Mayflower High School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 13/01/2005 Inspector Name Janice Clark

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Sessional Day Care Setting Name Banwell Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Rear of Banwell Primary School West Street Banwell North Somerset BS29 6DB

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Banwell Pre-School Playgroup 283326

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Banwell Pre-School Playgroup Address Banwell Playgroup Rear of Banwell Primary School West Street Banwell, North Somerset BS29 6DB

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents. If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

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Information about the setting

Banwell Pre-School Playgroup and Out of School Club is a well established group situated in the vicinity of Banwell Primary School. Both provisions are run by one management committee. Children are cared for between two play rooms and have access to toilet facilities. There is an enclosed area used for outside play. Funding has been obtained for a new permanent timber framed building which will replace the existing building. The new building will be in place by the summer of 2005. The playgroup opens Monday to Friday from 09.00 - 11.30 and in addition from 12.30 - 15.00 as demand requires. The out of school facility is open between 15.15 and 18.00. Both groups are open through term time only. The group offers care for children between the age of two and under eight years. Currently 27 children attend throughout the week on a variety of sessions. There are 25 receiving funding; four are aged four years old and the others are aged three. The group is currently

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Information about the setting

supporting children with special educational needs. There are no children attending who have English as an additional language. There are currently ten part-time members of staff working directly with the children. Four of these hold a level three qualification in early years. The group is receiving support from the Early Years Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Banwell Pre-School Playgroup and Out of School Club provides satisfactory care for children. Friendly and approachable staff ensure a warm and welcoming environment for children and their parents with posters and pictures of children's work on the walls. The premises are clean and maintained at an appropriate temperature. There is sufficient space overall for children to play freely both inside and out. There is an adequate range of toys and equipment available. Most policies and procedures are in place however, some lack detail. The premises are secure and there are effective systems in place for the safe arrival and collection of children. Risk assessments are carried out on the premises;

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How good is the Day Care?

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 however, this does not include areas frequently used out side of the group. Risk assessments are not used effectively to reduce hazards. Staff are active in promoting good health and hygiene practice with in the group. They act in the children's best interest when they are ill. Drinks are accessible to children at all times and they are offered a variety of snacks mid morning. Staff have a sound knowledge of child protection, but the written policy lacks detail. The staff offer a range of fun activities that are suitable for most ages and stages of development. However, the range of activities offered to the children between two and five years does not always provide sufficient variety and choice. Staff interact,

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How good is the Day Care?

question and listen to the children but this is not consistent throughout the session. Toys and equipment reflect images of culture disability, gender and ethnicity. Staff are inconsistent in their approach to managing children's behaviour. Parents receive comprehensive information when they first visit. Staff and parents work well together to ensure that children settle smoothly into the group.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

During the last inspection the group were requested to ensure toilet facilities are suitable, develop an operational plan and conduct a risk assessment on the premises identifying actions to be taken to minimize risks identified. In addition they requested to provide a range of toys and activities in order to meet the developmental needs of children aged five to under eight years. Since the last inspection the group has carried out appropriate repairs to the children's toilet area ensuring that it is now suitable and safe for use. They have developed an operational plan including most policies and procedures and carried out an extensive risk assessment on the premises, although this is not used effectively by all staff and does not include the areas frequently used outside the group. The play group now provides a good range of toys and activities for children from the age of five to under eight years that are suitable for their age and stage of

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What has improved since the last inspection?

development ensuring that they have a good variety and choice.

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What is being done well?

• The out of school club offers a wide variety of play opportunities and experiences for children to enjoy • Staff have a positive attitude for caring for children with special educational needs and their families. They support children well and ensure that they join in all activities • Staff have a good awareness of what is meant by equal opportunities. The parents are consulted about their children's needs when they first visit the group and then ongoing to ensure that the children's differing needs are being met.

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What is being done well?

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • Parents are kept well informed about their children's progress and development both formally and informally on an ongoing basis.

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What needs to be improved?

• the range of toys and activities available for children between the age of two and 5 years to provide more variety and choice and staff's interaction with children is continuous throughout the session • safety, to ensure that risk assessments are used effectively and action is taken to minimise identified risks, in particular during outings • behaviour management, to increase staff awareness and management of behaviour and devise a plan to ensure it is implemented by all staff • child protection procedure, to include the procedure to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer • policies and procedures, to ensure that there is an effective procedure in place for recording the attendance of staff and students, that there is an effective system for recording fire drills and to devise and implement a policy on outings.

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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

Since April 2004 Ofsted have received one concern. In October 2004 concerns were raised under standard 4: Physical environment, standard 6: Safety and standard 14: Documentation, in relation to a child being able to leave the premises unnoticed. We carried out an unannounced visit to the pre-school and discussed the incident in detail. We also made observations of the premises and talked about the supervision of children. We raised actions to ensure that they have procedures to be followed in the event of a child being lost or a parent failing to collect a child. Also to ensure that premises are secure and that children are unable to leave them unsupervised. We also made recommendations to review the signing in and registration procedures, review the key worker system, ensuring it is effective and provide parents with more information about the policies and procedures. The provider has confirmed that suitable policies and procedures are in place. From

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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

this information it is clear that appropriate action has been taken to ensure that the national Standards are maintained. The provider remains registered.

