planting area where they sow seeds, plant bulbs and monitor their growth.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use their imagination well in a variety of role play scenarios and play co-operatively together, for example, when they pretend to sell cakes in the bakers shop or repair cars in the garage workshop. They enjoy a range of craft activities and concentrate well as they create the effect they desire using a variety of materials which they self-select from a range made available to them. They name colours correctly as they choose resources to decorate their Easter cards and eggs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They develop their fine motor skills to a good level as they confidently use scissors, pencils, paint brushes, glue sticks and cutters at the dough table. They extend their gross motor skills as they use a variety of equipment indoors and outdoors including, climbing apparatus, small trampoline and wheeled toys which they manoeuvre skilfully. They join in an increasing range of children's songs and action rhymes and have access to a range of instruments which they use to beat a rhythm.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children are valued as individuals. The staff use their knowledge about children's individual needs, their interests and their families effectively to help them to feel settled. Registration forms are completed by parents to ensure each child's individual needs are known and accommodated. The parents of new starters receive written information in the form of a registration pack and are informed of the policies and procedures and how they can access them. They are invited to make pre-start visits with their child as part of the settling in process.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children develop their independence to a good level as they are encouraged to make choices as they choose activities and resources, attend to their own personal care needs and put on their coats before playing outdoors, with appropriate levels of support from staff where necessary. Systems are in place to ensure children with additional educational needs and /or disabilities receive the support they need to fully participate in all the activities and make good progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children are relaxed, confident and behave very well. The children share and take turns with the minimum of support from the adults who intervene sensitively if minor disputes erupt. The older children play co-operatively together and enjoy the company of their peers. This is due to the firm emphasis placed on this aspect of their care and the pleasant, yet industrious atmosphere created by the adults. Children develop good manners saying please and thank you with gentle reminders from staff should they forget. Children begin to value differences as they learn about the wider world and celebrate festivals from their own culture and that of others. Trips out in the local community to the park, local shops and places of interest broaden the knowledge of the wider world. There are good links with the local school which is close by. The pre-school children make visits to school and the school nursery children visit the playgroup,

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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 helping the children to prepare for their next steps in life. As a result children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are kept well informed of their children's progress and the key worker system provides parents with a point of contact. Parents contribute to the assessment process by completing a 'this is me booklet' with their children. The learning partnership is strengthened as parents have ongoing opportunities to contribute to assessments and staff make suggestions how parents can continue their child's learning at home. The children's assessment files are kept on the premises which parents are welcome to access at any time on request. These are shared with school and then passed on to parents when the children leave. A parent's open day is organised giving parents an opportunity to discuss their child's achievements with staff. Information about the Early years curriculum is provided in the written information given to parents and displayed around the room for parents to refer to.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The available indoor space and resources are organised effectively to ensure children are able to move easily and safely accessing their chosen activity. Children initiate their own play and learning well and are relaxed and confident in the consistent and well organised routines which meet their needs. Due to the layout of the premises children can not independently access the outdoor play area. Staff have been working with the early years support teacher to increase the range of outdoor activities. However, the Early Years curriculum is not fully reflected in the outdoor learning environment.

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Organisation

Appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures ensure children are cared for by staff that are suitable and have the knowledge and understanding to promote children's all round development. While there is a range of detailed policies and procedures in place which are used to support their good practice these are not individual to the setting. All requirements for record keeping and documentation are in place to meet the National Standards. These include parental consents, accident records, records of attendance and individual children's details.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is good. The children benefit from the committed staff group that are experienced and have a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage of learning and the associated stepping stones. They work extremely effectively as a team and are clear in their roles and responsibilities. A staff appraisal system is used to identify training needs and the management committee supports on-going staff training, ensuring children are cared for by knowledgeable staff. The group has a very positive approach to the improvement and development of the service and is very pleased to have recently successfully complete step two of the quality kite mark 'Steps to Quality'

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Organisation

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 pre-school was asked to; ensure the snacks provided for children include healthy options, to provide opportunities for children to complete simple problem solving exercises in practical ways and to plan a range of activities to raise their awareness of letter sounds.

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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 range of snacks provided now include a range of healthy options; each day the children choose from healthy options such as fresh and dried fruit and bread sticks. The children increase their problem solving skills as part of the daily routines, for example, they work out how many children there are at the snack table and how many plates and cups they will need. Staff use a listening centre and circle time to encourage the children's listen skills. Children are encouraged to repeat the sounds they hear and the sound of the letter their name begins with.

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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 complaint 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): • continue to develop the outdoor learn environment to fully reflect the Early Years curriculum (also applies to nursery education) • continue the review of policies and procedures and ensure they are individual to the setting.

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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):

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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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