Blue Mountain Education

Foundry Lane Community Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Foundry Lane Community Playgroup

Unique Reference Number 131536 Inspection date 22 November 2005 Inspector Doreen Forsyth

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Foundry Lane Community Playgroup

Setting Address Foundry Lane, Freemantle, Southampton, Hampshire, SO15 3JT Telephone number 02380 701229

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E-mail

Registered person Foundry Lane Community Playgroup 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 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Foundry Lane Community Playgroup opened in 1998. The pre-school is situated in a purpose-built unit, in the grounds of Foundry Lane Primary School, Shirley, Southampton. There is an enclosed playground for outside play. Most children attend from the local area. The playgroup is registered to care for up to 32 children aged between 2 and 5-years-old. There are currently 62 children on roll. This includes 29 children who are

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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 in receipt of government funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children who have special needs or that speak English as an additional language. The group opens from Monday to Friday during school term-times. Sessions are from 09:00 to 11:30 and 12:50 to 15:20. Seven members of staff work with the children, five of these hold relevant early years qualifications and a further two are undertaking training. The group also employ an administration assistant. The setting receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children learn about healthy living, they enjoy snacks that are healthy and nutritious such as fruit and milk. They follow good health and hygiene practices in their daily routines. For example, they learn to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet, and they are encouraged to use tissues to wipe their noses when necessary. Staff follow good health and hygiene procedures that help ensure children stay healthy, children's health and dietary needs are suitably recorded, and a suitable sickness policy is in place. However, children are not easily able to access drinking water if they are thirsty. Children have suitable opportunities for physical activities and fresh air as they play outside most days using wheeled toys, balls and bats or the parachute. There is a small climbing frame, but children do not have many opportunities to practice and extend their climbing and balancing skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in an environment that is safe, warm, child-centred and well maintained. Any potential hazards are identified and minimised as staff carry out regular risk assessments. The playroom is decorated with children's work and attractive displays. Children are secure, the premises and gates are locked as necessary and children are kept safe when playing outside. Children learn about keeping themselves safe, they understand why they practice fire evacuation procedures and why they should not run in the setting. Children have access to a good range of toys and resources that help them to learn and develop. These resources are safe and well maintained and stored where

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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 children can easily access them. They are well labelled so children can learn to help to put them away when they have finished playing. Children are protected because staff understand their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures in place if necessary. However, these procedures do not include what the setting would do if allegations of abuse are made against a member of staff and are not shared with parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children benefit from a well planned and interesting daily programme, which provides learning opportunities for all children. Most children are very confident, they are happy to be at playgroup and enjoy learning. The adults in the setting interact very well with the children. They question them skilfully encouraging them to think and put their thoughts into words and staff are interested in what children do and say. All children including those with English as an additional language or with special needs are valued and their individual needs are met. There is a qualified Special Needs Co-ordinator in place who ensures all children are helped to learn and progress. The setting obtains the assistance of other professionals if necessary, such as interpreters or the area Special Needs Co-ordinator. The playgroup has very close links with the adjacent primary school and values the advice of the staff there.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children often visit the school, or staff from the school visit playgroup, which helps to make the transition from playgroup to school seamless. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a good understanding of the early learning goals and how children learn. They have suitable expectations for the children and ensure they take part in a rich and varied educational programme which is based on the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. They plan well, but the planning is not linked closely enough to the stepping stones to ensure all areas of learning are fully promoted and does not show how more able children can be challenged and their learning extended. Children's progress and achievements are well monitored and recorded. Children's key workers use a local assessment recording scheme to regularly note children's progress. The information from these assessments is used when planning to help

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

meet children's individual learning needs. However, staff do not obtain enough information about what children know or how they learn from parents when they first start onto the Foundation stage of learning, so do not fully know where to build on their knowledge and understanding. Children are encouraged to be independent. They chose what they will play with and what activities they will take part in. They are learning self care, for example they put on their coats for outside play and help pour their own drinks at snack time. Children's good behaviour and achievements are valued and praised. Children are pleased when they are rewarded for helping to tidy up, and clap themselves when

