Chapel-En-Le-Frith Playgroup

Chapel-En-Le-Frith Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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EY367564 Unique Reference Number 11 July 2008 Inspection date Jennifer Getty Inspector

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Scout Headquarters, Thornbrook Road, Chapel-En-Le-Frith, High Peak, SK23 0LX

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Setting Address

01298 815148 Telephone number shauna.beresford@hotmail.com E-mail Chapel-En-Le-Frith Playgroup Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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Setting Address

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?

Chapel-En-Le-Frith Playgroup has been open since 1982 and re-registered in 2007 with a change in status. It operates from the scout headquarters in Chapel-En-Le-Frith, Derbyshire. There is a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The pre-school serves the local area and surrounding villages.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting opens five days a week during the school term only. Sessions are from 09:00 until 12:00 Monday to Friday. There are currently 35 children from two years, five months to four years, three months on roll. This includes 15 children who receive funding for nursery education. The setting currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting employs three full-time and four part-time staff who work with the children. Most of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from Derbyshire local authority.

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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's good health is promoted through a range of clear policies and procedures. Children take responsibility for washing their hands at appropriate times in the day. The risk of cross-contamination is reduced because they use liquid soap and paper towels at all times, and the nappy changing procedure is hygienic. The setting takes appropriate measures when children are ill or have an accident. Prior written parental permission is sought for the administration of medication and accidents are recorded, although there is not always sufficient detail regarding the location of the injury in order to monitor children's health appropriately. There is always more than one member of staff present who holds a first aid qualification and the pre-school obtain written permission for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment, however, children's health is not fully promoted because it is not clear for parents whether the emergency medical

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Helping children to be healthy

There are daily opportunities for children to enjoy physical exercise as they choose activities both indoors and outdoors, as well as having outdoor play as a group. The outdoor area has a variety of activities set out for children including water play and mark-making. They enjoy riding bicycles, demonstrating their ability to negotiate space well, and concentrate as they try to balance on stilts. Children are developing good large muscle skills and are confident using the outdoor equipment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children thoroughly enjoy the buffet-style snack as they choose from fruit, cereals, toast and vegetables. They often choose a range of foods, for example, raisins, apple, carrot, cucumber and toast. Children's dietary needs are met because staff obtain relevant information when children start pre-school. Snack is an enjoyable and social occasion when staff sit with children and talk about home life.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The playgroup is welcoming with brightly coloured mats which identify various play areas. The role play corner is well resourced and there is a comfortable mark-making and reading area which provides children with a quiet space to rest. Activities are laid out ready for children as they arrive and they immediately find an area to play in. Toys and resources are suitable for the children's ages and stages in development, and are checked regularly to ensure they are safe to use. Staff carry out checks to ensure the security of the premises is suitable. Children have free access to the outdoor play area, however, there is a gap under the fencing which joins the play area and main building. The risk of children going under the fence and onto the car park is minimised because there are staff supervising both indoors and outdoors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The setting has completed risk assessments of the building and daily checks are carried out. This means that staff identify and minimise potential hazards. Children are learning to keep themselves safe through emergency escape practices which are recorded and they talk about the fire brigade during role play activities. There is suitable fire safety equipment in place.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are further protected because staff have a suitable knowledge of their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures into practice when necessary. There are detailed policies and procedures in place which are available to parents.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled. They are purposefully engaged in a broad range of interesting and stimulating activities. They know routines well and respond positively to these, enjoying their time singing as a group and gathering for register time. Young children are developing good levels of self-esteem and confidence as they make choices about their activities and proudly show others their work. Activities are adapted for their stage in development and children of all ages play well together. Staff support children in their play and encourage them to try new things. Painting, play dough, reading, cars and role play are some of the play opportunities available and these are changed regularly to meet the needs of the children. There are separate story times so that the needs of younger children are met. They choose books carefully and they listen well to the story, either individually or in groups. Children's

