The Ark CentreOfsted inspection, 10 Feb 2006

The Ark Centre

Inspection report for early years provision

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The Ark Centre

Unique Reference Number EY312761 Inspection date 10 February 2006 Inspector Susan Elizabeth Warren

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The Ark Centre

Setting Address The Ark Centre, 36 Main Road, Harwich, Essex, CO12 3LU

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E-mail

Registered person The Ark Centre Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care, Out of School 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Ark Centre opened in 2005 and operates from one room in a children's centre. It is situated in the town of Harwich, Essex. A maximum of 20 children may attend the centre at any one time. The centre is open each weekday from 09:30 to 12:00 during school term times. Out of School care is offered during school holidays and at weekends. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 17 children from 3 to 5 years on roll. Of these, all receive funding

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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 for nursery education. Children come mainly from the local area. The centre currently supports a number of children with special educational needs. The centre employs six staff. Five of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff are working towards a recognised early years qualification. The centre receives support from the Local Authority and the Pre School Learning Alliance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a clean and hygienic environment. They are encouraged to wash their hands after using the toilet and make sure they are clean and germ free before handling food. Policies are in place to help prevent the risk of spread of infection; children are not admitted until they are infection free, and parents and carers are advised on appropriate exclusion periods for different conditions. All accidents occurring and medication given are recorded and signed by a parent or carer. Children enjoy a nutritious snack containing healthy choices of fruit and vegetables, and energy giving foods such as toast and jam, to sustain them throughout the session. They are encouraged to serve themselves and quantities supplied are generous, allowing for individual appetites to be satisfied. A drink of milk or diluted squash is available. Children can have a drink of water at any time.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a physical play session every day. They are wrapped up against the cold weather and can run about and move freely in the fresh air. There are wheeled toys for steering and pedalling and they develop their skills on a low level climbing frame and slide. The playroom has the benefit of opening onto the outside area so in the summer months children can have free flow access to both indoor and outdoor play. Indoors, a giant inflatable provides exuberant fun as children crawl through the maze of tunnels. Children's fine muscle skills are developed using manipulative toys, mark making equipment and tools for sand and water play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are safe and secure at the setting; security receives a very high priority and all doors are double handled and staff are vigilant so children cannot leave the premises unseen. The outside play area has an advanced safety surface; children falling over are not likely to hurt themselves yet it is stable and strong enough to withstand bikes and scooters. Fire drills are practised regularly so children know what to do in the case of an emergency evacuation. Fire safety equipment is checked regularly to ensure it remains in good working order. Children have use of very high quality furniture and equipment, all chosen with safety

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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 and suitability in mind. The toys and equipment are stored in labelled containers, at low level where possible, and children are encouraged to choose what they would like to play with. Their work decorates the walls and adds to the generally bright and cheerful feeling of the playroom. The floors include both a hard surface for messy activities and comfortable carpeted areas for floor play, doubling as a seating area for circle times and registration. Children are protected from potential harm by staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures. A policy is in place which clearly states the group's responsibilities and this is made available to parents before children attend. Training for staff is planned in order to keep them up to date with developments.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children have their care and educational needs met by following a programme of activities designed to help them make progress towards the early learning goals. Staff know the children well and are able to offer individualised care and attention. Nursery education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children follow a planned curriculum using stepping stones from the Foundation Stage curriculum guidance document. Staff have devised a planning format including long, medium and short term plans to ensure that all areas receive sufficient coverage. The learning intentions are identified and the activities are evaluated to make sure they are having the desired effect. Staff's knowledge of the Foundation Stage is still being developed; they are attending training and looking towards other professionals for advice and guidance. The activities planned are suitably challenging

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to extend children's skills and knowledge, taking account of the different abilities and stages of development. Staff have concentrated on personal, social and emotional development in order to establish the group's firm foundation and help the children develop a sense of belonging in order that they can begin to make good all round progress. There is a good understanding of how children learn through an integrated session; basic provision alongside the planned and adult led activities provides the balance. Staff are aware of spontaneous learning moments and record them to add to the children's records. Support for children with special educational needs is excellent. They receive very good one to one support and experienced, specialist staff work very closely with parents and outside professionals to make sure children are able to progress to the best of their abilities. The individual education plans are detailed and regularly

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

reviewed with the aim of making sure children's needs are identified early on, and support systems in place, before they leave to attend full time school. Children's behaviour is very good due to consistent management by staff, who understand the range of behaviours at different ages and stages of development, and a strong emphasis on making children feel secure and settled whilst at the setting.