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Outcome of the 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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The Registered Person must take the following actions by the date shown

Std Action Date 6 Ensure that risk assessments are used effectively and action is taken to minimise identified risks. 19/01/2004

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 3 Extend the range of activities for children between the age of two and five years to provide more variety and choice and ensure that the staff's interaction with the children is consistent throughout the session. 11 Increase staff awareness of positive behaviour management and devise a plan to ensure it is implemented consistently by all staff 13 Extend the child protection policy to include the procedure to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer. 14 Ensure that all policies and procedures meet the National Standards.

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by the time of the next 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

Banwell Pre-School Play Group's provision for nursery education has some significant areas for improvement. Children's progress towards the early learning goals is limited by some significant weaknesses in the provision. The areas for knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development are generally good. The quality of teaching has significant weaknesses. Staff do not all have a secure knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals and stepping stones. Staff are enthusiastic and offer fun sensory activities for the children. However, planning is not used effectively; all aspects of each of the early learning goals do not receive adequate, regular attention. The system for monitoring and assessing the children's progression along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals is not used effectively to inform planning. Therefore, not all activities adequately support the

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How effective is the nursery education?

needs of the younger and less able children or provide challenges for the children who are more able. Staff support children with special educational needs and their families well. All children are encouraged to join in all activities. Children's behaviour is generally good, despite inconsistent methods used by staff. Leadership and management has significant weaknesses. Communication between the management and staff is good. Staff work well together as a team and are keen to attend further development courses. However, the annual appraisal system does not identify training needs effectively. There is no clear system in place to monitor the settings strengths and weaknesses and key issues from the last inspection are not fully addressed. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are given a warm and friendly welcome into the group. They are encouraged to share their knowledge of their children's care and learning on an ongoing basis.

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What is being done well?

• There is an enthusiastic staff team who plan fun hands on sensory activities. Children eagerly explore trays of sawdust, mixing in glue and different coloured paint. Children enjoy experimenting with sensory materials. • The group are committed to improving the provision. They work well as a team and are keen to develop professionally. • Parents are encouraged by the use of information cards available to support their children's learning at home. Staff and parents communicate very well.

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What needs to be improved?

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals to assist them in delivering a broad and balanced curriculum • the settings ability to assess its own strengths and weaknesses to ensure gaps in the education provision are highlighted and actioned • the monitoring and evaluation of children's assessment and development records to ensure that they inform the planning of children's future learning to ensure that younger and less able children's needs are being met and that older and more able children are sufficiently challenged • curriculum plans to ensure that all aspects of the six areas of learning receive sufficient and regular attention.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Limited progress has been made in addressing the key issues identified in the previous inspection report as they have only been party addressed. Children are offered opportunities to recognise letters and link letters to sounds through various activities to assist their learning in communication, language and literacy. However, children do not have regular opportunities to practice their writing skills. The group has introduced a system for recording and assessing the children's progress and development that is linked to the stepping stones and the early learning goals. However, this is only partly effective a staff are inconsistent in their record keeping. All staff are involved in the planning of the education programme. Observations do not inform the planning of how an activity should be adapted to support younger children or to challenge older children. This leads to children's progress towards the early learning goals being limited by significant weaknesses in

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What has improved 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children develop a positive attitude to new experiences. They grow in confidence as they learn to speak out in group situations. Children's concentration and attention is not always sustained as activities are not adapted to meet the needs of younger and older children. They have good relationships with adults and peers. They independently manage their personal hygiene. Children's independence and confidence in choosing activities is not fostered appropriately.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children enjoy listening to stories, singing songs and rhymes. They use language for thinking and talk in their imaginary play. They are beginning to link sounds to letters through a 'topic bin' and identify their names and the names of others. However, they do not have regular opportunities to practice their writing skills, write their names or write for a variety of purposes. They have insufficient opportunities to make full use of the book corner.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children have opportunities to recognise numbers up to nine. They begin to develop an awareness of number operations through rhymes. Older and more able children do not have sufficient opportunities to count above ten or familiarise themselves with basic problem solving activities through every day routines. They explore and recognise 3D shapes and shapes within the environment but do not have regular opportunities to use language for position or to compare quantities or measure.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children show an awareness of how things change as they mix together materials for sensory experiences. They perform a simple operations on IT equipment and use a mouse with confidence. They are learning about the community the live in and begin to discover other peoples different cultures and beliefs during interesting and varied activities. However children do not have regular opportunities to discuss past and present events in their own lives and those of their families.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children develop their climbing and balancing skills as they use a range of large physical equipment in the outside play area. They negotiate their way around furniture with care using wheeled toys. They develop their manipulative skills through using tools to manipulate and shape play dough. Older and more able children do not have regular opportunities to further their large physical skills or to recognise the changes that happen to their bodies.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children explore a wide variety of media, textures and materials through sensory and art activities. They develop an awareness of sound through listening to the world around them. They have some experience of role play such as using a doctor's set. However the lack of resources and staff involvement do not extend children's role play experiences. Children do not have regular opportunities to use explore musical instruments, move rhythmically to music or use their creative skills imaginatively.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable but has some significant areas for improvement. Children's progress towards the early learning goals is limited by some significant weaknesses. The next inspection will take place in one to two years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals to assist them in planning and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum • develop a system to assess the strengths and weaknesses in the education provision to ensure that gaps are highlighted and actioned • monitor and evaluate the children's assessment and development records to ensure that they inform the planning of children's future learning to ensure that younger and less able children's needs are being met and that older and more able children are sufficiently challenged.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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