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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 they all manage to be quiet while the timer times a minute, They relate well to each other and have formed some firm friendships. Children learn to consider others and are learning about their wider community. Children use numbers, discuss shape and size and solve problems in their daily routines and play. They count the number of pieces of fruit they have at snack time, describe the sizes and shapes of their construction models and confidently identify numbers on a number line display. Children enjoy books and stories, they listen intently and are able to predict or re-tell stories well. They have good opportunities to write and mark make, some children can write their own names, many recognise their names, but staff do not always encourage children to label their own work. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are learning well to link sounds and letters and enjoy practising sounds at circle time. Children have opportunities to explore and discover, mostly through themes linked to topic work. They learn about their own lives and about their local environment, they have visitors such as the police or reception teachers into the setting. They use the playgroup computers with confidence, but their exploration of information technology is limited as they do not have suitable programmes to use on the computers. Children explore different materials and media such as sand, play dough, collage resources and paint. They enjoy free painting on large pieces of paper. Children use a number of different tools and equipment that help to develop their small muscle control, they skilfully use pencils, paintbrushes and scissors. They enjoy using the parachute outside, taking part in music and movement and navigating bikes safely. This all helps children to learn a sense of space. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

learn about different festivals and cultures and have recently celebrated Diwali making diva lamps. They also celebrated harvest, firework night and are preparing for Christmas celebrations.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children begin to learn to care for others and about equal opportunities and the staff help children to learn makaton signing. They use resources that reflect different cultures and backgrounds, such as dressing up clothes and home play materials. They can take turns when playing games and willingly co-operate to help to tidy up at the end of the session. All children are included into the life of the setting and are encouraged to feel a sense of belonging, for example children have all made pictures of themselves that are attractively displayed. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Children benefit from the setting's close working relationship with parents. Parents are welcomed and spend time in the playgroup helping their children settle down to play at the start of the session. They serve on the management committee and on a parent's rota. Children take reading

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Helping children make a positive contribution

books home each day which parents can read with their children and they have daily diaries in which staff and parents share information. There are notice boards with information for parents and carers, and the good parent's pack includes information about the curriculum children follow. Parents receive half-termly newsletters that

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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 include information about the topics children learn about and how they can contribute to these. The setting has recently introduced parent's evenings where parents can exchange information about their children's progress with staff and see their children's records of achievement.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The playgroup meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides. Children benefit from a well organised and efficiently run provision. The setting employs administrative help which allows staff to spend the maximum time with the children. All staff are vetted and suitable to work with children, they are well qualified and encouraged to attend relevant training. There are always good adult/child ratios which help to ensure children receive sufficient attention and support. All the required records and documentation are well kept, but there is a weakness in the procedures in recording complaints and informing parents of the complaints procedures. The setting has good induction and recruitment procedures in place, and the records of the attendance for children, staff and visitors are well kept. The leadership and management of the setting are satisfactory. The senior

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Organisation

management of the playgroup and the chairperson are new in their posts and are still developing their new responsibilities and roles, but they all have a clear vision for the future of the setting and for the children's achievements and development. The staff work well together and form a strong team with support from the committee. The setting has introduced an annual appraisal system to ensure staff development is encouraged and addressed. The setting has recently achieved a recognised accreditation scheme which they used to evaluate their practice. The setting also asks parents to complete a questionnaire each year so that they can monitor the service provided and address any issues that are raised.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was required to develop induction procedures, to revise the child protection procedures, record risk assessments and to include Ofsted details in the complaints policy. All these have been addressed, but new issues have arisen which will help ensure children's well being regarding child protection and the complaints procedures. In regard to the nursery education, at the last inspection the setting had one point for consideration which concerned providing children with more opportunities to link sounds to letters. Children enjoy using a phonics scheme each day and are very confident at linking sounds to letters.

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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 There have been no complaints made to Ofsted 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 contains 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 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): • keep a written log of complaints that parents can see on request • ensure children have suitable access to drinking water • include the procedures that would be followed if an child protection allegation is made against an adult in the setting into the child protection procedures, and ensure the child protection procedures are shared with parents

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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): • obtain information from parents about children's learning when they first begin on the stepping stones towards the early learning goals, so that you can build on their existing knowledge and understanding • ensure that the planning for the adult led activities is well linked to the stepping stones towards the early learning goals, and show how these activities can be extended for more able 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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