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

individual needs inform planning and children's attainment is recorded in their files.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage and are able to use their knowledge to promote the learning outcomes for children during activities. Most staff contribute to planning on a weekly basis, ensuring there are appropriate activities available for their key worker children. Observations are carried out frequently and used to inform the assessment process, staff record children's next steps. Staff do not complete assessment records for their own key worker group and although they demonstrate a good knowledge of children's abilities they are not making full use of the assessment system to support their planning for children's next steps. Staff use appropriate language to adapt activities in order to support their play and offer challenge, however, there is not always consistent challenge for more able children in the areas of calculating, linking sounds and letters, and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

writing their own name. Time and resources are well managed and staff are able to spend their time purposefully with children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have good levels of independence as they excitedly find their coats and put them on to go outside. They are keen to try things for themselves and know when to ask adults for help. They are beginning to understand the needs and views of others as they talk about their home life and include other children in their games. They are able to express themselves and demonstrate high levels of concentration as they listen to stories with interest. This is supported by the use of puppets and open-ended questioning which allows children to take part in the story. Children are able to recount well-known stories and nursery rhymes, often demonstrating their confidence in using number. They are able to name basic shapes and use vocabulary such as big, small, more and less. Children play well together and negotiate roles with each other during play. There are plenty of opportunities for mark-making and they are able to develop

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their emerging writing skills during play. They enjoy drawing on the large roll of paper outside, painting and using the pens and paper in the role play area. Older children are able to recognise their own names and are beginning to link sounds to letters when looking at name cards before snack. However, more able children are not always challenged in this area as staff write their names on work and there are missed opportunities for children to see their own names.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children confidently explore their surroundings and topics relating to mini-beasts encourage them to investigate living objects, for example, they look at large snails brought into pre-school. Children are confident using electronic toys and they express themselves through a variety of different media and materials. For example, they paint large colourful pictures and carefully make an object with play dough. Children talk freely about their experiences at home and link

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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 these to their play in pre-school. There are regular opportunities for children to respond to music, by moving, singing or playing instruments. The activities offered support children in the development of their fine movement skills, for example, they accurately hammer nails into the shape game.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff listen to children's views helping them feel valued and secure. There are detailed policies in place that support equality of opportunity and staff plan and provide a range of activities and opportunities for children to develop an understanding of cultural diversity. Children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive appropriate support to ensure their individual needs are met and that they are fully included in the setting. Staff work with parents and outside agencies in order to plan for children's needs. There is a policy in place informing parents of how children with additional needs are cared for, however, children's welfare is not fully supported because it does not describe how the setting works with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are well behaved and show respect for others. They are encouraged to share and are learning to take responsibility for their actions as they say sorry to each other. Children are polite, saying 'please' and 'thank you'. They receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff and say 'well done' to those who receive reward stickers. Children's awareness of other cultures, beliefs and backgrounds is supported by a range of resources and activities, as well as appropriate discussion with staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The positive relationship with parents supports children's care and welfare. Staff are available to talk to parents daily about children's progress and experiences, and information gained is used to effectively support children's care. Parents receive information about the setting, staff and activities, and children are helped to settle easily. Policies and procedures are available for parents to see and there is a detailed complaints procedure, although not all parents are aware of the policy. The partnership with parents and carers of children in receipt of funding for early education is satisfactory. Parents receive information about the curriculum and children's files are available for parents to view. Information regarding children's progress is generally shared through discussion after sessions and newsletters are sent home with information about the term's topic and activities. Children are able to bring items into playgroup from home, for

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Helping children make a positive contribution

example, items which link to the shape of the week, however, there are limited opportunities for parents to be involved in or to support children's learning at home.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for by experienced staff, most of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications. There are clear procedures in place for the recruitment and induction of staff to ensure that children's welfare is supported at all times. The implementation of a staff appraisal system means that staff's strengths and training needs are identified, supporting their ongoing professional development. Staff have attended various training which supports children's learning and enjoyment. Most documentation is well organised and managed, although there are some policies and documents which do not contain sufficient detail to reflect the good practice. Time and space is well organised and the staff deployment rota means that children receive consistent support during play.

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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 Leadership and management is good. Staff have regular planning meetings when they ensure that children's needs are incorporated into the week's plans. Staff work well as a team and managers regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery education. The setting have forged strong links with the Derbyshire Local Authority and demonstrate a clear commitment to its development and improvement of care. Overall children's needs are met.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • improve the safety of the fencing between the building and outdoor play area to ensure that children are unable to leave unsupervised • ensure that all documentation contains sufficient detail and made available to parents.

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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 the planning and assessment system to ensure that children are consistently offered greater challenge, with particular reference to calculating, linking sounds and letters and the children's opportunities to write their own name • further promote the partnership with parents by developing links between home and the playgroup with particular reference to the sharing of relevant activities to continue some play and learning activities at home.

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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 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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