Alconbury Community Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 08/09/2004 Inspector Name Pamela Abram

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Alconbury Cum Weston Community Playgroup Setting Address The Memorial Hall, School Lane Alconbury Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE28 4EQ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Alconbury Cum Weston Community Playgroup 293071

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Alconbury Cum Weston Community Playgroup Address The Memorial Hall School Lane Alconbury Cambridgeshire PE28 4EQ

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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

Alconbury Playgroup opened in 1980. It operates from The Memorial Hall, School Lane, Alconbury, Cambridgeshire. It serves the local catchment area and surrounding villages.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 38 children from 2 to 5 years old on roll. This includes 32 funded 3 year olds and no funded 4 year olds. It is the policy of the setting to accept children from 2 years and 9 months old to school entry age. The setting is currently supporting 2 children with special needs and is able to support children who speak English as an additional language. The group opens 5 days per week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:30 to 12:00 and from 12:50 to 15:20. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are 7 regular members of staff, 3 of whom have early years qualifications and 3 who are currently attending training programmes.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is managed by a voluntary committee and has good liaison with the primary school. They are supported by the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and affiliated to the PLA.

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How good is the Day Care?

Alconbury-Cum-Weston Community Playgroup offers a satisfactory quality of care for children. The setting is managed by committee. Children benefit from experienced and trained staff. On-going training offers staff opportunities to update their skills and knowledge. Confidentially stored records and documentation mostly support the successful management of the group and help staff to meet children's individual needs. Measures taken by staff and committee ensure that children can play safely indoors and outside in the enclosed play area. Most health and hygiene issues are given

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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 appropriate attention. Children are provided with healthy snacks and their individual dietary needs are met. The availability of drinking water throughout the session enables children to gain independence in meeting their own personal needs. Staff attend first aid training and have access to a reasonably well stocked first aid box. Some staff have attended child protection training. Opportunities to develop their knowledge would enhance their ability to implement the procedures to safeguard children should it become necessary. Space is used well to offer children a stimulating environment in which they can play and learn. Displays and examples of children's artwork make the room look colourful and welcoming. Children have a varied range of activities and equipment to enhance

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How good is the Day Care?

their developmental progress. The accessibility of some resources and equipment promotes children's independence, with scope to develop this further. Staff present themselves as good role models for children and help them begin to know the rules and to appreciate the importance of treating each other with respect. Children respond well to the encouragement and support they receive from staff. The supportive partnership fostered between staff and parents enhances children's sense of belonging and gives them security. Parents are made welcome and have access to a range of information about the setting.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the setting agreed to conduct a risk assessment of the new premises and minimise identified hazards to enhance safety, indoors and outside.Risk assessments are now mostly effective, thus minmising risks. Steps have been taken to ensure that the poles used to close window shutters are not accessible to children and all electrical sockets are fitted with protective covers to ensure that children cannot tamper with them. Heavy doors are secured when in the open position to prevent children from walking into them or from getting their fingers trapped and the outdoor area is fully enclosed so that children remain safe and secure when playing outside. Children have access to hygienic hand drying arrangements to prevent the risk of cross infection. It was noted, however, that staff were using a shared towel in the kitchen area of the room thus still posing a risk of cross infection.

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What is being done well?

• Staff and committee members give a high priority to safety and take steps to ensure that the physical environment does not pose a risk to children's health or safety. Children have healthy, nutritious snacks and staff ensure that children have access fresh drinking water whilst at the setting to help them begin to take responsibility for meeting their own personal needs. • There are measures in place to ensure that the required proportion of staff have suitable training and/or experience. Staff show commitment to on-going training by attend workshops to update their knowledge and practice. This

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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 helps them to understand their roles and responsibilities and enhances their ability to work effectively as a team to support the children in their play and learning. • Space is used effectively to create a bright, welcoming environment and a varied range of resources helps children to take part in activities which promote their development in a comfortable setting. • Staff know children well, take an active interest what children say and do and strive to meet their individual needs. This makes children feel valued and boosts their confidence.

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What needs to be improved?

• some aspects of documentation • contents of the first aid box • hand drying practises to minimize the risk of cross infection

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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 7 ensure that the first aid box and its contents comply with Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations and review hand drying arrangements for staff to maintain appropriate hygiene practices 13 extend staff’s knowledge and understanding of child protection issues to ensure that they are able to implement the policies and procedures if they suspect a child is at risk 14 Review documentation to include the procedures to be followed in the event of a parent failing to collect a child, to ensure that written records of

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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 all accidents sustained by children include sufficient supporting detail and to include the address and telephone number of the regulating authority in the complaints procedure and make it accessible to parents.

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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?

