William Torbitt Infant School

Landulph Under Fives Inspection report for early years provision

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102821 Unique Reference Number 20 May 2008 Inspection date Sarah Jane Wignall Inspector

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Landulph Memorial Hall, Landulph, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6NE Setting Address

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E-mail

Landulph Under Fives 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 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?

Landulph Under Fives has been operating since 1970 and has been registered in its current form since 1991. It operates from Landulph village hall, a rural location, approximately eight miles from Saltash. The group is a registered charity run by a voluntary management committee made up of parents and interested others. The group serves the local area and outlying villages. The facilities include an entrance hall, toilets, main hall, kitchen and an enclosed outdoor play area. The group opens three days a week during school terms, between 09.30 and 15.00 on Monday and Thursday and from 09.30 to 12.00 on Tuesday. There are currently 25 children on roll, 21 of whom are in receipt of funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting employs three members of staff. Two hold recognised qualifications at Level 3 and one has a Level 2 qualification. This member of staff is also in the process of training for a Level 3 qualification. The group receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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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 satisfactory. Children are encouraged to develop independence in meeting their own needs, for instance, in visiting the toilet, washing their hands and getting a drink when they need one. However, this is not always overseen by staff. The setting has recently acquired a mobile sink unit, which is not yet operational, but will be beneficial in supporting children's personal hygiene and limiting the risks of cross-infection. Children are cared for in a large, bright and clean play room where they have plenty of space to play. They are protected as all staff hold current first aid certificates and they have access to a well stocked first aid kit. Suitable accident records are kept and shared with parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit as they are provided with a healthy range of snack items each day. Snack is served café style and children can visit it when they feel hungry rather than at a set time each day. They enjoy trying a wide range of fresh fruits, such as mango, pineapple, orange and bananas. Children enthusiastically use knives to cut themselves a slice of pineapple. They help themselves to water or milk with their snack and can access water at other times during the session. Children staying all day bring a packed lunch which is stored and served appropriately. Staff ensure they are aware of any special diets or allergies.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy access to fresh air and exercise most days. They have access to a small, enclosed patio area where they play with a range of resources such as hoops, balls and skittles. When staffing levels allow, the door is opened and children can choose to play indoors or out. Children show good balancing skills as they walk on stilts. They develop mathematical understanding as they play games such as 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' They show good spatial awareness as they move within the playroom and sit on the mat at circle time. Children are competent as they use a range of one-handed tools, such as knives, paintbrushes and pencils.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit as they are cared for in a safe and secure environment. Staff have recently introduced a daily checklist covering both indoor and outdoor areas. They ensure children do not access the kitchen area by use of safety gates at the door. The main entrance door is locked once children have arrived. Children learn about fire safety as they practise regular fire drills and staff are fully aware of evacuation routines. All fire fighting equipment is regularly serviced by the hall committee. Staff undertake risk assessments before any proposed outings and they ensure sufficient adults are available to meet the higher ratios required. Children are adequately supervised as they play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have access to an adequate range of toys and resources, most of which have been pre-selected by staff and set out ready for children's use. Staff monitor resources to ensure they remain safe and suitable. They teach children about safety as they remind them not to put counters in their mouths and not to run in the playroom.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected as staff have an adequate understanding of child protection procedures. They have appointed a designated member of staff for child protection and she is hoping to increase her knowledge and skills by attending additional training. Staff are aware of agencies to contact if concerned about children in their care.

