Fledgelings Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 12/05/2004 Inspector Name Gill Ogden

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Fledgelings Playgroup Setting Address Portacabins Laneham Road Dunham on Trent Nottinghamshire NG22 0UL

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Fledgelings Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Fledgelings Playgroup Address Portacabins Laneham Road, Dunham-on-Trent Newark Nottinghamshire NG22 0UL

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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

Fledgelings Playgroup was registered in 1977. It is situated on the edge of Dunham-on-Trent village. It is open each weekday morning from 09:00 until 11:45 during school term time. If the demand is there, the playgroup also opens in the afternoon from 12:45 until 15:30. The playgroup is run by a volunteer committee and operates from a portacabin that is sited on land adjoining the local primary school. There are two playrooms and an enclosed outdoor area. As the group has a close working relationship with the school, it is also able to use the school's playground and playing field. Currently 30 children attend the group. They come from the surrounding rural area and attend for a variety of sessions. Twenty children receive funding for nursery education; nine are aged three and the others are aged four. There are no children attending at the moment who have special educational needs or who speak English

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Information about the setting

as an additional language.Three staff work in the playgroup with regular support from parents on rota. The staff all have early years qualifications; one has NNEB, one BTEC and one NVQ level 3, which means that they are all qualified to work at a supervisory level. They receive support from an advisory teacher from the Nottinghamshire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).The group is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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How good is the Day Care?

Fledgelings Playgroup provides good quality care for children from two to five years. The staff team is well-qualified, experienced and enthusiastic and they work closely with the committee and parents to create a happy, purposeful and thriving environment for children. Staff organise themselves and the sessions well. The premises are set out so that all the messy, creative play is in one room. All the records are well-kept and most of the policies and procedures reflect practice. Close attention is paid to children's safety. Thorough risk assessment procedures

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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 are in place and records show that they are carried out regularly. All staff have attended child protection training and the number of first aiders meets requirements. Children know why they need to maintain good hygiene habits. Staff encourage children to drink milk or water freely throughout the session. They provide a nourishing snack for them all. There is an excellent range of resources which staff use appropriately to support activities. Children can easily reach and choose a variety of materials for both their own free play activities and adult-led ones. The children are grouped by age so that they can enjoy activities at their own ability level. At each session, activities are provided which link to all the curriculum areas. Children especially enjoy the messy

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How good is the Day Care?

play activities and the opportunities they have for energetic outdoor activities. Staff know all the children well and make sure that their individual experiences and interests are used to benefit them all. The children's behaviour is excellent. The partnership with parents is well-developed and effective. Parents form the management committee and some help out in the group on rota. They receive some useful written information and talk regularly to staff about their children. They are very pleased with the way their children are looked after and taught. Although parents can access written policies it is not very easy for them.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection, the group agreed to review some of their policies. They have done this so there is now an improved framework in place to support the care of the children. There is a clear no smoking policy; the complaints policy now includes Ofsted's details; the medicine and sick children's policies are in line with national standards; the behaviour policy includes a statement on bullying and anyone who has not been vetted is never left alone with children.

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What is being done well?

• The sessions are well-organised and the staff are effectively deployed. Children know the routine, which group they are in, and where different activities are held. The staff plan carefully their areas of responsibility at each session and make sure that children can talk to staff easily even when they are involved in free play. • Staff provide a good range of interesting activities. Their planning takes into consideration children's differing abilities and sets realistic challenges for them. • There is an excellent variety of good quality resources. Many of them can be accessed easliy and directly by the children. Resources are organised so that staff can easily find what they need to follow up any unplanned initiatives. • Children are very well behaved. They follow the good example set by the staff who also provide clear boundaries and have high expectations for all the children.

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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 written policy for special needs • the ease with which parents can access full policy documents.

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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 10 Ensure the policy is in line with current practice. 12 Make policies more easily 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?

