Rainbow Corner Playgroup

Rainbow Corner Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Rainbow Corner Playgroup

Unique Reference Number EY295435 Inspection date 12 September 2005 Inspector Sarah Taylor

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Rainbow Corner Playgroup

Setting Address Lumn Road, Hyde, SK14 1QA

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E-mail

Registered person Rainbow Corner Playgroup Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional 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 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?

Rainbow Corner Playgroup in Hyde is registered to provide care for 25 children at each session. The playgroup operates from a single story building and the children have access to two main playrooms and an outdoor play area. Children are taken on short walks within the local area. The playgroup opens from 09.15 to 12.00 and 13.15 to 16.00 from Monday to Friday for children aged from 2 to 5 years. The group is open during the school term.

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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 There are currently 63 children on the register, 29 of whom are in receipt of nursery education funding. There are currently no children with special needs or who speak English as an additional language attending the group. The majority of staff hold an early years qualification and are experienced in child care. Staff attend additional training. The group is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children access outdoor activities daily, which contribute to their good health. They run and play in the fresh air and practice physical skills with equipment such as wheeled vehicles and prams. They understand that exercise is important as staff promote physical activity on a daily basis. Children are well protected from infection through good hygiene routines, which include wiping tables before and after snack time and the cleaning of toys and equipment. Staff knowledge of food hygiene practices contributes to the prevention of infection. Children are reminded of the importance of personal hygiene before snack time, when they are asked to wash their hands. They are protected from cross infection as the provider has a good sick child policy which is shared with parents. Children's health is fostered through the provision of a good choice of healthy snacks. Their dietary requirements are catered for. They learn about a healthy diet as

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Helping children to be healthy

staff discuss nutritious food with them and talk about the choices they have for their snacks. Children have an understanding of a healthy lifestyle which staff promote through visits from healthy food representatives. Children have the benefit of continuous hydration as drinks are offered throughout the day.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in well maintained premises. Spacious and welcoming facilities are provided. Displays of children's work are bright and attractive, helping to develop children's sense of belonging. Children are able to move around safely in the well organised environment. Rooms are arranged well to provide different areas for play and for rest. They benefit from enough space and suitable facilities indoors and outdoors. Risk assessments take place at the beginning of each session. The children are well safeguarded within the setting as doors and gates are kept locked with a bell entry system. Toys and equipment conform to required safety standards and are checked for their suitability. This ensures that children have a sound selection of toys and equipment to choose from. Safety equipment is in place such as a safety gate at the front door, fire detection equipment and grid covers. This effectively maintains children's

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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 well-being. The protection of children is maintained as staff have a clear understanding of the area child protection committee guidance. They know how to safeguard the children. A nominated member of staff takes responsibility for the handling of concerns and staff are clear about monitoring. Children's safety is maintained when going out of the setting through staff vigilance and very good supervision. Visits take place through the year from the outside agencies and children learn about fire safety and personal safety. Through this, they are learning how to protect their own well-being.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are stimulated through the range of activities on offer such as the role play area, writing area, puzzles, construction, maths activities and art and craft activities. Areas are well defined and the children choose where they would like to play. Children are valued and are listened to by the staff who get down to the child's level to interact, therefore promoting their self-esteem. Younger children enjoy indoor and outdoor activities which promote each area of development. They learn about the properties of water in activities such as painting with water and in the water tray. They explore the environment looking for and talking about snails. Children come together to participate in songs and rhymes and play happily in each area of the activity room. Children are well engaged and there are no behaviour issues as activities are planned to support their age and stage of development. Staff skilfully question and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

challenge children and make sure each child achieves. Individual needs are well catered for and staff ensure that each child is cared for in an appropriate way. For example, when a child is upset the staff recognise his needs and work together to provide the support necessary for the child to feel secure. The Birth to three matters framework is used to ensure appropriate activities are offered to children entering the setting at aged 2 years. This ensures that activities are appropriate to the child's stage of development and that children are challenged and supported as necessary. Nursery Education Children enjoy what they do and are fully engaged in activities until they have finished. They are happy and have fun. Children make good progress in relation to the Foundation Stage Stepping Stones. They work well towards the early learning goals as staff have a good understanding of the curriculum and plan appropriate

