Little Hoots Ltd

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/01/2005 Inspector Name Miriam Sheila Brown

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Little Hoots Setting Address Grangefield Approach, Voxwell Lane Bishops Cleeve Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL52 8GL

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Grangefield Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Grangefield Pre-School Address Grangefield Approach, Voxwell Lane Bishops Cleeve Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL52 8GL

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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

Grangefield Pre-School operates from a purpose-built annexe situated within Grangefield Primary School, Bishops Cleeve. It is managed by a committee of staff and parents and mainly serves the local community.

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Information about the setting

The group offer pre-school sessions from 09.15 to 15.15 and before and after school care from 08.00 to 09.00 and 15.30 to 17.30. A holiday club operates out of school terms. The group is registered to provide full day care for 30 children aged from 3 to 8 years and accepts children up to the age of 11. It is open Monday to Friday. There are currently 52 children on roll and of these, 41 are funded 3-year-olds and 11 funded 4-year-olds. There are nine staff, eight of whom hold relevant National Vocational Qualifications, or equivalent, at either level 2 or 3. The group is a member of the Parent and Toddler Association and is supported by a local authority early years advisor.

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How good is the Day Care?

Grangefield Pre-School (Litte Hoots) provides good care for children. The premises are light, airy and welcoming and offer well planned provision. The range and balance of toys and resources in the playroom and art room, are easily accessible to children and meet their needs effectively. Safety issues are well addressed, although there is scope to improve awareness of emergency evacuation routines for children attending the after school club (ASC). Children are supervised effectively at all times and basic hygiene routines are good. Accident records are well kept. Children enjoy a varied menu of snacks although do not have free access to drinks throughout the day. Staff demonstrate a good awareness of all aspects of child protection and all have received training. Staff organise a wide range of activities to support children in their development. These are planned around a common theme and are generally well adapted for

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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 of different ages and abilities. The sessions are well planned to provide children with good opportunities to explore and experiment through a wide choice of structured and free-play activities. The group resources support all aspects of equal opportunity. There are effective procedures in place to meet the needs of children with special needs. Children's behaviour is good overall and staff offer much praise and support to them. The current behaviour policy does not offer specific details of behaviour management for children attending the ASC. Parents are offered good information about the group, although some policies require development. Home-link sheets outline activities and themes and informal

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How good is the Day Care?

discussions with staff keep them well informed about their child's day. Parents are encouraged to take an active part in sessions by either providing items for interest tables, or bringing specific skills, for example, leading a session about Diwali. Recent parental questionnaires offer strong support for all aspects of care provided.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last Children Act inspection seven issues were raised which the group agreed to address. Three of these involved updating documentation and the other four in regard to some aspects of children's safety. The group have addressed all issues very well. They have introduced a clearer registration system which shows arrival and departure times, requested emergency medical treatment permission from parents and made all policy documents readily available to them. Recommendations made by the Fire Safety Officer have been actioned, outside play areas have been made secure and risk assessments completed. One member of staff has completed food hygiene training and this information has been cascaded to other staff. The successful completion of these actions has provided the children with a safer environment in which to play and learn, and more accessible information for parents and staff.

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What is being done well?

• Children's safety is well monitored and maintained. Staff address all aspects of health and safety effectively, for example, wiping tables with appropriate products, meeting regulation in the kitchen area and supervising children's personal care. Staff supervise the children at all times and complete regular risk assessments. • The range of resources for both the pre-school and after school club are good. Toys and equipment are easily accessible to children and are displayed in well labelled containers. • Children's health is effectively promoted. The policy provides clear information to parents about the care of children who are unwell or require medication. Records are well maintained and shared with parents. All

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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 relevant permissions are in place.

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What needs to be improved?

• children's access to drinking water throughout the day • some policies and procedures • children's awareness of emergency evacuation procedures used when attending the after school club.

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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 14 Develop the policies for child protection, complaints, students/volunteers and behaviour, to reflect all aspects of group care and provide parents and staff with clear information.

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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?

