Medbourne Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 12/10/2004 Inspector Name Mark Evans

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Medbourne Playgroup Setting Address Medbourne Village Hall Main Street, Medbourne Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 8DT

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Medbourne Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Medbourne Playgroup Address Medbourne Village Hall Main Street, Medbourne Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 8DT

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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

Medbourne Playgroup was established in 1982. It is a voluntary group and is registered to care for up to 24 children from two to five years of age. It opens on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 09:30 to 12:00, term time only. The playgroup is situated in a village hall in the rural village of Medbourne. The playgroup serves Medbourne and the surrounding areas. It is registered to accept nursery funding. At present there are nineteen children on roll including eight funded three-year-olds, with no funded four-year-olds. Children are grouped together in one large hall and also have access to the entrance area and toilet/wash areas. There is an enclosed outside play area for children's physical play and activities. There are no children attending for whom English is an additional language. Staff have experience of catering for children identified as having special educational needs. In total, five members of staff work with children throughout the week, with some

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Information about the setting

parents helping on a voluntary basis. The playgroup is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and receives support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership through visits from a qualified teacher.

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How good is the Day Care?

Medbourne Playgroup provides satisfactory care for children. The environment is welcoming; the premises are maintained appropriately and there are good resources for children's care and play. Arrangements for staffing ratios provide supportive adult care for children, however less than half of the staff hold a qualification in childcare. Most documentation is in good order and well organised. Staff have established arrangements to reduce the risk of any hazards. Although security needs to be further considered, most aspects of safety were satisfactory. The setting provides drinks and snacks for children that promote healthy eating and good nutrition. There is a child protection policy and staff were judged to have satisfactory knowledge of child protection issues and procedures. Children are

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How good is the Day Care?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 encouraged to use good hygiene practices, for example, to wash hands after toileting and before eating. The staff have good relationships with the children and they encourage co-operative attitudes. Adults within the setting are caring and attentive to the children and show interest and value to what they say and do. Staff praise the children and manage behaviour effectively. Children have equal access to equipment and there are some resources and activities that enhance children's interest and knowledge of diversity. The setting provides very good support for children with special needs. The setting has a positive approach towards working with parents and staff are welcoming and approachable. There are notices and information documents made

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How good is the Day Care?

available to parents to keep them informed. Confidential records are kept in order to have relevant contact details, to meet the individual care needs and to monitor children's development.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the setting agreed to ensure that electric sockets do not pose a hazard to children; request written permission from parents to seek emergency medical advice or treatment and ensure that the child protection policy complies with the local Area Child Protection Committee, (ACPC), procedures. The setting has socket covers available to protect electric sockets; has a form for parents to sign to obtain permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment and a staff member has completed child protection training and has revised the child protection policy. By completing previous actions the provider has contributed to improved clarity for procedures and raised awareness of practice for parents and improved safety within the setting.

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What is being done well?

• The staff provide a caring and stable environment for the children, which helps them to settle and gain confidence and encourages them to explore and engage with activities that promote their development. • The setting provide an excellent range of healthy foods for children, encouraging them to develop good eating habits and providing them with good nutrition. • The setting special educational needs coordinator, (SENCO), has regard to the Code of Practice and very good understanding of the procedures to follow in order to provide excellent support for children identified with having special needs.

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What needs to be improved?

• the number of staff holding a level 2 qualification in childcare • the security of the premises and outdoor areas

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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 • documentation, by devising an administration of medication policy • the written complaints procedure, so that it includes contact details of the regulator, Ofsted.

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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 Develop and implement an action plan detailing how at least half of all childcare staff will hold a level 2 qualification in childcare. 6 Make sure that premises and outdoor areas are secure and that children are unable to leave them unsupervised. 14 Devise a policy for the administration of medication, and make sure that the written complaints procedure includes the address and telephone number of the regulator, Ofsted.

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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?

