Flockton Playgroup

Flockton Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Flockton Playgroup

EY254456 Unique Reference Number 05 October 2006 Inspection date Hilary Mary Mckenning Inspector

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Flockton Playgroup

Flockton Playgroup, Barnsley Road, Flockton, Wakefield, WF4 4DH Setting Address

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E-mail

Flockton Playgroup Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Sessional care Type of 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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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?

Flockton Playgroup opened in 1979. It operates from a portable building within the grounds of Flockton Church of England School near Huddersfield. The group has one large room with access to toilets and a kitchen. There is an enclosed outdoor area. It serves the local area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 21 children aged from two to four years on roll, of whom nine children are in receipt of nursery education funding. The group opens five mornings from 09.00 to 11.30 with a lunch club from 11.30 to 13.00. The group operates during term time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are three staff members working with the children; all having an appropriate childcare qualification or are working towards qualification. The setting receives support from the Pre-School Learning Alliance and the advisory teacher from the Kirklees Early Years Service.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a clean and maintained environment. The good adult support and guidance helps children gain a sound understanding of hygiene and independence in their personal care. Daily routines reinforce good hygiene and act as helpful reminders to encourage children’s independence, for example, washing their hands after using the toilet. To promote the good health of children and meet National Standard seven, there should be a member of staff with a current first aid certificate on the premises at all times. At the time of the inspection, there was no one employed with a current first aid certificate.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children’s meals and snacks provided at the playgroup take account of parents’ wishes so that their individual health and dietary requirements are met. For example, records are kept and displayed in the kitchen to ensure children’s needs are met. Children choose snacks from a selection available to them. Children are developing independence as they feed themselves, with support from staff, using child-size cutlery.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are active and enjoy regular outdoor play, which contributes to their general good health. They learn good hand and eye co-ordination as they successfully manoeuvre wheeled toys around the playground. Children move confidently and safely, indoors and outdoors, negotiating space and obstacles. Staff are aware of the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a bright and colourful environment. They are confident and settle well in the playgroup. Children are safe and secure in the environment as appropriate security precautions are in place. For example, security keypad, visitors’ log book and sounders on external doors. Risks of accidental injury to children are minimised because staff are vigilant and use risk assessments to reduce potential hazards. Systems are in place to ensure equipment is regularly checked to maintain safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children can move freely and safely around the space available and make independent choices about where and what they wish to engage in. They confidently select from a good range of age-appropriate, good quality play equipment. These are well organised in child-height storage to encourage independent access. Furniture is of a suitable design, conforms to safety standards, and helps to create an accessible environment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s welfare is protected as staff understand their responsibilities for protecting children. Policies and procedures are in place and follow the local guidelines.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy their time at the setting. They arrive happy and eager to participate. Close and caring relationships increase children’s sense of trust and help to develop children’s self-esteem. Children show a sense of belonging and are becoming independent as they choose between a range of suitable toys, books and activities. Children feel comfortable and secure in their surroundings and they move around freely accessing activities that interest them. All children enjoy a balanced range of developmentally appropriate activities and experiences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children enjoy coming to the playgroup, supported by the staff. Children are sufficiently confident and assured to work and play independently or in groups. They show interest in an acceptable range of resources. Children show acceptable levels of independence, curiosity, imagination and concentration. The staff have a sound knowledge of the early learning goals. Long, medium and short-term planning are in place, although these are not readily available to parents. Children learn to concentrate and persevere with activities they enjoy; for example, collage making and printing with leaves. Children benefit from appropriate interaction and the use of questioning techniques to encourage them to talk and think about what they are doing. They initiate conversations and make their needs known. For example, at snack time children talk about what they have at

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

home and discuss their favourite snack. Children access books and are aware that print carries meaning. They enjoy stories with increasing attention, are becoming good communicators and use language to make their own needs known. For example, at snack time children voice their likes and dislikes and ask confidently to go to the toilet.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children easily engage in conversation, asking staff to join in with their play and help with aprons. They have access to a variety of books and listen to stories. Children are developing good relationships and behaviour is generally good. They play co-operatively and help each other when using the computer. Children benefit from support to help them count up to 10, as they enjoy action rhymes. However, staff do not maximise opportunities in everyday activities to develop children’s mathematical awareness.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff gain an acceptable understanding of children’s interests as they are beginning to make their own observations when children play. They interact appropriately with children to stimulate curiosity. Assessments of progress are being developed. Staff observe children’s daily achievements and use this information to plan for the next steps in learning, although these are not routinely shared with parents. Staff make appropriate use of early years guidance, such as the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework and the ‘Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage’, to provide satisfactory care and education. Overall children make satisfactory progress in all areas of 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 are treated with equal concern and their individual needs are met appropriately. This is due to the staff taking time to get to know the children and ensure their daily routines are followed. Children behave well as staff follow a clear and consistent approach. They are given clear guidance and, as a result, they are aware of what is expected of them and are learning right from wrong in a warm and caring environment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children enjoy respectful relationships with staff and each other. They develop self-esteem and a sense of belonging. Staff praise children for their achievements and children know the routine of the day. Children play well together and are becoming aware of how their behaviour can affect others. They share, take turns and begin to make choices independently. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Parents are confident to approach staff and they are kept generally well informed. Parents have their own noticeboard where they can access information. However, some of the information available is not up to date. The playgroup values and respects parents. Staff gather personal information regarding children’s needs to ensure that they work closely with the parents. This ensures children are cared for in an environment that is sensitive to their individual needs.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children have ample space to play and move around freely. The setting is organised into different play areas, which encourages children to develop independence and initiative. The indoor and outdoor space is laid out to maximise play opportunities for children. Children benefit from a staff team who are committed to self-evaluation and improvement of their practice. Organisation of the planning is a team effort and a key worker system is in place for recording observations. Team meetings are held regularly to enable staff to evaluate their practice. Most documentation is in place; for example, accidents, medication and registers are in place and up to date. Generally, written policies and procedures are available which support the care of the children and comply with regulations. Documentation is stored to maintain confidentiality and security.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is satisfactory. Staff work together as a team and are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Staff are appropriately vetted and have suitable skills to work with children. The environment is bright and organised in a way that allows children to access designated areas of play. Children benefit as staff access further training. For example, staff recently attended the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework introduction. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the playgroup was required to address a number of issues related to documentation and record keeping. They have reviewed all policies and procedures and now

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Improvements 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 they have in place all required parental consents and have systems in place for the recording of medication. These measures help to safeguard children in the event of illness.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The playgroup was also required to make available to parents a written statement providing details about the procedure to follow if they have a complaint. They now include information of how parents can make contact with Ofsted if they have unresolved concerns. However, this does not include the current contact details. They were also required to develop their knowledge and awareness of child protection issues. They have now obtained advisory information from the local authority about child protection and the procedures to follow if they have any concerns. The staff have familiarised themselves with the booklet, which makes the group more confident to deal with any issues if they arise. These measures help to ensure that children’s welfare is safeguarded and to provide parents with useful information about the service.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints 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 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 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 there is a member of staff who holds a valid first aid certificate on duty at all times • update policies in line with the National Standards for complaints.

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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 children have regular opportunities to see numbers at their level and staff to provide more opportunities to develop children’s early mathematical understanding

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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 • consider ways to improve all information and its accessibility for parents, about the educational provision and how it links to the progress that their children are making towards the early learning goals.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) 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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