Elvington Under Fives

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 17/11/2004 Inspector Name Diane Lynn Turner

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Elvington Under Fives Setting Address Dauby Lane Elvington York North Yorkshire YO41 4HP

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Elvington Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Elvington Playgroup Address Dauby Lane Elvington York North Yorkshire YO41 4HP

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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

Elvington Under Fives has been registered since 1992. It operates from a self contained portable building that has an enclosed outdoor area. It is sited at Elvington village Primary School and the village is located approximately seven miles from the city of York. A maximum of 26 children may attend the group at any one time. The group operates each week day from 09.00 to 11.30am and from 12.45 to 15.15pm Monday to Thursday during term time only. There are currently 47 children aged from two and a half to under 5 years on roll. Of these, 34 receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the village and surrounding local area and the group welcomes and supports children with special educational needs, and those who speak English as an additional language. Seven staff work with the children overall, two are currently working towards a recognised level three childcare qualification and two towards a level two

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Information about the setting

qualification. They receive support from the development workers at the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) and the Pre School Learning Alliance (PLA).

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How good is the Day Care?

Elvington Under Fives provides good quality care for children. The environment is warm, welcoming and well organised with a good range of well maintained toys and play equipment both indoors and outside. The staff work well together as a team. They value each others individual skills and have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities which ensures the group operates smoothly and effectively. Staff have a good understanding of all risks to children's health and safety. There are effective procedures that identify and minimise hazards in most areas, ensure good hygiene practices and protect children from possible abuse. Varied and nutritious snacks are provided that take into account the children's dietary needs and preferences.

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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 The children's individual needs are known, understood and met by staff who have a commitment to ensuring that all children have equal opportunities and access to activities. A good range of interesting and well planned practical activities are provided. Staff support children well, extending their development and learning in all areas. Clear boundaries for behaviour are maintained and a caring, supportive and consistent manner is evident. Parents are made very welcome. Information they receive is clear, of good quality and well presented. There are very effective systems in place to share information and they are kept well informed about their child's progress. All documentation is in place and used consistently. It is well organised and stored securely, but very

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the last inspection the group has taken action to improve the safety, documentation and staff's knowledge and understanding of the local Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) referral procedure and contact numbers. The cords on the window blinds have been made inaccessible to the children, the fire fighting equipment has been checked and a service contract put in place, a medication policy has been devised and implemented and systems put in place to gain parental permission and record any medication given. A copy of the local ACPC referral procedure and contact numbers is clearly displayed to ensure staff are effectively informed of this. The action taken has added to the safe and efficient running of the service.

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What is being done well?

• Children have excellent opportunities to learn about diversity through good practical experiences such as celebrating different festivals. • A very good range of toys and resources are available, both indoors and outside, that are used well by staff to support children's play and learning. • Staff have excellent relationships with the children. They know them very well and are sensitive to their needs and feelings. • A very colourful and stimulating environment is provided. Displays and interest tables are well presented and include the children's work which shows this is valued. • Parents are made very welcome and staff give good attention to involving them in their child's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the documentation in relation to children's attendance records • the safety in relation to the electrical equipment.

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What needs to be improved?

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 6 Ensure all electrical equipment is regularly checked for safety. 14 Ensure an accurate record is kept of the children's arrival and departure times.

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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?

Elvington Under Fives 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 communication, language and literacy, mathematical, physical and creative development, is particularly well-planned and they make very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff manage children's behaviour well and have good relationships with them. A varied curriculum is delivered that clearly differentiates between the learning needs of the three and the four-year-olds. Effective questioning is used during activities to develop children's understanding, encourage their thinking and help them achieve the intended learning outcome. Most activities are presented in an interesting and thoughtful way. However, the organisation of whole group activities needs to be improved. Assessments of

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How effective is the nursery education?

children's learning are made against the early learning goals and staff use this information to plan what children should do next. Records are kept of the children's progress to share with parents, but these sometimes lack the necessary detail. Leadership and management of the group is generally good. All staff working with the children show a commitment to ensuring the children's safety and well being and they work well together as a team. They have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities and are actively supported by the committee. However, the system to monitor the educational programme is not rigorous in ensuring there are no gaps in the curriculum over time. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents and staff have a friendly relationship and good communication is evident. They are kept well informed about forthcoming events and activities and are actively encouraged to be involved

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How effective is the nursery education?

in their child's learning. Ideas to support this at home are regularly shared.