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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 satisfactory. Young children are generally happy and settled at the setting. Staff offer good settling in procedures so that parents can stay while their children gain familiarity and confidence. They are well included in all activities and they particularly enjoy creating patterns with paint as they use cut fruit and vegetables to make shapes and patterns on paper. Many children use paint to create hand prints. Staff offer appropriate support to young children, often sitting with them to read stories in small groups. They join in with whole group activities, such as listening to and acting out the story of 'Handa's Surprise'. They enjoy using their senses to touch, smell and taste different fruits. Staff have begun to use observations and assessments to identify areas of learning but this has not yet been fully completed for all children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are generally happy and content during sessions. Staff have a suitable knowledge and understanding of how young children learn and they plan practical learning experiences, such as providing real fruit so that children can use their senses to bring a story to life. The playroom is adequately set out with different areas of learning, such as book, creative, and role play areas. Staff are hoping to improve the layout of the room by the addition of room dividers. Sessions are suitably divided into free play and structured activities. However, lack of self selection units means that children can only choose activities and resources from those chosen and set out by staff each day, rather than from the full range of resources available.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff use weekly planning sheets to identify areas of learning and they have begun to plan for the different ages and stages of children attending. They have recently introduced a system of observation and assessments but this is not yet sufficiently established to impact positively on planning. Some activities are not sufficiently well thought through and children not grouped appropriately to ensure more able children are sufficiently challenged. For instance, younger children were included with older ones when playing an alphabet lotto game. As a result, the younger ones lost interest and older children did not receive the support needed to further develop their understanding of sounds and letters. Staff deployment is not always effective, particularly at group and snack times. Some children become bored and restless while waiting for a member of staff to prepare their snack. During group times, staff do not always offer

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

sufficient support so that younger children remain busy and engaged.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have good relationships with each other and they enjoy playing with friends as they invent games using props. Staff support their play as they help tie up blankets to make dens and provide children with the resources they need. Children are learning to take turns as they act out the story of 'Handa's Surprise'. They wait until Handa comes to them to select their piece of fruit. Children have good opportunities to draw and make marks. They use paper and pencils to make shopping lists as they play shops in the role play area. Staff introduce new vocabulary as they describe a pineapple as spiky, sharp and rough. They model writing as they sound out the letters when writing children's names on their work. Children do not have consistent opportunities to recognise their name.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about growth and change as they plant seeds and flowers and watch them grow. Past projects have involved them making charts to plot the growth of their sunflowers at home. They have some opportunities to learn about technology as they play with the electronic till, but the computer is only currently available on a timetabled basis. Children learn about numbers

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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 and counting as they count out seven fruits in Handa's basket. Some children develop skills of calculation as they correctly identify that one more plate is needed when someone else sits down to eat and they can identify numbers on their place mats. They learn about 'heavier' and 'lighter' as they use scales to weight different vegetables. Some children correctly identify the heaviest basket and know that more is needed in the other basket so that the scales will balance. Children enjoy the opportunity to be creative using paint and pencils to create pictures and patterns. They use their imagination well when inventing games together in small groups.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit as they are cared for in a small village pre-school that is well supported in the local community. Children gain a good understanding of the local environment as they go on regular visits to local places of interest, such as a farm to see the new lambs and calves, a nature walk and picnic. Good links with the local primary school ensure children become familiar with the teacher and the setting before they move up. Children have some opportunities to learn about other cultures and traditions through the use of resources and planned activities. There are no children with learning difficulties/ disabilities currently attending but the setting have recently appointed a designated Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) who is booked to attend training so that her knowledge and skills will be up-to-date. She has established good links with Family Services so that advice and support can be sought should any concerns arise.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The setting have recently updated their special needs policy.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are responsive to the caring and consistent way in which staff manage behaviour. They have recently updated their policy and procedure and place a high emphasis on positive praise and encouragement. Children receive verbal encouragement for behaviour, such as putting on an apron or completing a picture. Staff encourage them to be independent in meeting their own needs for personal hygiene.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents are encouraged to be involved with the group, both on the management committee and helping on outings. New parents are provided with a prospectus outlining facts about the group and making reference to nursery education. Plans are in place to provide all parents with copies of policies and procedures for their future reference. Termly newsletters are used to inform parents of forthcoming topics and activities that their children will be participating in. Currently feedback is on an informal verbal basis, but staff are hoping to introduce a more formal system where they can share and discuss development records with parents. They have recently introduced a system to obtain information about children's ability on entry in order to help guide planning in the early stages of attendance. The complaints procedure does not include the address and telephone number

