Condicote Playgroup

Condicote Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Condicote Playgroup

Unique Reference Number EY225776 Inspection date 22 February 2006 Inspector Shirley Ann Jackson

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Condicote Playgroup

Setting Address Condicote Village Hall, Condicote, Cheltenham, Glos, GL54 1EY Telephone number 0779 6987173 E-mail jo.abrahams@tesco.net Registered person Condicote Playgroup Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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Condicote Playgroup

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?

Condicote Playgroup first opened in 1968 and moved to it's current premises in 2002. It operates from the village hall of Condicote near Stow-on-the-Wold. The nursery is open during term times on Monday to Thursday from 09.15 until 12.15. The playgroup serves the village and surrounding areas. The group is registered to provide care for 24 children from 2 years old to 5 years old. There are currently 21 children on roll aged from 2 to 4 years. At present the

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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 playgroup has no children attending with special educational needs and no children who have English as an additional language. There are 3 members of staff who work directly with the children. Of these, 1 has a Batchelor of Education Degree, 1 has a certificate of Higher Education in Early Years and is currently working towards a degree and the other member of staff is working towards a level 2 qualification in childcare. Parent volunteers are invited to help on a rota to work with the staff and children. The group receive support from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through well established daily routines. They gain in independence skills as they wash their own hands after messy play. Children observe how staff help to prevent the spread of infection by cleaning the tables before and after eating snacks. Staff have clear procedures in place for dealing with accidents and administering medication which promotes children's health and well-being. The children are offered regular, healthy snacks in adequate quantities for their needs. These follow children's dietary requirements. However, the parent helper prepares and serves the snack, which means that children have limited involvement in this process. Children have regular opportunities to play outside where they enjoy fresh air and physical activity. They learn balance and co-ordination as they ride on the scooters. However, large physical movement is not offered to children on a daily basis.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children take part in activities which develop their hand-eye co-ordination, such as putting puzzles together and colouring with pens. They have opportunities to handle tools safely, and with increasing control, for example, when doing woodwork activities.

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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 well maintained setting which has good safety and security precautions. This helps to ensure that children cannot leave the premises un-noticed and helps to prevent unauthorised access. A fully enclosed outdoor play area is available for children to use. Children learn to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe as they listen to regular reminders from staff, for example not running indoors and keeping chair legs on the floor. However, the last fire drill was held in July 2005. Since that time a number of new children have started attending and are not aware of the correct procedure which compromises their safety. Children are able to move freely and safely within the indoor and outdoor

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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 environment as staff supervise them well and remind them of the potential risks within their play. Children are well settled within the child oriented environment and can safely access a range of suitable resources. Indoors, a wide range of good quality, safe, developmentally appropriate resources are well organised in some child height storage. This encourages independent access. Other toys are always available on request and staff offer additional equipment to support individual children's play needs. Children are protected by staff who have a clear understanding of possible risks to children's well-being. Staff have risk assessments in place both indoors and outside. They help keep children safe through their understanding of health and safety requirements. All staff are trained in child protection and are aware of how to put the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time in the group. They participate in a wide range of activities, which are well planned and support their progress and achievement. All children settle well and are enthusiastic about the activities offered. Staff interact skilfully with the children. They become involved in their play when appropriate and frequently let the children take the lead. This builds children's confidence and self-esteem. Children are confident, motivated and independent as they make decisions and select from the activities and resources available. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make consistently good progress in all areas of learning. They are keen to learn and engage in a wide range of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Children listen attentively at story and circle times. Children have favourite books, for example a child chooses "Elmer, 'cos that's

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

my favourite book". They use vocabulary that reflects the breadth of their experiences. Some children begin to use anti-clockwise movements with pencils and pens. However, writing materials are not always freely available for children to make marks. Children use maths and positional language in play, such as talking about the number of animals in the ark. Some children willingly attempt to count with some numbers in the correct order. Children are curious and ask lots of questions to help them to understand the world around them, for example talking about snakes and how they move during a craft activity. There are opportunities for children to examine objects and living things to find out more about them. For example, planting and caring for potatoes in plant pots. Children remember and talk about significant things that have happened to them. Regular outings in the nearby area develop children's knowledge of the local

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

environment. Children enjoy a number of creative activities, such as painting, shaving foam and play dough. However, resources are not freely available to encourage children's spontaneous creativity. Children sing familiar songs and enjoy making music with musical instruments. They engage in imaginative play based on their own first-hand experiences, for example feeding the "baby".