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

activities in each area. Children have happy and relaxed relationships with staff who listen to them and respond appropriately. They show developing independence and self-care skills,

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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 such as toileting and preparing themselves for art and craft activities. They confidently express their ideas and thoughts, for example, in explaining what they did over the weekend. Children link letters to sounds and they write confidently in the writing area. They have an understanding that print carries meaning as they recognise their own name throughout the day and listen and respond to stories in the book corner. Children are using numbers in rhymes and songs during the day and are developing an understanding of the number system. They use positional language confidently and can describe the features of a common shape in the maths area. Children happily learn to explore and investigate as they use play dough and look at its properties. Their physical skills are developed well through the use of a range of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

outdoor and indoor equipment. Children play imaginatively in the role play home and express themselves using a variety of media like 3D construction, shapes, paint and musical instruments. Teaching and learning is good. Staff have a good awareness of children's capabilities and build on this in their day-to-day teaching to develop learning well. There is a clear method of ensuring that observations of children's learning are recorded by staff. The result is that teaching consistently and effectively builds on what children know. However, this is not yet reflected in the planning. A good range of teaching styles such as whole class, group and individual methods ensure that children are fully engaged and are learning well.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children make free choices from all toys. There are positive images of race, gender and disability around the provision. This approach works towards fostering children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. However, their experience of the wider world is not always promoted as children rarely learn about festivals and religions from around the world. Children are well behaved. They know what is expected of them because staff use consistent methods of behaviour management. Staff are good role models. There is a clear policy of dealing with behaviour and bullying issues and this helps to promote children's self-esteem. Partnership with parents is good. Continuity of care for the children is promoted as the group operate an open door policy. Parents know they can discuss any issues when necessary and can make appointments for confidential meetings about their child and any issue that concerns them. Staff discuss necessary issues with parents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

when appropriate. There is a wide range of information available to parents about what is on offer at the group and how different areas of the Birth to three matters framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum are promoted. Parents are fully informed of the progress that their child is making and of developments within the group in general. They would know how to make a complaint. The effective communication between parents and staff helps to promote children's welfare, safety and learning.

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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. Leadership and management is good. Children benefit from the good leadership of the pre-school. The manager and staff work well together to ensure that children are provided with good quality care and education. They work to promote the group's Christian aims of caring, sharing and respect. This ethos is reflected in all areas of the nursery and is visibly promoted by staff. This means that children are cared for in a positive and supportive environment which effectively promotes their social and moral development. The strong commitment to improvement is reflected in the staff training. This maintains and improves the quality of care and learning for all children. Children benefit from the smooth running of the group and the clear routines which make them feel secure. The manager uses good induction procedures and ensures that staff are appropriately vetted and qualified. Staff are aware of their role within the

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Organisation

group and they work well together to promote the effective running of the pre-school. Records are sufficient and detail the individual requirements of each child and include relevant consents and contacts. Policies and procedures are in place to promote the safety and well-being of the children present in the group. The provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the group were asked to provide continuous provision to promote communication, language and learning, personal and social development, mathematical development and creative development. The group have now developed areas within the rooms to promote these areas of learning and have a writing and book area, maths area which includes matching, counting and sorting activities and an art area including painting and craft materials. The group fosters children's independence through continuous provision and children choose and ensure that they have the equipment necessary to complete an activity. The group were asked to ensure that planning refers to the early learning goals and is informed by the observations of the children. They have begun to record observations of children's achievements.

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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

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 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): • increase opportunities for children to learn about other cultures to ensure children experience positive images of the wider world.

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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): • implement new planning system ensuring that planning is informed by observations and assessments of children.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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