Blenheim Playgroup

Blenheim Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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EY348000 Unique Reference Number 30 April 2008 Inspection date Helen Blackburn Inspector

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Blenheim House, Oxford Road, DEWSBURY, West Yorkshire, WF13 4LN Setting Address

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078533134191 Telephone number mpandor@gmail.com E-mail Safira Pandor Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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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?

Blenheim Playgroup is one two playgroups run by an individual owner. The playgroup opened in 2007 and operates from a converted garage in the grounds of the registered person's home. It is situated in a residential area close to Dewsbury town centre. A maximum of 26 children may attend the group at any one time. The group is open each weekday from 09.00 to 11.30, term-time only. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 21 children on roll, of these 11 children receive funding for early education. Children attend from the local catchment area. The group currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties, disabilities and who speak English as an additional language. In addition, the curriculum programme includes the teaching of Islamic studies.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs four members of staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are working towards a further qualification. The group is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and they receive support from the 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. The children are cared for in an environment that is clean and hygienic. The staff maintain this through carrying out good hygiene practices. For example, they regularly clean the environment and resources to control the risk of spreading infection. This contributes to promoting children’s health. Through practical routines, the children are developing a good understanding of the importance of personal hygiene. The children know to wash their hands at appropriate times and understand that this protects them from germs and illness. In addition, themes and topics linked to the education programme and Islamic studies include activities to raise children’s awareness about health, hygiene and washing.

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Helping children to be healthy

The good management of illness protects children’s health and minimises the risk of cross-infection. The group policy clearly outlines that ill children should remain at home to protect the health of others. Although the staff rarely administer medicines to children, the group procedures are clear to ensure they promote children’s health if the situation arose.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children have appropriate opportunities to be active and to exercise. This contributes to promoting children’s physical development and encourages them to lead a healthy lifestyle. The children access a sufficient range of resources both indoors and outdoors to support their physical development, although equipment to challenge the older children is lacking. They enjoy riding bikes, playing ring games, climbing slides, kicking balls and throwing hoops. Through painting, drawing, construction and playing with dough the children are developing good hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. However, the planning of large physical activities and the use of the outdoor area is not an integral part of the curriculum planning to ensure it promotes all areas of children’s development.

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Helping children to be healthy

The group understand the importance of promoting healthy eating to support children’s healthy growth and development. They provide a varied and nutritious range of snacks to support this, such as toast, fresh fruit and chopped vegetables. All snacks provided comply with children’s individual needs and cultural requirements. Through fun activities, the children are developing a good understanding of the benefits of eating healthily. For example, they discuss how foods help them grow and paint pictures for their healthy food display. The children enjoy eating their snack together and use the time to socialise and interact with their peers.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The environment for children is safe and secure. There are a number of good safety precautions in place to contribute to this. The staff vigilantly supervise the children and they regularly check the environment to ensure it is safe for children to play. For example, they remove toys from the floor and quickly wipe any spillages to avoid trips and falls. There are detailed risk assessment that cover all the activities the children take part in, although some are lacking for the toilets, outdoors and food preparation areas.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children are developing a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They take part in regular fire evacuations and through play; they learn how to behave in a safe manner. For example, they know they may cause an accident if they run around indoors and that throwing water on the floor may cause someone to slip.

