Aldwincle Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 8 Dec 2005

Aldwincle Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Aldwincle Playgroup

Unique Reference Number 219989 Inspection date 08 December 2005 Inspector Coral Hales

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Aldwincle Playgroup

Setting Address Main Street, Aldwincle, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN14 3LY

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E-mail

Registered person Aldwincle 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Aldwincle Playgroup opened in 1991 and operates from a classroom within the premises of Trinity Lower School in the village of Aldwincle. A maximum of 13 children may attend at any one time. The playgroup is open each weekday from 08:45 to 11:45 and 12:25 to 14:55 in term time only. The children share access to a secure covered outdoor area and also use the school playground and playing fields. There are currently 39 children from 2 to under 5 years on the register. Of these, 19

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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 receive funding for nursery education. The playgroup serves the local community and beyond and children attend a variety of sessions. The playgroup currently supports children with special educational needs. The playgroup employs seven staff. Two of the staff, including the supervisor hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two other staff are working towards a qualification. The playgroup receives help from advisory teachers from the local authority and are also supported by development workers from the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good hygiene practices in promoting their health as they become increasingly independent in their personal care. They readily wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating and know that they must only touch the food they are going to choose when being served at snack time. Children understand that they need to keep warm when taking part in outdoor activities, for example by moving about quickly and by putting on coats. Children's welfare is safeguarded because staff have up-to-date first aid knowledge in the event of any accidents and appropriate procedures are in place if children are unwell. Children test and develop their skills as they delight in taking part in a variety of daily physical activities. They have regular opportunities to obtain fresh air as they take part in outdoor games, for example, 'What's the time Mr Wolf' and when catching and

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Helping children to be healthy

throwing beanbags. They use the grassed area and are encouraged to run, jump and stretch their bodies. Children gain an awareness of the role of healthy eating in developing their good health and growth as they choose from a variety of nutritious snacks, such as apples, bananas and cucumber. They begin to understand the need for regular fluids as they are encouraged to have frequent drinks of water, especially after active physical play. Children begin to understand how to sit together to enjoy their snack and staff encourage them to develop appropriate social skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a secure environment where risk of accidental injury is minimised by staff's vigilance and good practice such as detailed fire safety measures to reduce potential accidents. Children learn the importance of safety as they respond to clear guidelines during indoor and outdoor activities and when moving to other parts of the premises. For example, they learn how to play happily in the covered play area whilst being aware of others around them and begin to follow simple rules, for example, no running. Sensitive reminders, such as a request to tidy up before beginning a new activity, increases children's awareness of everyday

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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 safety in the setting. Children are able to choose from a good range of toys and resources which are suitable for their stage of development. Storage furniture is suitable, however children sometimes find it difficult to select and play as some toys and resources are not well displayed because of lack of space. Children's well-being is safeguarded by staff's knowledge of local child protection procedures and their understanding of their responsibilities for the welfare of the children in their care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time in the playgroup. They achieve generally well because staff offer good levels of support and their knowledge of the Foundation Stage allows them to provide interesting and stimulating activities for the children. Staff enable the children to make good progress because they work closely with them at their own level of understanding. Close and caring relationships increase children's sense of trust and helps them to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Children are forming positive relationships with other children and seek out friends to share experiences. For example, as they play imaginatively using instruments and pretend to be a 'Rock and Roll' group. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff are motivated and work well as a team and this encourages the children, who are interested and eager to learn. Most children concentrate well and persist at their chosen tasks. However, others do

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

not concentrate well in larger group situations because the activities do not always support and sustain their interest. Assessments are completed on individual children, however these do not directly link to planning to ensure all areas of learning are effectively covered. The activities and experiences satisfactorily cover all areas, although there are gaps in mathematical development and communication, language and literacy. Children speak confidently, some recognise letter shapes and sounds and others begin to recognise their names from cards. Their learning is not always effectively extended by the staff and the more able children sometimes lose interest. Children regularly look at books individually and in pairs, however group storytime is not well organised and is often disrupted by the children. They are developing their early writing skills with some children writing their names and others using their writing and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

mark making skills during their play. For example, as children complete Christmas lists for Santa. They are beginning to make sense of simple numbers in their play, they recognise shapes and use words to describe size and quantity. They develop and extend their mathematical vocabulary during routine activities, for example, as they count children in the line before going outside. Children have limited opportunities to take part in practical mathematical activities to develop an understanding of simple calculation. Children begin to make sense of the world around them and the people in it. For example, the children show interest in the lives of people familiar to them and enjoy a visit from the local post lady who explains what happens to letters once they are

