Clifton Methodist Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/06/2004 Inspector Name Lynn Rodgers

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Clifton Methodist Playgroup Setting Address Clifton Methodist Church Lister Street Rotherham South Yorkshire S65 2AX

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Clifton Methodist Playgroup 2001/260

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Clifton Methodist Playgroup Address Lister Street Rotherham South Yorkshire S65 2AX

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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

Clifton Methodist Playgroup, opened in 1980. It operates from one room, in the Methodist Church building, in Clifton, Rotherham. The playgroup is registered to care for 18 children from 2 to 5 years. There are 80 children on roll, of whom 3 year olds and 4 year olds are in receipt of nursery education funding. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Three children have special needs and the group support two children who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week during school term. Sessions are from 09:15 to 11:45 and 12:45 to 15:00. Rooms used by the children consist of; one large play room, with toilet facilities and an outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

Six full/part time staff work with the children. All have early years experience and two staff hold qualifications. One staff member is currently on a training programme. The setting is supported by the local authority.

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How good is the Day Care?

Clifton Methodist Church Playgroup, provides satisfactory care for children, with many good, childcare practices. There is a very good policy regarding lost or uncollected children. The staff ensure children are fully supervised and are grouped according to ability and maturity. Parents are encouraged to stay with their child until they feel they are ready to be left with the staff. However, the operational plan is limited and qualified staffing levels are not met. Children's activities are very well planned to incorporate the early learning goals. They are involved in a broad range of age appropriate play situations which stimulate children's imaginations. Children have the opportunity to explore, relate to each other and adults and have fun. Proper precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of children. Fire drills are

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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 practiced and recorded and all required safety is in place. The premises are very secure and no one can access the children's room unless staff let them in. Risk assessments are regularly carried out both in and outdoors. Children are provided with snacks and drinks, however, snacks are of a limited variety and lack nutrition. Equal opportunity is addressed in a sensitive manner. Staff are proactive and operate an anti-discriminatory practice for all families. All children are included and they have access to an excellent range of toys and resources which reflect the multi-cultural world we live in. Parent's needs are also addressed in a very positive way. Partnership with parents is very effective and they are regularly updated regarding

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How good is the Day Care?

their child's activities and progression. Information is always available and confidentiality is maintained. Parents are welcomed by friendly and approachable staff.

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What is being done well?

• Children with special needs are welcomed within the group. Staff work very well with parents and outside agencies to ensure children's needs are met appropriately. Records of achievements are kept for the children and these are fully discussed with parents to ensure there is progression in their overall development. • Very effectively use is made of all available space within the group. Children have plenty of room to play, move around and be comfortable. Their work is displayed in an attractive manner which helps to build up their self esteem. • All children have access to all activities and records are kept of their progress. Activities are varied, well presented and exciting for the children. Staff's interaction with children is good and they listen and respond well.

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What needs to be improved?

• the operational plan • the staff training and qualifications • the food provided for children.

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Outcome of the inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

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

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

Std Action Date 2 Devise and implement an operational plan which includes an action plan, stating when staff will complete suitable qualifications. 29/10/2004

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 8 Ensure children are provided with a varied, healthy and nutritious snack.

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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?

Clifton Methodist Playgroup provides good quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for their personal, social and emotional development, as well as their mathematical and creative development, is particularly well planned and they make very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. A variety of activities are offered and a key worker system is in place. Staff use their observations of the children's learning to inform their future planning using the stepping stones and early learning goals. The local environment is well used by the staff to provide experiences for children in the wider community. Established boundaries and high expectations of the staff result in well behaved children. Staff support children in settling in and making good relationships. They value children's contributions at circle time and use praise

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How effective is the nursery education?

effectively to develop their confidence and self esteem. Staff give individual children a good level of support and those with special educational needs are encouraged to participate in the full range of the groups activities. They ask appropriate open ended questions, developing children's language skills and encouraging them to think and talk about what they are doing. However, learning is not always extended to provide sufficient challenge. Partnership with parents is generally good. Staff record their observations of children's progress and exchange information with parents on a daily basis. Parents become involved through helping out within the group and when the group go out on visits. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff work well as a team and are able to identify their own training needs. Regular meetings are held with the committee to keep them informed of how the setting is developing.

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What is being done well?

• Children's behaviour is very good. They form good relationships with their peers and the staff. They are confident, independent and they share and co-operate well. • Children show interest in books and use print to follow instructions. They use mathematical language to solve practical problems and they have good access to a variety of resources which reflect everyday lives. • Staff provide a well planned curriculum which identifies learning outcomes for all activities. They create a stimulating, bright environment, where children are valued. • Children have very good access to a wide range of resources helping to

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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 develop their independence of choice.

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What needs to be improved?

• the attention given to increasing children's awareness of the different purposes of writing • the access children have to all outdoor resources • the use of resources to increase children's opportunities to join and assemble using a variety of tools • the contributions from parents to their children's assessments and the information they receive on the early learning goals.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection. Children have access to a fixed climbing frame to improve opportunities for them to increase their skills in climbing and balancing. Staff have made more use of the local environment by inviting visitors to the group and visits with the children out into the community. Children's progress is recorded in an effective way with records completed regularly. Assessments include relevant information including challenges required to ensure children progress through the stepping stones. Individual education plans have been devised for children with special educational needs and there is close liaison with portage workers to ensure concerns are identified and addressed with regard to children's progress. There has been less effective improvement with partnership with parents in order for them to contribute to their children's assessments.

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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: Very Good Children are confident and happy. They concentrate and play with activities for extended periods. Good, caring relationships with peers and adults have been formed. Children have good independence in both selecting their own resources and personal hygiene. The children are well behaved and understand routines and boundaries within the setting. They are beginning to understand about different cultures and beliefs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident to ask questions and listen with interest to what others have to say. They are beginning to recognise familiar letters of their names. They are aware that print carries meaning and that books are read from left to right. Books and other reading materials, such as information leaflets and bus timetables (role play) are readily available for children to access. Children have limited access to a range of writing materials and opportunities to practice writing for a purpose.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are beginning to use and develop a variety of mathematical concepts and language within activities provided. They use numbers in familiar context and some older children are able to recognise numbers up to nine. The children can count out objects and through a variety of activities they are beginning to solve simple mathematical problems such as weighing, measuring, addition and subtraction.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore and investigate a variety of objects and materials. They have access to everyday technology and explore the natural world through visits within the local community. Children build and design using construction toys. However, they have few opportunities to join and assemble with a variety of tools. Children gain experiences of food tasting through planned activities and they have opportunity to practice a variety of everyday scenarios, such as a café and picnics.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move safely, negotiating obstacles and they understand the need for space when taking part in physical play. Outdoors children have access to a range of equipment for climbing and balancing. There is a range of resources, such as bikes, balls and bats, but children's access to these is limited. Children are beginning to understand about health and their bodies. They use tools to achieve a planned effect e.g. in creating collage they use scissors and glue spreaders.

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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 explore colour, mixing paints and choosing colour for a purpose. They have many opportunities to experiment with combining different media such as collage with wool, shiny paper, glitter and fabrics. Children enjoy music and singing, playing cooperatively in group games. They have access to music and musical instruments in order for them to explore sound.

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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 children's awareness of the different purposes of writing • increase children's access to the range of outdoor equipment • improve the use of resources to increase children's opportunities to join and assemble using a variety of tools • introduce a system where parents are able to contribute to their children's assessments and provide them with information on the early learning goals.

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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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