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What is being done well?

• Children have very good opportunities to learn about health and bodily awareness, particularly the effect of exercise. • Children have very good opportunities to use number and simple calculation in a meaningful way during everyday routines and activities. • High priority is given to children's personal, social and emotional development with particular emphasis on helping the four-year-olds prepare for the transition to school. • Very good opportunities are offered for the three-year-olds to develop the necessary skills to enable them to use scissors effectively.

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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 • Both the three and four-year-olds are given very good opportunities to develop their independence, particularly their self care. • Very good opportunities are offered for the children to use mark making in other areas to support their play, particularly in the role play area.

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What needs to be improved?

• the system to ensure the education programme is being monitored effectively and there are no gaps in the curriculum over time, particularly in knowledge and understanding of the world • the organisation of some whole group activities • the information included in the assessment records.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. The staff have introduced a number of effective measures to improve the opportunities for children to count, use and recognise numbers to 10 in the less structured pre-school sessions and for the four-year olds to become aware of simple number operations. They have also improved the opportunities for the children to use the book corner independently and for the parents to be involved in the assessment process. Very good opportunities are now offered at both the pre-school and rising fives sessions for the children to count, use and recognise numbers to 10 and beyond each day during registration. They count both the children and adults present and identify the corresponding numerals which are then displayed. The four-year-olds are offered regular opportunities to become aware of, and use simple number operations during activities such as baking when they use scales to weigh out

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What has improved since the last inspection?

ingredients. The book corner is continuously available for the children to access independently during the sessions and is attractively presented with soft seating and a very good range of books. Staff ensure parents are able to play an active part in the assessment process by asking them to complete an initial child profile. The information parents share is then used by staff to help them form a base line assessment for the child.

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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 All children are very confident, keen and motivated to learn. They enthusiastically try out new ideas and experiences and have good relationships with both the staff and each other. They confidently choose between activities, select resources for themselves and show high levels of independence in their personal care, particularly the four-year-olds when they get changed for the PE sessions. They behave very well, are able to share, take turns, use good manners and are considerate to others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children have very good speaking and listening skills. They initiate conversation and enjoy listening to stories when they confidently join in with repeats and predict what might happen next. They eagerly find their name card at registration, correctly naming the letters and their associated sounds. They make very good attempts to write their names correctly and readily use mark making to support their play in other areas, such as writing letters in the role play area.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good All children demonstrate very good counting skills, including counting forwards and backwards. This is reinforced well during everyday routines such as counting the number present at registration when they regularly count numbers in excess of 20. They confidently recognise a good number of numerals and readily use number operations during activities such as weighing ingredients for baking, using different sized containers when playing with sand and water and helping to sort toys at tidy up time.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children show a good awareness of the wider world. They celebrate a range of festivals such as Diwali when they confidently talk about why they made curry and clay lamps. They carefully make models from construction sets and show an understanding of ICT when using telephones and hairdryers during role play and when using cassette players to listen to stories. The opportunities however to help them learn about the days of the week, the weather and the local environment are insufficient.

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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 All children move confidently around the premises demonstrating good body control and co-ordination. They demonstrate a very good awareness of the effect of exercise on their bodies and how this increases their heart rate. They are very proficient in the use of wheeled toys, carefully negotiating obstacles and stopping safely. Their fine motor skills are developing very well and they use equipment such as pencils, paint brushes and scissors effectively and with very good control.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently explore colour, media and materials through a very good range of practical activities. They draw and paint freely and skilfully use modelling materials such as clay when making Diwali lamps. They use their imagination very well to express and communicate their feelings through role play such as acting out Diwali celebrations and going on a bear hunt. They enthusiastically join in with singing and movement activities, carefully matching their movements to the music.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

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

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• improve the monitoring of the education programme to ensure there are no gaps in the curriculum over time, particularly in knowledge and understanding of the world where children should be given regular opportunities to learn about the passing of time, particularly the days of the week, features of their local environment and the weather • improve the organisation of whole group activities such as baking to ensure all children are able to play an active part and their interest is sustained • show how the examples of work included in the children's developmental records relates to the progress they are making towards 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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