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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 posted. Children develop a positive attitude to others and begin to understand about the local community and the wider world. They experience a range of festivals, for example, Diwali, Harvest Festival and Thanksgiving. Children show developing coordination and control as they successfully use simple working technology and they enjoy using the computer. Children have good opportunity to use their imagination as they take part in a wide range of craft activities and role-play based on their first-hand experiences. They use their increasing imagination well as they sing and dance and follow actions to music and songs. They express their ideas creatively through art and craft activities using a variety of textures and materials. For example, during the inspection the children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

make snowflakes and use glitter to decorate their Christmas folders. Children develop their physical skills at each session and are encouraged to develop new skills. They move in different ways during movement sessions, play times and when using a variety of large and small equipment. Children show skill when using tools to support their learning, for example, scissors, glue sticks, paint brushes, pencils and cutlery at snacktime.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children learn to value and respect themselves and the staff as they work together during activities and help take part in simple tasks at snack time. They begin to appreciate diversity as they investigate their own and other cultures and beliefs, for example Harvest Festival, Diwali and Thanksgiving. Play materials reflect positive images of people from the local community and the wider world. Staff promote inclusion for all children. The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) helps ensure that each child's needs are met fully and works closely with the parents to offer support. Good levels of staffing enables children with special needs to gain the most benefit from being part of a group. Children spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are generally well behaved, although there are times when behaviour deteriorates as staff are not consistent in the methods they use to deal with issues.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are not always challenged or suitably occupied leading to some disruption of activities. However they take turns and show concern for others. A good partnership with parents contributes significantly to children's well-being in the playgroup. Parents are kept well informed about the daily routines and topics planned. They receive information about the Foundation Stage and regular discussions identify children's progress towards the early learning goals. Parent's speak positively about the playgroup, the staff and the children's achievements.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are happy and settled in the setting. High adult to child ratios ensure that

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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 they are well cared for and supported during their time at the playgroup. Staff are generally well deployed and children have many opportunities to interact with the staff to develop their learning. Some group activities do not allow children's learning to be extended, for example, at storytime. Children benefit from the organisation of the space both inside and outside which enables them to make choices and develop their ideas as they play. Resources are generally well organised although lack of space makes some areas cluttered. There have been some changes to the staffing of the group over the recent months and staff have taken on new roles to cover for the previous supervisor who has been unwell. A contingency plan created by the committee was put into operation and the

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Organisation

group continued to run, until a new supervisor was appointed. However, Ofsted was not informed about these changes as required in order to ensure that appropriate arrangements were in place to protect the children and to ensure new staff were appropriately vetted. Procedures are in place to recruit and induct new staff and the committee work closely to ensure staff are suitably experienced and qualified. Leadership and management is satisfactory. The staff and committee work well together as a team. The new supervisor has clear aims for the continued improvement of the quality of care and education for the children. Staff discuss their practice at each session but there is no clear system in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last care inspection recommended that the playgroup developed a written statement on special needs consistent with current guidance. This has been fully addressed and the special educational needs statement is now included in the operational plan and made available to parents. Some progress has been made since the last educational inspection to ensure children have opportunity to take part in routine practical activities to develop their knowledge of simple calculation. However children do not experience these on a regular basis and this will form part of a recommendation.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since April 2004. 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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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 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 satisfactory.

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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 Ofsted is informed about any changes in members of staff and any significant changes to the operational plan or any other significant event

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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): • ensure adults caring for children in a provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development • ensure all activities are appropriately planned allowing children's learning to be developed and extended, in particular during storytime.

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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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