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Helping children make a positive contribution

of the regulator. The pre-school fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from being cared for by a small consistent staff team that are keen to develop practice at the group. Staff all hold appropriate qualifications and undertake additional training to support their development. They have a suitable awareness of their roles and responsibilities and generally sessions run smoothly. Organisation of sessions and deployment of staff is generally effective in meeting children's needs, although group times and snack times need

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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 more thought and planning. The grouping of children is not always well thought through during structured activities. The management committee have a good awareness of their roles and responsibilities and are keen to address weaknesses in the provision. They have developed systems to ensure all staff and committee members are appropriately vetted and checked and they are currently developing recruitment and selection procedures. These currently lack reference to medical suitability. They are aware of the need to protect children from unvetted adults but they have not yet developed a procedure to cover parents staying at the setting. The committee are currently reviewing and updating many of their policies and procedures. There are suitable systems in place to store documents confidentially on site.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the pre-school are satisfactory. Since the last inspection, both the staff and management committee have actively sought advice and help from outside agencies such as Family Services. They have developed appropriate action plans and are working to address the issues raised. Several improvements have already taken place, such as the acquisition of a mobile sink unit and funding to purchase new room dividers. The play leader plans to use advice from Family Services as a basis for improving the delivery of nursery education and for monitoring it in the future. The committee are developing the annual appraisal systems so that staff are well supported and ongoing training needs identified. There are plans to provide additional adult help so that issues around staff deployment can be addressed. Overall, the setting 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, actions were set for the group to: develop the existing system to ensure that staff and all adults coming into regular contact with children remain suitable to do so; ensure children remain safe by consistently completing the setting's existing daily risk assessments and ensuring that children do not have access to the kitchen except with direct staff supervision; improve the setting's ability to support children in being healthy by reviewing and updating procedures for completion of the accident and incident records and ensuring children are able to wash their hands hygienically at all times; support children's personal hygiene and independence by providing access to tissues and drinking water at all times; and ensure documentation is regularly updated and stored confidentially, in particular that the special needs and behaviour management policies are up-to-date, and that all children's records

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection, actions were set to: develop a robust and effective system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery education provision; ensure observation and assessment systems are used consistently to help plan the next steps for individuals; ensure planning shows how activities will be extended for less or more able children; conduct a baseline assessment with parents and carers for all new children; and ensure that the care of younger children did not negatively impact on the care and learning of the three- and four-year-olds.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children are protected as suitable systems are now in place to ensure staff and adults are suitable to be in contact with children and daily checklists help to keep the environment safe and secure. Children's health is improved as they can now help themselves to drinks when needed and they have easy access to tissues and other resources in the setting. Staff keep appropriate accident records which are shared with parents. Both the behaviour management and special needs policies have been updated and children's records are now stored confidentially on site.

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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 Staff plan to use advice and support from Family Services to help identify weaknesses in the delivery of nursery education and use this as a basis for regularly monitoring the provision. They have recently begun to undertake observations and assessments of children and this is in the early stages. Planning has begun to differentiate between the needs of younger and older children. New systems have been introduced to provide a baseline assessment of children's abilities on entry to the setting. Staff are aware that children should be grouped more appropriately according to ability during structured activities.

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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 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • update the complaints procedure to include the address and telephone number of the regulator • develop robust recruitment procedures that include medical suitability • ensure unvetted adults do not have unsupervised contact with children.

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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 observation and assessment systems ensuring children's individual needs are recognised across all areas of learning, and this information is used to guide planning • ensure all staff and helpers are deployed effectively throughout the session, but in particular at group times and snack time, to offer children appropriate support and extend their learning • ensure all children are grouped appropriately and activities extended to meet the needs of the more able children.

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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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