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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 Staff know the children well and this knowledge is used effectively to ensure that children are supported and extended in their play and learning. Children are given time and opportunity to learn and develop at their own pace using a variety of good quality resources. Staff encourage the children to take the lead in many activities by the use of appropriate questioning and positive interaction. Planning gives children a wide, balanced range of opportunities which over time cover the six areas of learning. Staff have systematic methods in place to observe and assess the children. These are then used to aid future planning to ensure children's competence in certain skills and to help children progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children settle well into the group with effective support from staff. Children show care and concern for themselves, such as washing their " painty hands". They also show care and concern for others, for example encouraging a younger child to join in with their activity. Children operate independently within the environment and move smoothly between activities. They persist for extended periods of time at an activity of their choosing, for example, using pens to colour a picture. Children are skilfully encouraged to behave well, taking turns in games and sharing toys. Staff encourage children to begin to resolve their differences together through discussion to find possible solutions. Children demonstrate a good understanding of behavioural expectations within the nursery. Children with special needs are well supported by staff who are trained and experienced in this area. Children's social, moral, cultural and spiritual development is fostered. All children

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Helping children make a positive contribution

are known and well supported as individuals. Children settle quickly, they wave to parents and are then eager to play. A suitable range of resources which reflect positive images of the wider community begin to raise children's awareness of diversity. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents receive good information about the group initially and this is ongoing through newsletters, a regularly updated notice board folder and daily chats with staff. Parents are encouraged to become actively involved in activities when helping out on rota duty. They also become involved in sharing their particular skills with the children. For example, playing the piano or helping out with games sessions. Children benefit from this two way sharing of information and this helps them to make good progress in their learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The staff team work well together giving children the support and encouragement to extend their play and learning. Staff are enthusiastic about letting children take the lead in activities offered to enable them to get the maximum out of the situation. Staff attend training for their own professional development and to further enhance the

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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 care and education the children receive. Children feel at home and at ease within the group setting. This means they are confident to initiate some of their own play and learning. The routine and structure of the sessions provide an appropriate balance of play opportunities both indoors and outdoors. The group's documentation is well organised. All legally required records are well maintained and securely stored. Confidentiality is highly regarded concerning the personal details of children and adults. Policies and procedures are clearly written and implemented in practice by staff. Leadership and management of the group is good. The staff team are effectively supported by a strong committee team. All of the staff are involved in the evaluation of activities and what the setting offers. This helps them to evaluate and monitor the

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Organisation

provision and the curriculum to identify strengths and areas for improvement. The clear direction and systematic monitoring of teaching and learning means children's learning is actively promoted. Recording systems are in place and are linked to future plans. This ensures that staff help to move children on to the next stage in their learning. Overall, the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the group were asked to ensure that unchecked adults do not have unsupervised access to children, conduct a risk assessment of the premises and extend policies on complaints and uncollected children. Children's safety has improved as staff at the group ensure that anyone who is not checked is never left unsupervised with the children and risk assessments of the premises have been carried out. The policies have been extended and developed to ensure the smooth operation of the group and the well being of the children. At the last education inspection the group were asked to provide regular opportunities through planned activities for children to use large physical play equipment and extend their knowledge and understanding of shape and pattern and develop planning to enable individual children's development and learning to be linked to assessment. Children now benefit from large physical movement at most sessions. Their

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Improvements since the last inspection

knowledge and understanding of shape and pattern is developed through ongoing discussion and activities during the year. Staff have altered planning to link it directly to children's assessments to ensure that they are moved on to the next step in their learning.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

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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 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

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): • extend opportunities for children to become involved in the preparation and serving of snack • carry out regular fire drills to make sure that all children are aware of the procedure

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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 there are daily opportunities for children to write freely and to have access to large physical movement • improve opportunities for children to create spontaneously

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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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