Over the Rainbow

Dunnington Children Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY281807 Inspection date 07/10/2009 Inspector Lindsay Helen Dobson

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Setting address Dunnington C of E Primary School, Church Lane, Dunnington, York, North Yorkshire, YO19 5QG Telephone number 01904 489053 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Dunnington Children is an established group, which has been registered at the present setting since March 2004. It is run by a committee and is located on the site of the primary school in Dunnington, a village situated on the outskirts of York. The group has use of a main playroom with office, toilet, laundry and kitchen facilities. There is an enclosed area at the rear of the premises for outdoor play. The setting has two guinea pigs as pets.

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Description of the setting

The group provides wrap around care including before and after school sessions, pre-school sessions and holiday care. Opening times are between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday throughout the year, except for one week at Christmas. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 40 children under eight- years may attend the before, after school and holiday provision and a maximum of 31 children under five years may attend the pre-school provision. There are currently 134 children on roll, and the setting is in receipt of educational funding for children of eligible age. Children attend for full or part time sessions and the setting supports children with English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 11 members of staff employed by the setting including the manager. Seven of these hold a recognised childcare qualification. The group is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA) and the organisation 4 Children.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

All children are welcome to attend the setting and they are cared for by sufficiently trained staff in a warm and stimulating environment. Staff recognise and value each child as an individual and promote all aspects of their welfare successfully and some planning is in place to identify next steps in children's learning. The premises, resources and equipment are well-maintained and children enjoy their time at the setting as they feel safe and secure with the staff who care for them. They are offered a good range of learning opportunities across all six areas, both indoors and in the outdoor area, although access to outdoor play is somewhat limited. Good relationships are fostered with the parents and other settings, such as the local school, which many of the children will move onto, ensuring continuity in their learning. Systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the provision and areas for improvement have been identified and addressed. This process is

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

currently under review and enables the staff to ensure continuous improvement is made.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  improve the opportunities for staff to continue their professional development develop further the opportunities children have to freely access the outdoor learning environment  improve the systems for observation and assessment to clearly identify children's next steps in learning and ensure these are consistently planned for

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the early years provision

Staff are aware of their role and responsibilities in safeguarding children. Policies and procedures which support the staff to safeguard children are regularly reviewed and all staff are subject to relevant checks to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Detailed risk assessments and daily checks ensure that hazards are identified and minimised. Routine practice reinforces children's understanding of safety issues, for example, fire evacuation drills are practised and children understand that they line up before accessing the outdoor play area.

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the early years provision

Self-evaluation is developing well and actions for improvement are dealt with quickly and effectively. The staff team regularly review aspects of their work and are using this information to make sure that available resources are used effectively and efficiently. For example, good progress has been made at increasing the children’s opportunities for outside learning. The newly developed outdoor area provides a good range of toys and equipment and a covered outdoor classroom. However, children do not have free access to this area, which limits the time they are able to spend in this environment. The manager undertakes regular supervision with the staff. This time is used to discuss their personal development within the setting and any future training needs. However, the information gathered has not been followed up effectively to ensure that all staff continue to up-date their knowledge and skills, for example, child protection.

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the early years provision

Staff have a clear understanding of equality and diversity, enabling them to provide a service which is inclusive for all children and their families. They have developed good procedures for working with parents and carers, enabling them to understand each child's background and culture and thereby ensure that their needs are consistently met. Children's self-esteem is promoted as their interests, views and requests are included in the activity planning. Good ongoing communication with parents means that staff are able to work in partnership with them. Parents receive clear information about the setting and their child's progress and activities, for example, through newsletters, open evenings and daily discussions with staff. The established transition programme with the primary school enables both children and staff from the two settings to visit and work alongside each other, promoting continuity and positive outcomes for the children.

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and they use an effective key worker system to support children to achieve good outcomes in their learning and development. They carry out observations of the children, as they learn through play and maintain developing records of progress for each one. These include basic written observations, photographic evidence, examples of the children's work and an overview sheet to track their progress in all six areas of learning. They are regularly reviewed by the manager, to ensure they are kept up to date for all children. However, some staff are not clearly identifying children's next steps from the observations carried out and therefore not consistently planning for these. Staff have caring relationships with the children and support them well during activities. For example, they skilfully know when to sit back and let the children direct their own play and when to sensitively provide support. They

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and outcomes for children

encourage the children to become independent thinkers and provide opportunities for them to take on responsibility, for example, as children feed the guinea pigs or help to cut the fruit for snack. As a result, the children behave well overall. They negotiate with one another during their play and show a kind and caring approach if someone is hurt or upset.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time at the group and get great enjoyment from the activities. They are enthusiastic, curious to learn and enjoy new experiences. For example, they show interest and excitement as they collect leaves and twigs to print with and make a collage. The opportunities children have to be independently creative is a strength of the provision. For example, the children can select from a good range of resources which are freely available in the craft area. One child decides to make himself a robot suit following on from a game with his friends. He is able to share his ideas with the staff who support him to cut the cardboard and fix the outfit together. Children's communication, language and literacy is developing well. For example, they confidently initiate conversation with one another and adults, they thoroughly enjoy looking at books in the newly developed quiet area and the range of stories is well supported with props to bring the stories to life. More able

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and outcomes for children

children can successfully recognise the letters that make up their name and are eager to show this as they type out on the computer. Their understanding of diversity and differences is enhanced as they celebrate festivals and special events, such as Diwali and they learn about their local environment, as they take part in walks to the local park.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a strong sense of security and understand the issues relating to safety. They are very confident and self assured in the setting, promoted by a good understanding of the daily routines and a consistent approach from the staff. Their understanding of keeping themselves safe is developing through these consistent routines and this is reinforced further by visits from the local fire fighters and police officers, who talk to the children about their roles. Children demonstrate a good understanding of personal hygiene and they recognise the importance of good hygiene practices through established daily routines. They know to wash their hands after toileting and before eating their snack and relate that this gets rid of germs. Children understand what foods form part of a healthy diet, snacks are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 prepared onsite with help from the children, who also make choices about the

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and outcomes for children

fruits they will have. Some parents send packed lunches for their children, which also include fresh fruit and salad vegetables, whilst others have lunches prepared by the school. Staff are aware of any individual dietary needs and ensure these are adhered to. Children are learning to respond to their bodies' needs, deciding when to have their snack and helping themselves to water from the dispenser when they are thirsty. They enjoy being outside in the fresh air and taking part in physical play, testing and challenging their skills, as they jump along the stepping stones, throw and catch the large balls and use wheeled toys, such as scooters. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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