The provision for nursery education at Alconbury Cum Weston Community Playgroup is good and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. Staff build positive relationships with children and value them as individuals. They encourage good behaviour, help children learn to share, take turns and encourage them to be independent in personal tasks. Staff use knowledge of the Foundation Stage and early learning goals to plan a varied curriculum. They know children well and some staff use effective teaching methods to extend children's learning, but do not afford children freedom of expression in creative activities. Staff make regular observations and keep records of what children have done. These assessments are not, however, used effectively to inform the planning of the next steps for individual children's learning. Leadership and management is generally good, with a shared commitment to the

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How effective is the nursery education?

continuing development of the setting. Staff work well as a team, they meet together regularly to discuss their work. The committee is supportive of staff and have a staff appraisal system in place. On-going training is given priority and arises from identified needs. The committee use feedback from staff to begin to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the children's learning. They have also carried out a review of the service offered to parents in order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the setting. Partnership with parents is generally good. Staff are approachable and encourage parental involvement. Children's progress records are shared and parents receive information in a variety of ways to help them know about the Foundation Stage and early learning goals. There are parents' evenings, but no further opportunities for them to be more involved in children's learning. Information given by parents about

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How effective is the nursery education?

their children's progress and achievements is not being used by staff to inform planning.

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What is being done well?

• Children are happy and settled. They form good relationships with each other, and with the adults in the setting. They are encouraged to behave well and receive praise, support and encouragement from the staff to help them to be able to share and take turns and to develop understanding of right and wrong. • Staff use the Foundation Stage, early learning goals and stepping stones to plan a curriculum which helps children make progress in their development. They incorporate regular access to the outdoor environment, offering children opportunities to explore the natural world and local environment.

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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 • Children respond to planned activities with enthusiasm. They are given opportunities to talk about themselves, their families and to share significant events in their lives. Staff interact with the children, treating them with warmth and sensitivity. • Staff and committee members work hard to develop the monitoring and assessment of the educational provisionof the setting. They create a learning environment for children.

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What needs to be improved?

• planning and assessment • partnership with parents • children's opportunities to be more independent in their choice of activities and resources and to explore their own creative ideas.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made very good progress in response to the point for consideration made in their last report. This related to use of the local environment for children to observe and identify features in the natural world and the place they live. Children now make regular visits to village locations and have visitors to the setting to widen their experiences. They also create maps of the local area and use technology to record their findings. This enables their learning, across all areas of the curriculum, to be linked to first-hand, real life experiences in a meaningful way.

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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 are happy and settled, staff support them until they are able to separate from their carer with confidence. Children sustain interest in activities set out for them but only sometimes select resources for their own use. They are learning how to share, take turns, but do not always understand how their behaviour affects others. Children know the routines and show independence in personal tasks, such as serving themselves at snack time.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Staff support children's developing language skills by linking sounds to letters, e.g. when talking about the weather at group time. Children engage in pre-writing activities involving hand to eye coordination and manipulative skills, but do not have regular access to writing materials and implements to practise these skills. They have opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills, enjoy singing and stories and learn to recognise their own names by finding their name cards on arrival.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use puzzles, match, sort items and enjoy activities, such as baking, to learn about size, quantity and other mathematical concepts. There are some opportunities for children to count aloud and use numbers in everyday situations, e.g. at registration time when they count the adults and children present. Opportunities to extend learning are not always taken by staff, e.g. by combining those numbers to show children how a total amount is reached. A few children can match and name shapes.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children develop a sense of place and time through themes and activities involving the local community. They have opportunities to talk about significant events relating to their homes and families and to learn about other cultures and life-styles. There are less opportunities for children to build and construct, using a range of materials. They use tools and some forms of technology, including computers, but the position of one computer makes it difficult for children to use it effectively.

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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 move confidently indoors and outside, showing awareness of space, e.g. when riding trikes outside. They demonstrate coordination and dexterity when handling tools and equipment, such as paint brushes, glue spreaders. Children develop good hygiene practices through hand washing and are encouraged to eat healthy foods. They have less opportunities to increase bodily awareness, e.g. by talking about how the body changes during exercise by getting warmer and noticing increasing heart rate.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore colour, texture and shape using puzzles, games, dough. They use their imagination in role play situations and respond to unplanned events with interest, e.g. finding a spider in the room. Sensory experiences and singing activities are enjoyed and children experiment with colour mixing. They have fewer opportunities to choose their own creative activities, to select and explore different materials, to join and construct their own designs and express their ideas through music.

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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

• Continue to review and develop planning to ensure that it shows the role of staff, use of teaching methods to introduce new concepts and ideas or to reinforce previous learning, how children will be grouped, how activities will be adapted to offer sufficient challenge and support to meet the differing needs and stages of development of individual children. • Further develop the use of assessments and evaluations of children's achievements, to ensure that they effectively inform immediate planning, and clearly identify the next steps so that individual children can build upon what they already know and can do. Show how parents knowledge of their children's learning will be used in this process. • Encourage children to be more independent in selecting activities and resources for themselves and give them increased opportunities to develop their own, freely chosen, creative ideas.

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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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