Snape Wood Primary and Nursery School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 05/07/2004 Inspector Name Carol Newman

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Horley Row Community Playgroup Setting Address Horley Row Horley Surrey RH6 8DF

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Horley Row Community Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Horley Row Community Playgroup Address St. Wilfrids Church Hall Horley Row Horley Surrey RH6 8DF

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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

Horley Row Playgroup has been established since 1971. It is registered to look after a maximum of 26 children aged from 2 to 5 years. It is a committee run group that is located in a church hall in a residential area of Horley, Surrey. It serves the local community and surrounding areas. Opening times are four mornings per week from 09:10 to 12:00 hours, term time only. Children have access to a large hall that can be partitioned into two separate areas. There are currently 36 children on roll. This includes 18 funded 3-year-olds and 18 funded 4-year-olds. The setting has procedures in place for caring for children with special educational needs and/or English as an additional language. Five members of staff work with the children on various days, of which three have a recognised early years qualification. Four members of staff hold a current first aid certificate. The setting receives support from an early learning advisor from the Early Years

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How good is the Day Care?

Horley Row Community Playgroup provides good quality care for children. The staff offer a warm and welcoming environment and meet the children's needs by working as a team. Management carry out regular risk assessments to identify possible hazards, and take steps to address them. Staff provide regular drinks and healthy snacks and encourage the children's understanding of appropriate hygiene practices. They take appropriate steps to protect children from infection. Children have access to a wide range of stimulating toys and equipment and staff plan and provide a good choice of appropriate activities each day. Resources that reflect today's diverse society are limited. Space and resources are organised effectively to meet the children's needs. Staff treat all children with equal concern

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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 and procedures are in place to support children with special educational needs. Staff use praise effectively to encourage good behaviour. Parents are welcomed into the setting. They are kept informed through regular newsletters and are encouraged to ask questions and exchange information for the benefit of the children. All policies and procedures are in place, however some minor amendments to the child protection policy and the complaints procedure are required in order to meet current requirements. All policies are available to parents on request. Record keeping is efficiently maintained.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group agreed to carry out regular risk assessments. Yearly risk assessments are carried out and the premises are checked on a daily basis.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide a welcoming, appropriately planned environment and space and resources are organised effectively to meet the children's needs. • The staff actively encourage safe practices within the setting. • Staff take positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and to encourage good hygiene practices. • Children are provided with regular drinks and healthy snacks. • Staff promote the welfare and development of children with special educational needs.

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What needs to be improved?

• the range of resources to reflect today's diverse society • the maintenance of the child protection policy and complaints procedure • the availability to parents of all policies and procedures.

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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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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 9 Ensure that children have an appropriate range of activities and resources that promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. 14 Ensure all policies and procedures meet current requirements and are made available to parents, particularly with regard to the complaints procedure, child protection policy and lost or uncollected child policy.

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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 of nursery education at Horley Row Community Playgroup is acceptable and of good quality overall. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals in creative development, physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Their progress in all other areas is generally good. The quality of teaching is generally good with some very good aspects. Children learn through an appropriate range of practical activities in all areas of learning and these are supported by a suitable range of equipment. Children are confident learners who are eager to develop their ideas and experiences and staff make good use of spontaneous learning opportunities. Children behave well at most times due to the sensitive support of the staff, however children become restless when they are required to wait, for example, at snack time. Procedures are in place to enable children with special educational needs and English as an additional language to join

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How effective is the nursery education?

in the full range of activities. Leadership and management is generally good. The playgroup benefits from the positive leadership of the manager and the commitment of the parent committee. The staff team is well established and staff members are encouraged to access training opportunities. Regular observations are made to inform parents and ongoing provisions, however these require some development to be a true reflection of individual children's skills. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are well informed about the playgroup activities through the parents' noticeboard. They are encouraged to support children's learning through suggested extension activities for each topic. Children's records are available on request and staff share their observations of the children informally, on a daily basis. However, work folders compiled for parents are not given to them until their child leaves.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident learners. They use speech effectively to plan and negotiate with each other during their play and they select resources independently. • Staff plan and provide an excellent choice of activities for children. They use a wide range of imaginative resources. • Children are well supported by the sensitive staff. They maintain meaningful conversations whilst engaging in activities. • Parents are given clear information about the provision. They are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning and to reinforce skills at home.