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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 The use of time and resources is good. Sessions are well paced and include scope for free play, indoor and outdoor time and quieter, more concentrated time in a circle or small group. Staff are enthusiastic about the high quality equipment and enjoy using the sand and water trays, role play items and dressing up clothes with the children. Children's progress is recorded and their development assessed using a system which shows which stepping stones they have achieved and indicates next steps in learning. These records will be shared with parents and gradually build into a full picture, with examples of work, to show what the children have done. Children are able to use language to communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings. They talk to one another and the adults around them as they play and work,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

discussing both real and imaginary events. Staff encourage the children to be expressive and help them with the meanings of new words in an unobtrusive way. Children listen for their names and answer at registration. They have a range of books presented appealingly on low level shelves and enjoy using these alone or with a staff member. They have access to mark making equipment and are encouraged to write for different purposes, for example, making a valentine's card for someone they feel close to. Children use counting in everyday situations, such as comparing the numbers of boys and girls present, and try to calculate as they work out how many cups and plates are needed at snack time. Sand and water play provides the opportunity to learn about capacity, weight and volume, along with a weekly cooking session where children can weigh and measure ingredients. Puzzles and construction kits help with recognition and naming of shapes and colours.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use found materials to design and make models to express their ideas, linked to the topics. They begin to use tools such as scissors and hole punches to improve their skills. Some items of everyday technology are available and used in the role play area, for example, a till and telephone. People from the community are invited in to talk to the children and introduce them to ideas from the wider world. They celebrate festivals and cultural events and their own birthdays, which gives an understanding of the passage of time. Children are encouraged to develop their creativity through planned and free art and craft activities. They enjoy free painting, collage and printing and their work is used to create displays which can be shared with parents. Small world play and role play with props and costumes all help with imaginative and expressive development and children enjoy playing at shops, hospitals and other scenarios set up for them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children sing and use instruments to discover rhythm and pitch, and move to music in fun sessions with a tape or compact disc.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs and their preferred styles of relating to one another are well known to staff, who take the time to get to know the children and their families.

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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 They are able to develop confidence and self esteem and a firm sense of belonging. For example, children enjoy an end of term party with staff, all the usual trimmings of party hats and games and special foods as a treat make them pleased to be part of the group, their smiling faces as they are met at the end of the session say it all. Children learn about the wider world as they celebrate festivals and cultural events throughout the year. Resources are chosen to reflect positive images of diversity; they have books and dolls featuring a variety of different types of people, and lovely costumes from different cultures. Children needing additional help are extremely well provided for. Specialist staff with experience of a wide range of children's special educational needs work alongside

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Helping children make a positive contribution

the children and regular staff, and liaise closely with parents to ensure that all children are included and able to make full use of the activities and equipment, enabling them to develop well. Children respond to the use of praise and gentle encouragement used by staff to promote positive behaviour. They are reminded to think about the feelings of others and helped to share and take turns, for example, when using the popular bikes and scooters outside. A behaviour policy is in place and available to parents, setting out the group's approach and strategies. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Children benefit from the group's commitment to a strong partnership with parents. Information about the group as well as about other services and amenities in the area, to support families with young children, is available as parents wait at the start and end of sessions. The information is displayed on a well stocked rack with leaflets

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and brochures. Parents are also able to speak to staff at the children's centre office, where they can find out about any of the services available. A prospectus introduces new parents to the staff and sets out the main aims of the group, and includes information about what the children will be learning. Regular newsletters inform parents of how they can be involved and help their child at home. All new children and their parents are allowed time to settle before the children are left; a flexible approach means that children's and families' individual needs can be catered for. Children's details and written consents are stored confidentially and updated as needed. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Overall, the needs of the range of children are met. Children are cared for by staff who have undergone checks and are vetted to make sure they are suitable to work with children; there are robust procedures in place to ensure staff suitability and a probationary period before a final contract is offered. Occasionally, the group have not reported some significant events to Ofsted in line with National Standards requirements, though issues have otherwise been dealt with

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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 satisfactorily. Staff have the appropriate qualifications and are continuing to attend training in order to improve their skills and knowledge. All volunteers and parent helpers are briefed and supervised when working with the children. The sessions are well organised and the room is set out before the children arrive. There is a favourable staffing ratio, above the minimum requirements, so children receive plenty of adult attention to help them develop. All children have a key worker who is responsible for completing the developmental record to be shared with parents. Activities are varied and the equipment rotated so children have lots of choices throughout the week. The sessions are well paced and staff work well as a team to make sure children are always occupied in worthwhile activities and not kept

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Organisation

waiting whilst equipment and activities are prepared. Documentation and paperwork is in place to support the children. A full set of policies, regularly reviewed and updated, is available to parents, with copies being held both in the playroom and in the main office. Staff do not yet have an operational plan in place in line with National Standards guidance. Leadership and management is good. The staff team is very new, with the supervisor only recently appointed. Management have worked closely to help develop the staff as a team, and have supported them all with training and regular appraisals. As a result, the team are working very well and have a positive and enthusiastic approach. They have successfully introduced planning and record keeping systems and are open to advice and suggestions for further development from outside advisors and professionals. This outward looking approach means the group is developing rapidly and meeting the needs of the

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Organisation

children and families in the area. There is a strong ethos and a vision for the future, with staff and management working together to continue to improve the level of service provided. As budgets allow, new equipment is introduced to enable staff to be adventurous and imaginative in what they offer the children. Staff are committed to plans to improve resources in the outside area and eventually to be able to offer the whole curriculum range both indoors and outside. Training receives a high priority and staff at all levels are encouraged to participate and contribute ideas; this benefits the children as well as promoting staff development in a positive way. Management monitor the quality of care and education and encourage the staff to evaluate what they do in order to improve standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report 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 contain complaints other than those

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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 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 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): • develop an operational plan in line with National Standards guidance and make available to staff and parents • develop a procedure to ensure that all significant incidents are recorded and reported to Ofsted.

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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): • continue to develop the programme of planned activities, and provision of resources to enable children to make progress towards the early learning goals both indoors and in the outside area.

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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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