Hopscotch Tuel Lane Ltd

Hopscotch Tuel Lane Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Hopscotch Tuel Lane Ltd

Unique Reference Number EY296922 Inspection date 14 September 2005 Inspector Ann Law

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Hopscotch Tuel Lane Ltd

Setting Address Community Room, Tuel Lane, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX6 2ND Telephone number 01422 316227 E-mail v.hulme@btopenworld.com Registered person Hopscotch Tuel Lane Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care, Out of School care

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Hopscotch Tuel Lane Ltd

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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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. At the time of the inspection there were no children in receipt of nursery education. Ofsted judges that the provider remains suitable to provide nursery education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Hopscotch Tuel Lane Ltd is a private organisation, managed by a non-profit making worker’s co-operative. It opened under the new management in 2004 and operates from the Community Room on Tuel lane in Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax. The group

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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 are open each weekday from 07.45 to 17.45 for 49 weeks of the year and offer a range of sessional and out of school childcare options. All children share access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 37 children aged from 2 to 11 years on roll, of whom no children are in receipt of funded nursery education. The group employs six staff, of whom five, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff is working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are learning about the importance of personal hygiene through well-established daily routines. For example, children know to wash their hands after using the toilet. They use soap and paper towels to prevent the spread of infection. The setting is maintained in a clean and hygienic manner and systems are in place to record when toys and resources have been cleaned. This means that children's health is not compromised. A good variety of healthy snacks are offered to the children, which they clearly enjoy. Children choose from different fruit and vegetables and express preferences for either apple or pear, tomato or cucumber. Children confidently choose what they would like to drink at meal times, but they are not able to readily access drinking water at other times during the sessions when they are thirsty. Staff are well-informed about children's individual dietary needs and take these into account to ensure they

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Helping children to be healthy

remain healthy. Children enjoy a reasonable range of activities which contribute to their physical development. Daily physical activity sessions allow children to have access to wheeled toys, which children enthusiastically use to develop their gross motor skills. Indoor obstacle courses and ball games encourage children to develop their balance and co-ordination and outings to the local park take place to access large equipment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children have free access to a varied range of toys and equipment; these are successfully organised to ensure children can safely self-select from the low level storage. Children are cared for in a mainly safe environment, where many policies and procedures are in place to protect children. However, the security of the setting is insufficient to prevent unwanted visitors gaining free access to the premises. Consequently, this compromises children's safety in the setting. The staff team pay good attention to teaching children how to keep themselves safe.

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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 Older children take part in a walking-bus scheme to and from school. This allows them to learn about sensible behaviour and road safety under controlled conditions. Children are learning the procedures for emergency evacuation, because staff regularly practice the procedure with them. Children's welfare is promoted appropriately. Sufficient staff hold a first aid qualification and a sound understanding is held of their roles and responsibilities within the local Area Child Protection Committee procedures to safeguard children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are mostly happy and generally well-settled in the playgroup because they are cared for by friendly staff who help them feel at ease in the setting. They arrive cheerfully and soon feel at home as they move independently in the environment and make choices from the suitable range of activities and resources available. Those who are new to the playgroup settle well because staff are sensitive towards their individual needs. However, the planning for children's learning and development is very basic for the start of term and does not include the older children who are mainly left to their own devices in free-play. The planning focuses on settling the new younger children in and this leaves older children without sufficient challenge and consequently their behaviour deteriorates. The routine of the playgroup gives the children a structure to the session and they enthusiastically join in with story time and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

enjoy the rhyme and rhythm of 'Ten wriggly wiggly caterpillars'. The children in the out-of-school provision are very familiar with the comfortable routine. They settle quickly into their self-chosen play and confidently take part in activities. For example, they use their senses to describe the scented play dough as smelling like 'naan bread' and 'stuffing'. The older children are very supportive of the younger ones and help them with their homework. This gives the helpers a sense of responsibility and raises their self-esteem through pride in their assistance, whilst allowing the younger children to gain confidence. Nursery Education There were no children present at the inspection that are in receipt of funded nursery education, but evidence shows that the quality of teaching and children's learning is satisfactory. Staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage and through discussion they gave examples of a reasonable range of teaching methods. For

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

example, many sensory experiences such as clay and shaving foam are offered to encourage children's creative development. An adequate understanding of how young children learn and progress was shown in discussion of how all children are individuals and learn at their own pace. The activities and experiences provided satisfactorily cover the six areas of learning and the planning systems are currently being reviewed to ensure that individual children's learning is always planned for. Although systems for assessing children's learning are in place, they do not always clearly demonstrate children's progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals and effectively inform the future planning for their learning.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children experience a sense of belonging in the setting. Many photographs are displayed allowing children to see themselves in context in the group and feel valued and respected by staff. Wall displays such as 'We are all alike. We are all different. We are all friends' allow children to see differences in a positive manner. This means that children are becoming aware of wider society. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Some age-appropriate furniture is available for the younger children. However, there is no provision for sitting comfortably when reading or resting when tired. This does not fully meet the physical or emotional needs of children and does not effectively promote their well-being. Older children do not have their physical needs fully met as there is no age-appropriate furniture for them to relax in comfort after school and they

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Helping children make a positive contribution

find it difficult to access table top activities on small tables and chairs. Relationships between the children are generally good and they are starting to learn respect for each other, such as sitting sensibly at story time and not getting in the way of others when they are listening. Snack and meal times are social occasions where the children chat happily to each other. Staff promote good manners and help children to develop their social skills. Although some children display challenging behaviour at times, the staff team are consistent in their approach to dealing with the behaviour in a positive manner. As a result children respond generally well and are starting to learn agreed codes of behaviour. Parents are welcomed into the group and are appreciative of the small friendly setting. They are provided with detailed information regarding the provision and staff take the time to regularly chat to them regarding their child. Staff find out about

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Helping children make a positive contribution

individual children's needs, for instance when settling in younger children who are new to the setting. This is essential for continuity and consistency of care and the child's emotional well-being. The partnership with parents in relation to nursery education is satisfactory. Parents are provided with 'I can' books which record children's achievements. However, they do not inform parents of their child's developmental progress. Parent's views are regularly sought regarding the provision and they are encouraged to stay in the setting, where they can experience their child's learning first hand.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The group are managed by a non-profit making workers co-operative which means that all staff are actively involved in the running of the provision. An appropriate understanding is held of the legally required documentation. This is all in place, maintained in a confidential manner and regularly reviewed. The staff organise the setting sufficiently well to ensure that the children feel mainly settled and secure and the suitable presentation of the activities and resources enable children to initiate their own play and learning.

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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 of the nursery education provision is satisfactory. The group implements the advice and support received from the local authority regarding the delivery of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Regular staff appraisals and monitoring systems are adequately used to evaluate how well they are delivering the curriculum and clear action plans are in place for development and improvement. Staff have a high level of commitment to training and continual development and this ensures an appropriately qualified and skilled workforce. A lack of knowledge of the requirements of the National Standards means that the registered person fails to comply with the conditions of registration for sessional day care. The organisation of the setting is insufficient to offer full day care and

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Organisation

consequently the provision fails to meet the needs of the children who attend.

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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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. At the time of the inspection there were no children in receipt of nursery education. Ofsted judges that the provider remains suitable to provide nursery education.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure that the conditions of registration are not breached in relation to the type of day care provided. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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The quality and standards of the care

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 nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop and implement: the planning systems for children's learning and development through the stepping stones, and the children's records of achievement to evidence the progress and identify their next steps in learning.

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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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