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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?

• the procedures to improve children's awareness of the boundaries of the setting and to develop children's independent learning • the planning and record keeping so that each child's progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals is clearly identified and children's individual needs are met • the opportunities for parents to gain information about their child's achievements and progress and to contribute to their child's records.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally Good progress has been made since the last inspection. At the last inspection the setting was asked to improve the language and literacy programme; provide children whose first language is not English with suitable support; ensure the assessment system reflects children's progress and achievement across all six areas of learning and extend the mathematics programme. Since the last inspection the setting has implemented opportunities for discussion at morning registration. At milk and fruit time, the staff sit at the children's tables and maintain conversations with them. Staff have become familiar with correct letter formation and the appropriate use of upper and lower case letters in order to assist the children in these areas. A book display unit has been purchased and comfortable, colourful bean bags have been introduced. The group are still investigating the possibility of purchasing tape

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What has improved since the last inspection?

recorders and head phones to encourage the development of children's language skills. Children who have English as an additional language are fully integrated into the group. Children are encouraged to recreate mathematical patterns whilst using a variety of equipment, however, the daily routine is still not sufficiently exploited to encourage children to problem solve.

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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 confidently interact with others. They sit quietly and concentrate for extended periods when appropriate. Children take turns when making playdough figures and when handing round fruit at snack time. Children learn about other cultures when they explore artefacts from different countries and through their "Around the World" topic. They stand up for their rights when organising their role play. Staff do not use the daily routine to the full to develop children's personal independence.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children negotiate roles when they play in the travel agents. They elaborate on the ideas of others during storytime. Children link the sounds to the letters of their names as they write them. They use books carefully, for enjoyment and to gain information for their role play. Children practice letter formation in trays of salt and mark make in role play situations. They recognise their first names to find their seat for snack time, however more able children are not always challenged.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children recognise numbers and count confidently to ten as they find stones in the outdoor area and count their hands, fingers, eyes and noses. Children learn about the concepts of addition and subtraction when they act out stories and rhymes like "Three Little Ducks". They pour and measure in the water tray and fit bricks into a basket until it is full. Children construct with peg boards, Lego, Unifix and cogs. Daily tasks are not fully exploited to encourage children to problem solve.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children observe change when baking cakes and when watching ice melt. They hunt for bugs and examine articles at the nature table using magnifying glasses. Children build houses for their toy cat using construction straws, make wooden boats and build freely with Lego, bricks and Mobilo. Children regularly operate telephones during role play. Children guess the country by observing different artefacts. They go on walks to post a letter and visit local shops, the pond and the veterinary surgery.

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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: Very Good Children manoeuvre backwards and forwards in the outdoor area as they ride bicycles around obstacles. They crawl through "rabbit tunnels", balance on balance boards, kick balls into a goal and shoot balls into the basket. Children learn about healthy practices throughout the daily routine. They use scissors and paintbrushes safely and efficiently. Children explore playdough, sand and cornflour and transport equipment safely when they help to tidy up.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children paint freely at the easel and print with fruit, cotton reels and shape cutters. They model ladybirds with salt dough and build with a range of materials on their construction site. Children sing a range of familiar songs confidently. They use their imagination well when they play in the role play areas and when they act out familiar experiences. Children create happy faces on balloons using a variety of materials and make "feely flowers" using textured fabrics.

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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

• devise and implement procedures to improve children's awareness of the boundaries of the setting and to develop children's independent learning • continue to develop the planning and record keeping so that each child's progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals is clearly identified and children's individual needs are met • provide regular opportunities for parents to gain information about their child's achievements and progress and to contribute to their child's records.

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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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