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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 The children access a good range of resources that are safe and maintained in good condition. The use of low storage units provides good opportunities for children to independently access resources in a safe way. The space within the group is organised and utilised well to promote children’s welfare and safety. For instance, the room is set up into different areas of development, which allows children to move safely between activities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff have a sound understanding of child protection issues, which ensures they protect children from harm. They are aware of their responsibilities and follow appropriate procedures if they have concerns. For example, they know how to report and monitor concerns inline with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. However, the group policy contains some out of date information, such as details of the regulator. The named worker responsible for dealing with child protection issues is new to the role and has accessed limited training and currently keeps up to date by liaising with more experienced staff at the group’s other setting whist she accesses training. There are good procedures in place to ensure staff are suitable to care for children, such as clear recruitment and vetting procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The staff are friendly and this contributes to providing a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere for children. This results in children being happy and settled. Overall, the premises are maintained in good condition, although there is some minor decoration work to be completed. There is a good selection of children’s work and posters displayed to contribute to the welcoming feel and to provide the children with a sense of belonging.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children have good relationships with the staff and other children. The staff effectively interact with children and involve themselves in their play. The children respond well to this and enjoy spending time with staff; often seeking out activities, the staff are involved. For example, the children laugh and chat to adults as they make roti and other items out of the play dough. The staff know the children well and by involving themselves in children’s play, they are able to support and challenge children’s development. For example, they ask children a good range of questions to help children think and develop their own ideas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff have a good understanding of child development and how young children learn. This supports them in planning a varied and stimulating range of play opportunities for children. This results in the children enjoying their time at the group and ensures they are busy and occupied. For example, the children happily engage in painting, they enjoy dressing up and eagerly play outdoors. The staff use the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework for the younger children and the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage for older children to help them plan, observe and monitor children's progress. Although the use of the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework is not as established or documented as well as the systems used for the older children, this means most activities relate to the Foundation Stage. However, because the staff know the younger children well they are able to adapt the activities to meet individual children’s

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

In addition, Islamic studies are an integral part of the nursery curriculum. Qualified Islamic teachers plan fun activities to help children learn about important aspects of their customs and religion. For example, the children learn skills that will help them in their future life as they start to attend the mosque.

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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 The quality of teaching and learning is good. The staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage. They use the guidance to plan the curriculum to support the different areas of learning, although planning for the outdoor area is not as integral as the other areas. The planning includes providing a good range of continuous play provision, supported by planned focus activities. These take into account children’s individual development and interests. The staff ask children a good range of open-ended questions, which encourages children to use their initiative and develop their own ideas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Through observations, monitoring and recording children’s development and knowing the children well, staff identify and plan for children’s next steps in learning, both for the younger and older children. The staff work closely with the advisory teacher to seek advice in developing their practice. They are currently working towards developing their recording and planning records to take into account the imminent changes regarding the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

As a result of the good teaching methods and stimulating curriculum, the children make good progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. The children are happy, interested and inquisitive learners. The children are independent as they make their own choices in play and do things for themselves, such as washing their own hands. The children express their feelings well and talk about the things they like and dislike, such as not liking snakes. Along with the good relationships they have with others, this supports their personal, social and emotional development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children’s communication, language and skills are developing well. The staff give high regard to the planning of activities to support children’s communication skills. This encourages and supports children with English as an additional language to use English freely and confidently. The children engage in conversations with others, both in English and their home language. The children enjoy making marks and activities, such as sounding letters to help them develop their early reading and writing skills. The children enjoy looking at books and listening to stories. This supports their early reading skills and develops children’s concentration. Regular Islamic studies help the children to learn about the Arabic alphabet with confidence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children take part in a good range of practical and fun activities to support their mathematical development. The children use mathematical language during play to describe things, such as 'look at my big caterpillar and it is moving slowly'. The children count confidently and enjoy games that involve number, which helps them to learn about simple number concepts. The children name many shapes, both two and three dimensional, such as cube and triangle.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are curious and inquisitive learners. They eagerly ask questions, explore their environment and take an interest in what they see. For example, the children talk about the wildlife and flowers surrounding the outdoor area. The planning also includes activities that help children learn about living things, seasons, the weather and colours in the natural world. The children use the computer and access some programmable toys to help them learn how things work and simple technology. These activities support children’s development in a knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children make good progress in their creative development. They use their imaginations well to express themselves and to share their ideas and thoughts. For example, children dress up and engage in role play activities. The children explore a good range of media, texture, musical instruments and art activities to develop their creativity. For example, children make

