Lyon Park Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/07/2003 Inspector Name Jennifer Read

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Prestbury Pavilion Playgroup Setting Address New Barn Close Prestbury,Cheltenham, Gloscester GL52

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Prestbury Pavilion Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Prestbury Pavilion Playgroup Address New Barn Close Prestbury,, Cheltenham Glos GL52 3LP

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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

Prestbury Pavilion Playgroup opened in 1979. It operates from the Pavilion Cricket Hall in the residential area of Prestbury, on the outskirts of Cheltenham. The group has use of one playroom, entrance hall, kitchen and outdoor playing area and shares the building with other users. They have sole use of the building during their hours of operation. The group is open five days a week from 09:15 to 12:00 with a pre-school session open on a Friday from Easter until the end of the summer term. Children attend from the local community and surrounding areas. The group is registered to care for 24 children aged between two to five years. There are currently 33 children on the register including 12 funded three-year-olds and 14 funded four-year-olds. The group supports children with special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The playgroup is managed by a committee of parents and is a registered charity.

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Information about the setting

There are currently three members of staff who work directly with the children and they have early years qualifications up to level 2. Two new part-time play leaders, with level 3 qualifications have been appointed to start in September. The deputy is intending to study for the Certificate in Professional Development. Parent volunteers are used on a rota basis to support the staff and children.

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How good is the Day Care?

Prestbury Pavilion play group provides satisfactory care for children aged two to five years. The premises are bright and clean and children appear confident and move freely. Currently access to all the toilet facilities is restricted. Staff carry out effective and detailed safety measures to ensure children are safe both inside and outside. Staff demonstrate awareness of children's dietary needs and provide healthy and nutritious snacks. Staff have suitable skills and experience to ensure children receive appropriate level

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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 of care and have a commitment to on-going professional training to promote good practice. There is a detailed operational plan with well set-out policy and procedures. Not all procedures are effectively implemented by staff to ensure a consistent approach to their work. Records and documentation are accessible and stored securely, however some lack detail and not all are in place. Staff interact and show interest in what the children do and say. They plan range of stimulating activities which give children opportunities to progress in all areas of development with a good range of suitable toys and play materials. The key worker system, and strategy for identifying and tracking children who may have special

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How good is the Day Care?

needs does not work effectively to promote and encourage children's development. Staff have a positive relationship with parents. Parents have access to detailed information about the provision and are able to talk with the staff each day. Written annual reports are provided for children moving onto school.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection, the provider agreed to maintain a system to record children and staff attendance with times of arrival and departure; conduct a risk assessments of the premises; devise a sick child policy and share it with parents. All actions have been successfully carried out. A daily register is completed which details accurately children and staff attendance. Detailed and regular risk assessments are carried out, and a clear and well set out sick child policy is displayed on the notice board. This helps to ensure the safety and welfare of the children, and to keep parents informed effectively of the up-dated policy.

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What is being done well?

• There is a detailed operational plan with well set out policies and procedures. • Staff plan a range and balance of activities which give children opportunities to progress in all areas of development with a good range of suitable toys and play materials. • Staff give high priority to children's safety and carry out effective and detailed safety measures within the setting and on outings. • Children are provided with healthy and nutritious snacks. • Staff promote parents as a good source of information and resource to enable children to gain further knowledge.

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What needs to be improved?

• qualifications so that staff are appropriately qualified to manage the play group; • opportunities to extend, encourage and promote children's independence and learning experiences.

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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 • records of accidents and administration of medication and treatment; • staff's approach to managing behaviour; • access to appropriate toileting facilities for the children and staff.

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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 7 keep a written record, signed by parents, of medicines given to children. 07/07/2003

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 1 ensure staff have appropriate qualifications in line with the requirements of the National Standards. 3 support staff to observe and record what children do, use this to plan the next steps for children’s development and to identify particular needs. 4 ensure adequate toilet facilities are available for children and staff. 7 ensure all entries in the accident book are signed by staff and parents. 11 develop staff's awareness and understanding of effective ways to manage behaviour, taking into account children’s age and stage of development.

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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?