Grangefield Pre-School (Little Hoots) provides good quality nursery education overall. Children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world, mathematical and creative development is very good. Teaching is generally good and staff have a very good knowledge of the early learning goals and stepping stones and how these are used to plan effectively for children's learning. Staff support the children generally well but there is scope to develop more able children's independence. A good range of exciting and stimulating adult and child-led activities are provided to help children develop in most areas of learning. However, opportunities for children to develop some aspects of their early mark-making, reading and large muscle control, are not regularly included in group routines. Staff manage children's behaviour well overall and they

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How effective is the nursery education?

demonstrate a very good awareness of caring for children with special needs. The leadership and management of the nursery is generally good. There is an effective staff team who work well together and who are committed to ongoing improvement. Staff are well supported in their training needs. They regularly assess their own strengths and weaknesses through staff and liaison meetings and feedback from parents. They have yet to address some weaknesses in the provision. Individual assessments, observations and support from outside agencies assist in monitoring the effectiveness of the nursery education. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are provided with good information about the setting although specific information about the Foundation Stage is not readily available. They are informed about their children's progress through informal exchanges with staff. Parents are provided with homelink sheets to

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How effective is the nursery education?

enable them to be involved in their children's learning and are encouraged to join in with group sessions.

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What is being done well?

• The programme to develop children's mathematical knowledge is very good. They practise using numbers in many every day activities and staff develop children's knowledge according to individual abilities. • The range of activities provided to encourage children's creative development is very good. Staff use innovative methods to encourage children to become aware of their senses, for example, using perfumed paint. They develop children's understanding by using good questioning that helps them to think about what they are seeing, hearing, tasting and feeling. • The staff team and chairperson's approach to the development of the group is very good. They are positive about the inspection process and have

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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 identified the strengths and weaknesses within the group.

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What needs to be improved?

• children's opportunities to develop their early mark-making, reading and large muscle control • some staff and volunteers awareness of how to encourage children to be more independent and to manage their own behaviour • the information provided for parents about the Foundation Stage and their children's progress.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This is the providers first nursery education inspection.

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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 Children separate from their carers easily and are keen to join in with group activities. They are caring and supportive of other members of the group and have good opportunities to express their wishes and feelings. Children understand group rules and respond very well to the staff. Their independence is growing in personal care but there is scope for this to be developed in some activities. Children have a good awareness of belonging to the group and the 'big school', next door.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident speakers and use language to negotiate play with friends and unfamiliar adults. They are starting to identify letter sounds and talk about things brought from home to support this. They enjoy books but miss some opportunities to practice their early reading. Children are not regularly encouraged to make marks in their play although some older children are starting to write letters. Children's hand and eye coordination is developing well through planned activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have many opportunities to practise counting and sequencing numbers to ten. They enjoy using the interactive number line and use this with obvious pleasure, to develop their knowledge of early addition and subtraction. Younger children are starting to recognise numerals and older ones do so competently. Children compare everyday objects and use appropriate language to describe their size and position. They have a good knowledge of basic shapes and enjoy playing in the 'shape shop'.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy studying and caring for the groups fish, land-snails and stick insects. They explore what happens to chocolate and popcorn, when heated in the microwave and construct using sets and recycled materials. Their sense of time is developing well through knowledge of group routines, watching seeds and bulbs develop and group discussions. Children participate in interesting themed activities that introduce them to different cultural experiences and traditions.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children show good control over their bodies when joining in with group songs such as heads, shoulders, knees and toes. They are careful when moving in restricted spaces, for example, when the group are sitting on the carpet. However, opportunities for children to develop their large muscle control are limited during the winter months. Children have a growing awareness of how to keep healthy and use a range of small tools and equipment with increasing dexterity.

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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: Very Good Children enjoy exploring a range of media and materials such as perfumed paint, spaghetti, gloop and clay. They make simple musical instruments and enjoy singing a wide variety of songs and rhymes which support other areas of their learning, for example, clapping out rhythms of names. Children use their imaginations well whilst playing in the role-play area and the sand. Planned activities help them to become aware of, and use, their senses to enhance their play.

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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

• provide more opportunities for children to develop their mark-making and early reading, in everyday activities • develop the programme for physical development to include opportunities, throughout the year, for children to use and develop their large muscle control • ensure that all staff and volunteers are aware of how to develop children's independence and of methods which encourage and support positive behaviour.

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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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