Westgate Whirlybirds

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 25/01/2005 Inspector Name Gill Thornton

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Sessional Day Care Setting Name Westgate Whirlybirds and Pre-School Setting Address Brooklands Close Bury St. Edmunds Suffolk IP33 3JX

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Westgate Whirlybirds And Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Westgate Whirlybirds And Pre-School Address Brooklands Close Bury St. Edmunds Suffolk IP33 3JX

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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

Westgate Whirlybirds and Pre-school is a committee run voluntary group. It was formed in 1999 with the mergence of Westgate Phoenix Pre-school and Westgate Whirlybirds Out of School Childcare. It operates from two rooms in a mobile building situated in the grounds of Westgate County Primary School in Bury St Edmunds The group is a multiple provision, consisting of breakfast club, pre-school, after school club and a holiday playscheme. A maximum of 26 may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open from 9:00 - 12:00, the breakfast club is open 8:00 - 9:00 and afterschool club 15:00 - 18:00, Monday to Friday during term time only. The playscheme opens 8:00 - 18:00 during the school holidays. All children have access to a secure outdoor play area. There are currently 34 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on the playgroup role. Of these 16 receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children

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Information about the setting

with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and English as an additional language. The group employs eight staff. Three of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff are working towards a qualification.

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How good is the Day Care?

Westgate Whirlybirds and Pre-school provides satisfactory care for children. Staff work hard to create a welcoming environment within a rather old portacabin. The premises are secure and decorated with posters and displays. Most health and safety issues are given appropriate attention. The group have a small outside play area and access to the school playground. The afterschool and holiday club also use the school field for physical play.

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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 Children are generally provided with a suitable range of resources and activities to encourage their learning and development. The staff are aware of the individual needs of the children and work alongside them to support their play. Staff are consistent in managing behaviour and children respond appropriately to the good role models they provide. Staff are appropriately qualified and most have attended child protection training. Documentation is in place to support the running of the provision but it is not updated or reviewed regularly. Children are given healthy snacks and their individual dietary needs are met. Drinking water is available on request. Most health and hygiene issues are given appropriate attention.

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How good is the Day Care?

Information is shared verbally with parents on an informal basis. Children attending the Out of School club and Holiday playscheme are provided with appropriate resources and activities and staff are appropriately qualified. Documentation is in place to support the running of the club.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group agreed to request an inspection by a Fire Safety Officer this was arranged to improve children's safety. They also agreed to provide an incident book which is now in place.

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What is being done well?

• Snack time is a social occasion during which children are encouraged to develop their independence by pouring their own drinks and attempting to spread their bread. • Staff follow correct procedures in line with the SEN Code of Practice and work with parents and other professionals to ensure appropriate action is taken to support children with special educational needs • Children behave well. Staff use praise and encouragement and ensure that children are treated fairly and consistently • The group have effectively introduced the Birth to Three Matters Framework to support and observe the many children under three within the group

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What needs to be improved?

• Health and Safety procedures • the updating of documentation and the recording of children's actual times of attendance • the provision of resources reflecting positive imagery

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PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS (This section applies only to inspections carried out

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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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 6 Ensure health and safety practises are improved to include regular PAT testing of electrical equipment, display of fire procedures, monitoring and acting on risks identified during risk assessments (including accident book), complying with any environmental health recommendations and cleaning carpets and cushions 9 Ensure that children have access to an appropriate range of resources that promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. 14 Ensure all documentation is updated and reviewed regularly (including child protection procedures to include referral numbers) and made specific to the provision and that the registers for each club show actual times of attendance.

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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?

Westgate Whirlybirds and Pre-school provides good quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff know children well and they work hard to meet children's individual needs. They help the children learn how to behave setting clear boundaries of expected behaviour. Staff plan a range of suitable activities based on their knowledge of the Foundation Stage, but medium term plans are not balanced across the areas of learning. Adult focused activities identifying appropriate stepping stones and show adaptation to meet children's individual needs. However there are some missed opportunities to introduce some learning concepts during everyday routines. Staff assess children's progress towards the early learning goals using stepping stones, undertaking extensive observations to identify their next steps in learning to and inform planning.

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How effective is the nursery education?

A keyworker system is used effectively and staff discuss children's achievements during the session. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff know each others strengths and meet regularly to evaluate practice and discuss planning but without a shared overview this results in an imbalance across the areas of learning. They act on the advice of the support teacher to evaluate and improve their practise. Annual appraisals take place and staff's training needs are identified. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents receive regular details on current themes and activities and they appreciate the care provided. The parents brochure is being updated to include details of the Foundation Stage. Parents can ask to see their children's records of progress, but there are no formal channels for sharing information on children's progress or setting targets, except for children with SEN.

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What is being done well?

• Staff are caring towards the children and respond well to their individual needs to encourage them to become confident and independent. • Thorough observations of children's learning are regularly undertaken based upon the stepping stones and Birth to Three Matters. During adult focused activities staff assess children's progress and identify their next steps in learning • Staff are proactive in adopting the advice of the Early Years Support Team to improve their practise in regard to the routines of the session, for example snack time and the self registration system.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• channels of communication with parents to share children's records of progress and identify their next steps in learning • staff's knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage to ensure planned activities provide an even balance across all areas of learning and intended learning is identified in everyday activities • the programme for Communication Language and Literacy to provide children with opportunities to ascribe meaning to marks and develop writing for a purpose in the role play area.

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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: Generally Good Most children separate from their main carer with confidence or appropriate support and once settled are generally happy and interested in their play. Children are learning to interact with each other and are forming good relationships with adults, although there are limited opportunities to share experiences from home and to develop a sense of community. They behave well and most understand the routines of the group. Independence is encouraged by management of self care and at snack time.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore rhythm and sound while singing and using musical instruments. They enjoy listening to stories and access books during the session and at circle time. They have frequent opportunities for mark making. However there are missed opportunities for them to give meaning to marks or attempt writing for a purpose in the role play area. Older children identify their names during self registration and all children are encouraged to find their own named placemat at snack time.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count and use numbers in planned activities and during number rhymes, although everyday routines are not regularly used to count or solve simple problems e.g. snack time. Staff introduce mathematical language such as big and little during their play, and encourage children to compare and sort objects by their own criteria. Most children recognise and name colours and they are learning about shape, space and measure through planned activities and while completing jigsaw puzzles.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have opportunities to explore changes through cooking activities or mixing sand and water. They make models with construction sets and with junk modelling using different techniques such as glue and selotape. Children are learning about technology through regular use of the computer and tape recorder. Through themes recognising festivals they are gaining an awareness of other cultures, but there is little use of the local environment or wider community through visitors into the group.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good opportunities to use malleable materials and are learning to use tools such as knives, rollers and scissors. Equipment is only provided outdoors to give children access to large physical activities to develop climbing, balancing, pedalling and ball skills. Children take part with enjoyment in circle games such as the Hokey Cokey to develop and awareness of space and others. Staff encourage children to develop an awareness of keeping healthy.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are given opportunities to explore texture, colour and shape and to develop their own creatively. The craft area allows children to access a range of resources to create their own ideas, but examples of their own work are not displayed around the room. They join in enthusiastically with music sessions, exploring how sounds can be changed. Children are provided with various role play situations, but this is not extended by staff to encourage children to use their imagination.

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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 and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• improve channels of communication with parents to share children's records of progress and identify their next steps in learning • develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage to ensure planned activities provide an even balance across all areas of learning and intended learning is identified in everyday activities • improve the programme for Communication Language and Literacy to provide children with opportunities to ascribe meaning to marks and develop writing for a purpose in the role play area.

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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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