Prestbury Pavillion Playgroup provides a good quality curriculum overall and the children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are happy and confident within the setting. Staff take time to talk with, and listen to, the children and show a genuine interest in what they say and do. Children take part in a wide range of activities, which helps to develop their interest and enthusiasm. Children have limited opportunity to select extra resources for themselves, and their ability to extend activities and be freely creative is not supported effectively. Teaching is generally good. Staff are aware of the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. They help to develop the children's thinking and communication skills very well by good use of open-ended questions. The children's assessments are not used effectively to inform the planning and their individual needs are not consistently

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How effective is the nursery education?

supported. Staff management of children's behaviour is weak. They demonstrate a poor understanding and commitment to monitor individuals who may need additional support. Opportunities for children to practise writing skills and recognise numbers as they play is limited. Leadership and management is generally good. The committee is strong and provides good support to the staff who work very well as a team. Annual appraisals are carried out, but there is a lack of day-to-day support with the planning. The committee and staff are keen to ensure the group provides the best care it can and are open to change to move things forward. There are new staff who will start next term. Partnership with parents is generally good. Regular information is produced with opportunities for parents to become involved in their child's activities. Parents are asked to provide useful information when they first start at the group, but no formal

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How effective is the nursery education?

process is in place to contribute in ongoing assessments and support their child's learning and progress.

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What is being done well?

• Children settle quickly on arrival, happy to leave their parents and keen to see what is available to them. • Staff take time to talk with and listen to the children. They show a genuine interest in what the children do and say. • Language development is well supported. Children have opportunity to talk in large and small groups. Staff ask appropriate questions to develop children's thinking and communication skills. • Children have opportunities to explore and investigate using all their senses over time. They look at how things change and are supported by adults who

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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 question how things work and why they happen. • Children have good access to a range of appropriate resources for exploring different cultures.

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What needs to be improved?

• resources to allow children to choose for themselves, and extend the activities on offer as they play; • access to writing materials for their own purpose within everyday play situations; • opportunities for children to count and relate number symbols to objects within planned and spontaneous activities; • management of children's behaviour and knowledge of the monitoring and assessment process; • further development of the planning and assessment cycle to ensure assessments are used to inform planning and meet the individual needs of all the children.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Prestbury Pavilion Playgroup has made generally good progress towards improvements since the last inspection. Key issues raised were to develop the methods of assessment to include detailed observations and a recording system which covers all six areas of learning, and to develop methods to review teaching, planning and assessment such as staff appraisals, in order to provide continuous opportunities for professional development. Assessments and observations, which detail the areas of learning, are being carried out. The information is used to prepare the school transfer record and to write the end of year report. These assessments are not used effectively to inform the planning and develop the next stage of learning for individual children. Staff now have regular appraisals and evaluation meetings, which helps the group to identify training needs and areas for improvement or development.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

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

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are happy and confident within the group. They are keen and excited to be there and look forward to taking part in the activities offered. Staff use opportunities to build on children's self-esteem. They offer praise and encouragement for achievements and thank children for helping with tasks for example tidying up. A good range and balance of activities are provided for children although there is a lack of accessible resources to allow children to choose freely for themselves.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Adults ask appropriate open questions to encourage the children to think for themselves such as "What if?" "How does that happen?" Children have opportunity to talk in large and small groups and staff take time to listen to what they say. Group sizes generally support children with good opportunities to talk. Children enjoy rhyming songs and games. Access to writing materials for children to use for their own purpose, within everyday play situations and to practise their skills is limited.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children count during circle time however opportunities for children to relate number symbols to objects within planned and spontaneous activities are limited. Children do not have opportunity to build on their prior learning of a variety of mathematical concepts through planned activities or free play. Staff do not provide daily opportunity for children to practise counting, recognise written numerals and consolidate their learning as they play.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have opportunities to explore and investigate using all their senses over time. They look at how things change and are supported by adults who question how things work and why they happen. They demonstrate an awareness of the routine and what happens next, they can recall past events and experiences with pleasure. There is a good selection of resources which reflect different cultures and the children have regular access to technology.

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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 move with confidence when travelling around indoors and outdoors. They have daily opportunity for large physical play and demonstrate an ability to balance, slide, climb under and over, pedal tricycles and use pushchairs. Children find a space and move round without bumping into objects in their path for example when pretending to be a fire engine. They have limited access to activities which encourage them to handle tools such as scissors, paperclips and rulers for their own purpose.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have opportunities to explore and investigate using all their senses, for example they smell, feel and talk about the ingredients when making play dough. There is a lack of regular, free access to creative resources to help develop children's own ideas. They have good opportunities to use their imagination through role play, small-world activities and story boards where they can create their own stories such as 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'.

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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

• develop a planning cycle so that assessments inform future planning and ensure that activities are planned to support individual children's learning and build on their prior learning; • develop regular opportunities for children to select activities and resources freely for themselves; • plan a wider range of activities for children to count, recognise numbers and relate number to objects as they play; • develop regular opportunities for children to use different writing equipment and practise mark making as they play.

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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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