Fledgelings Playgroup provides a caring and stimulating environment where children make very good progress towards the early learning goals in all the curriculum areas. The quality of teaching is very good. The staff are all qualified, experienced and enthusiastic about learning. This has helped them to develop sound relationships with the children and an orderly environment. They work together as a team to plan and deliver a range of worthwhile practical activities and to support and encourage children to develop their play freely and creatively. They organise the indoor space and use resources effectively so that children always have access to all the learning areas. The outdoor play space is used regularly, not only to promote children's physical skills but also to support learning across the curriculum. Children are grouped effectively which enables them to achieve better. It also helps staff to assess children's progress more easily and plan their next steps. Useful

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How effective is the nursery education?

records are kept, in line with the stepping stones, but staff have not yet assimilated the practical evidence of children's progress into the overall system. The leadership and management of the group is very good. The supervisor demonstrates strong leadership whilst also working closely with the staff, committee and parents to ensure that the children enjoy quality learning experiences. Monitoring and evaluation of the provision is informal but effective and there are ongoing plans in place to create a clearer framework for staff development. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents talk to staff informallyoften when they are on rota, and receive some clear, written information when their children join the group and, from then on, in the newsletter. Useful information is displayed for them to read and they provide an initial assessment on their children's abilities and interests. However, they have no formal opportunity to look at records and discuss

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What is being done well?

• The children's behaviour is excellent. This is because the staff are very good role models,sensitively prompting children to think about their actions and have good manners. They have a regular routine which provides security and boundaries for the children and they place emphasis on celebrating children's achievements. • The staff are enthusiastic about learning and involve themselves appropriately in children's play. They support and prompt children effectively without being intrusive. For example, they provide scrap materials for children to create boats after showing them a selection of toy boats and then encouraging them to see if they float and work how they expected them 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 This motivates the children and inspires them to achieve. • Children are grouped according to their stage and ability. This ensures that activities can be differentiated effectively so that all children get the most out of them. • Role play is used effectively to support children's learning across the curriculum. For example, in the 'café' children write down orders, count the number of plates needed, read menus, use knives and forks, pretend to prepare meals, sit at the table and pay for their meal.

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What needs to be improved?

• the formal opportunities parents have to look at their children's records and discuss their progress • the assessment system, to more fully reflect children's knowledge and skills.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. The staff have developed an assessment system which links clearly to the early learning goals. It presents the stepping stones in a way which relates to practical activities and so is easy to follow for staff and parents. All the staff now have a very good understanding of the foundation stage curriculum. They have attended training events to improve their knowledge and regularly share their individual learning and skills so that they can all plan and deliver the curriculum effectively.

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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 excited and keen to get involved with activities. They approach adults confidently and are proud to show their work. They freely choose their activities and are able to take part in them for as long as they wish. They are encouraged to use the toilet and wash their hands with little help from staff. Their behaviour is excellent as a result of the staff being very good role models. Children are encouraged to talk about their home lives and show interest in the lives of others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are keen to communicate. They smile, laugh and joke with adults and each other. They enjoy listening to others and recount stories. They are developing a sound vocabulary. Most children can explain clearly during activities what they are doing and why. They enjoy writing for a purpose through, for example, writing their names on the waiting list for sand play. Displays of story boards and books which they have created show that they are beginning to be able to form letters clearly.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children count confidently to 10 and beyond at register time. Talking about the date each day helps them to recognise numerals. They begin to recognise the worth of coins when they pretend to pay for their meal in the café. They use sand and water throughout every session to become aware of capacity and weight. They enjoy matching shapes and colours and seeing how shapes can connect to make different ones. They enjoy learning to subtract through songs and group through toys such as Compare Bears

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children talk freely about changes they recognise such as how crops grow and how jelly sets. They have made their own records of growth and change.They know, for example, that sheep are adult lambs and they enjoy being outside and observing the natural world. They construct working models such as boats from scrap materials and handle Duplo and Octons skilfully. They enjoy using the computer and electronic toy till. They talk freely about their own lives and recall visitors to the group.

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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 enjoy regular opportunities to test their whole body skills, mostly outdoors on adventure play equipment and ride-ons. They can control their movements well, stopping and starting, running and jumping. They manipulate dough and handle pens, brushes, scissors and spreaders with increasing skill. They are beginning to understand which foods are good for them and which are less good and when and why they should wash their hands..

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children make good use of their imaginations when they walk in time to drum beats pretending to be different animals, take on roles as customers and waiters in the café, create models with bricks and dough and play musical instuments. Staff encourage them to paint freely and display their efforts and to make up stories and turn them into books. Children's creative expression is reinforced by them being able to play with messy materials and role play at every session.

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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following: • create more formal opportunities for parents to look at their children's records and discuss their progress • continue to refine the assessment system. 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

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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