Roehampton Gate School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/07/2003 Inspector Name Christine Mary Burridge

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Tytherington Pre- School Playgroup Setting Address Village Hall, Itchington Road Tytherington Wotton-under Edge South Gloucestershire GL12 8UP

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Tytherington Pre School Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Tytherington Pre School Playgroup Address Village Hall Itchington Road, Tytherington Wotton-under-Edge Gloucestershire GL12 8UP

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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

Tytherington Pre-School Playgroup opened in 1996. It operates from the community hall, which is situated in the village of Tytherington approximately two miles from Thornbury in South Gloucestershire. The playgroup serves the local rural community and surrounding villages. There are currently 23 children on roll. This includes seven funded-four-year-olds. Children are admitted from the age of two and a half and attend for a variety of the three sessions on offer. There is support for children with special educational needs, but there are currently no funded children who speak English as an additional language. The group opens on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays during the school term. Sessions are from 09:30 until 13:00 hours. There are five staff working with the children. Three have early years qualifications. Two staff are on training programmes. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership(EYDCP).

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Information about the setting

The playgroup is run by a management committee elected from parents of children who attend the group.

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How good is the Day Care?

Tytherington Pre-School Playgroup provides a satisfactory standard of care for children. Staff create a friendly, welcoming environment by ensuring that the room is well set out and children and parents are warmly greeted. Children are well supported, and the group often operates with a higher than required ratio of adults. The general organisation is satisfactory and there is a positive commitment to staff training. However, there is no clear operational plan, nor are formal induction procedures and a staff appraisal system in place. First aid training is not regularly updated.

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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 Staff give good attention to promoting health and safety. Good hygiene practices are encouraged and children learn about fire safety by regularly practising fire drills each half term. Risk assessments are completed for the premises and for outings. The group is well resourced, equipment is clean, appropriately maintained and many resources are freely accessible. Children are encouraged and learn through a wide range of interesting and exciting activities, both inside and outdoors. There is a good emphasis on developing children's social skills and independence. Staff act as good role models. They treat children with respect and children are well behaved. There is a strong partnership with parents. Parents are provided with plenty of

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How good is the Day Care?

information about the setting through the information pack and regular newsletters. They have access to their children's records and have formal opportunities to discuss their children's progress. Parental involvement through serving on the committee and helping on duty rota is valued. All required documentation is in place, but accident records are not always signed by parents.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The actions agreed at the last inspection have been implemented. The prospectus now contains the following information: who may have unsupervised access to children; exclusion periods for infectious diseases and illness; how to contact Ofsted; the procedure to be followed if there is an allegation made against a member of staff and the policy on bullying. Poisonous plants are now inaccessible to children.

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What is being done well?

• Staff are friendly and welcoming; they create an environment where children are happy and well occupied. Children are well supported by having a higher than required ratio of adults to children. • Children are provided with a wide range of activities and opportunities to learn through practical experiences both on and off the premises. They are developing confidence and are happy and settled. • Staff take positive steps to ensure children are kept safe and feel secure. There is a good emphasis on healthy eating and fruit is provided as part of the daily snack. • Behaviour is well managed. There is a clear policy that is followed through by staff. Staff act as good role models and effectively encourage appropriate behaviour by praising children and treating them with respect. Children respond well by co-operating, for example, sitting quietly when necessary, sharing, and taking turns. • Partnership with parents is good and their contribution to the group is valued.

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What is being done well?

They are involved in their children's learning through regular rota duties and the management committee.

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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 development and implementation of the operational plan • organisation of the imaginative play area in order to provide children with sufficient space for role play • the arrangements for updating first aid training • the arrangements for accident recording.

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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 2 Devise an operational plan that reflects all the policies and procedures including induction and appraisal system. 4 Ensure that the imaginative play area is set out to provide children with sufficient space for role play. 7 Ensure first aid training is kept updated. 7 Ensure all accident records are signed by the parent or carer.

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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?

Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Progress in both personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world is very good. Teaching is generally good. Staff understand how children learn through practical experiences and they provide children with a broad range of interesting and exciting activities. Children's behaviour is well managed. Children are generally well supported, both in large and small group activities and as individuals. However, the home corner does not always provide children with enough space for their imaginative play. A lack of detailed planning and evaluation means that learning opportunities are missed. Leadership and management is generally good. The new committee is developing an understanding of its role and responsibilities. The members intend to review current practice and create an operational plan that includes staff development. Staff

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How effective is the nursery education?

are working well as a team and there is a good commitment to training. However, there is no formal induction programme for new staff, the appraisal system has lapsed and there is no system for self assessment. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are well informed about the setting and about their children's progress. They are warmly welcomed into the group and their contribution, particularly while on rota duty, is valued as it enables the group to offer children a good level of support.

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What is being done well?

• Children are making very good progress in personal, social and emotional development. They are confident and they are becoming increasingly independent. Children make good relationships and show care and concern for others. • Staff manage children's behaviour well. They provide plenty of encouragement and praise, and as a result children understand about sharing, taking turns and respond appropriately to request from staff to help tidy up and line up. • Children are making very good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world. • They enjoy investigating and exploring, and they learn about the environment through practical experience. They are developing good computer skills. • Children are developing good communication skills, talking about their families and significant events in their lives. They enjoy listening to stories and they sing enthusiastically.

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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 • Partnership with parents is very good. Parental contribution to the group is valued, both as committee members and for their involvement with the children's learning when on rota duty.

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What needs to be improved?

• the planning to show the learning intentions, evaluation and how this is used for future planning for individual children • the programme for mathematics so that children use their knowledge of numbers to solve simple problems, for example, taking away.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Three key issues were identified at the last inspection: to ensure that the planning of the educational programme meets the needs of individual children; to develop an effective way of recording children's progress and responses and using assessment to plan future teaching to meet needs of individual children; to provide opportunities for children to express their ideas freely and communicate their feelings through a widening range of materials, musical instruments and other resources. Generally good progress has been made in implementing the action plan and it has recently been revised. Children confidently express themselves, communicate their feelings and develop their ideas. They creatively use resources that are freely available. The introduction of the new stepping stones assessment system has enabled staff to more effectively assess children's needs and provide a means for parents to contribute to the process.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Although some progress has been made in planning the educational programme this is an area for continued development particularly to show learning intentions and in using evaluation to plan for individual children's needs.

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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 making very good progress in personal, emotional and social development. They are confident, interested and keen to learn. They are developing independence and are learning to share and take turns. They make good relationships with other children and staff. They show care and concern by helping friends and taking an interest in staff. Children are well behaved. They understand what is expected and respond appropriately to requests from staff such as helping to tidy up.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in communication language and literacy. They communicate well, can express their feelings, speak confidently in group situations and enjoy chatting to friends. Most children listen well and enjoy stories, They handle books carefully and know words have meanings. However, insufficient use is made of reference books. Children recognise and some can write their names. They are beginning to link sounds to letters and letters to words.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in mathematical development. They count confidently, and this is encouraged across many activities including songs and rhymes. They use numbers in their play, for example, counting tentacles on an octopus during water play, and they are beginning to recognise written numbers. They have a good knowledge of shape and size. However, children have too few opportunities to use their knowledge of number within problem solving situations, such as taking away.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world. They are interested in and are developing a good knowledge of the living world through practical experiences. They have many opportunities to explore different textures and materials and they construct with increasing skill. They use tools appropriately. Children are developing computer skills and have good control of the mouse. Children learn about different cultures and customs through planned activities.

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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 are making generally good progress in physical development. They are developing a good awareness of space and move safely between activities. They use small tools and equipment with increasing confidence and eye to hand co-ordination is developing well through bat and ball games and catching. Children are beginning to learn about team work, for example, through parachute games. They are gaining awareness of their health and bodies.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in creative development. They explore shape, colour and texture and create using many different media. Children are imaginative and they enjoy stories and singing. They are generally developing good use of their senses and are able to describe what they see, touch and feel.

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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

• extend the planning to incorporate learning intentions and evaluation of activities, so that future activities are more effectively planned. • enhance the programme for mathematics to enable children to use their knowledge of numbers to solve simple problems, for example, taking away.

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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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