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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 three-dimensional food out of the dough, paint pictures and independently access creative materials to make their own pictures and designs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The staff’s positive approach to managing children’s behaviour encourages children to behave well. Through reward, praise, clear and consistent guidelines the children know what is expected of them. The older children play well together and provide a good example to help the younger children to learn about sharing and taking turns. Staff deal with minor disagreements well, they clearly explain why the behaviour is unacceptable. This helps children learn about right and wrong. In addition, the group has a written policy that supports the good behaviour management strategies in place.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children have a sense of belonging within the group, for example, their work is valued and displayed around the group. The staff express their pleasure in children’s achievements, which gives the children a sense of pride in what they are doing. Through working to a key worker system and staff knowing the children well, the staff effectively meet children’s needs. The children are developing a good awareness of their own culture and the beliefs of others through activities, discussions and resources that positively promote diversity. In addition, through Islamic studies, which are an integral part of the group’s curriculum, the children learn about their own culture and heritage in a fun way. The children go on walks in the local community and they welcome visitors to the setting so that they learn about others and the world in which they live. This ensures children have a positive self-image, good self-esteem and a respect for

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There is good support for children with learning difficulties or disabilities. The staff work closely with other professionals and parents to ensure they are proactive in meeting children’s individual needs. There is good support for children who speak English as an additional language. Most of the children start the group with very limited English. Through staff’s dual language skills and the high regard given to the planning of activities to support children’s language and communication skills, the children’s English skills develop very quickly.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good . The staff have worked hard with parents to settle new children and to build up positive relationships with them. They work well together to meet children’s needs by regularly sharing and exchanging information. Through discussions, notice boards, policies and procedures the parents know what service is provided for children. In addition, there is information available on the education funding process and education programme through leaflets, planning and newsletters.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There are good opportunities for parents to contribute to their child’s learning, development and progress. The children take home small tasks so that parents can support their child’s learning at home and they can freely access their child’s progress record. In addition, the staff are developing the information they obtain from parents as the child starts the group to find out more about children’s development, likes and interests so that they can build on this and make it more effective. This close relationship with parents contributes to meeting children needs. This means children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The staff work well together, they are organised and make good use of their time to meet children’s needs. For example, they deploy themselves well to ensure they supervise children, meet adult to child ratios and to ensure they involve themselves in children's play. However, staff’s cleaning routines at the end of the session are occasionally a little disruptive for the children who are trying to listen to stories. The staff know the children well and this contributes to providing continuity and security for children.

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Organisation

There is good documentation in place to contribute to the safe management of the setting. For example, policies and procedures provide appropriate detail to outline the service provided for children. However, some contain out of date information regarding the regulator, such as the complaints and child protection procedures. There is good information recorded on the children to ensure staff promote children’s welfare. This information is concise and up to date and includes information, such as emergency contact details and children’s individual dietary requirements.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the group is good. Management and staff are open to ideas and suggestions to enhance the service they provide. They demonstrate their commitment to develop and enhance opportunities for children through accessing training and working with the local authority.

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Organisation

The staff use training to help gain new skills and knowledge and evaluate what they offer children. They understand the benefits of monitoring and evaluating their personal development. Although they do this informally through discussions with each other as formal appraisal systems are lacking.

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Organisation

Through training, questionnaires, evaluating plans and regular staff meetings the staff monitor and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the setting. For example, since opening they have regularly reviewed the layout of activities to establish whether the children are gaining the most from the areas. Through clear induction programmes, the staff know what is expected of them and this ensures they successfully care for children. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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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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Complaints 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

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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): • ensure all documentation contains up to date information regarding the regulator • develop the system for monitoring and supporting staff development (also applies to nursery education) • develop the planning and observation records for the younger 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): • make better use of the outdoor area to promote all areas of development and extend resources that provide challenge for the older children (also applies to care).

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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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