Medbourne playgroup provides nursery education where the children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for their communication, language and literacy, physical and creative development is very good. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff build warm relationships with the children, which helps to support their learning, particularly for younger children. Experienced staff use their knowledge of the foundation stage to establish learning intentions for children's progress, however, less experienced staff have more limited knowledge. Planning covers all areas and guides a balanced curriculum, although learning intentions are not always clear to some staff. Staff act as good role models for children, set clear and consistent boundaries and manage the children's behaviour very well. They work directly with the children and provide one to one individual attention. Some observational assessments are

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How effective is the nursery education?

undertaken, children's progress in relation to the stepping stones is not always completed effectively and used to help plan for what children could usefully do next. Staff have regard to the special educational needs code of practice, and the setting special educational needs coordinator has excellent understanding of the procedures to be followed in order to provide effective support for children identified with special educational needs. Leadership and management are generally good. The well motivated management team has some strategies for monitoring quality and has clear development plans. They work closely with the advisory team and have a good level of commitment to improvement. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents can access written and verbal communications from the pre-school about the educational programme and have some opportunities to be involved in the assessment of their child's progress. The

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How effective is the nursery education?

team has a welcoming approach in working with parents and has developed positive relationships with them.

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What is being done well?

• Partnership with parents is very good; the setting has good levels of communication with parents, including regular verbal contact and periodic meetings with staff, keeping them involved in their child's progress. • Good provision is made at the beginning of the term for the youngest children starting the playgroup. Activities are pitched at an accessible level and children's ability to gain confidence in being separate from their main carer is promoted by consistency of environment and staffing. • The staff provide a very good range of resources, activities and experiences

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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 that promote and support children's learning developing skills for communication, language and literacy, physical development and creative development.

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What needs to be improved?

• staff's knowledge of the foundation stage and awareness of the learning intentions for focussed activities • assessment of children's progress.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made in tackling the key issue identified in the previous inspection report. This required the setting to continue development of the assessments and records of children's attainment and progress. The setting completes observational/assessment records, which indicate what the child can do, linked to areas of learning. However, this process occasionally provides insufficient information to show where the child is in relation to the foundation stage. They are now looking to use a new development profile that will assist direct assessment of children's progress against the stepping stones for the six areas of learning.

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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 generally show good levels of concentration and involvement in activities. They interact co-operatively within groups and behave well, which is conducive to a calm environment. Younger children are showing confidence in being separated form their main carer. Most children have developing independence, although there are some missed opportunities in their routines. Children are gaining awareness of their own community through local walks and visits from other agencies.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children draw and paint and sometimes ascribe meaning to marks and have opportunities to attempt writing for different purposes. They chose books for enjoyment and use them appropriately, left to right. Some more able children can recognise their name and are starting to develop phonic knowledge. They have opportunities to use language for expressing imaginative ideas, for example, within role play. Children are able to respond to and follow simple instructions.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have opportunities to combine two sets of objects and use simple subtraction, for example, within songs and rhymes. They are able to follow instructions of positional language and have opportunities to develop knowledge of space, shapes and comparison of differing measurement, although limited activities for directional activities. Children are using numeric mathematical language; they are counting, anticipating resulting numbers in calculation and are becoming familiar with numbers.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children select materials to design, join and shape, for example, play-dough. They have developing ability to operate simple equipment, for example, tape players, although staff have identified that ICT resources are limited. They explore living things and patterns of change and are developing knowledge and skill to use tools effectively. They have a sense of place within their local community and show interest in other people, for example, local walks and celebration of cultural festivals.

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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 use resources and activities effectively to help their physical development. They choose various tools, having good control to make changes to materials, to scribe, pour, form and construct. They engage in healthy practices, including good hygiene routines, healthy eating and physical exercise. In coordinating their movement to music, children show confidence around each other, with good balance and spatial awareness. Children use opportunities to climb and slide with large apparatus.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use a variety of role-play settings to enact their imagined experiences and they also express their imagination with activities and resources which include painting, collage and role-play. They have awareness of colours and can use this through a variety of mediums. Children enjoy singing, they can recall familiar songs and can anticipate associated actions. They experience different types of music, use instruments to explore how sounds can be changed and of rhythmic patterns.

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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

• Key issues: • develop staff's knowledge of the foundation stage and their understanding of the learning intentions for focussed activities. • develop children's assessments so that there is clear indication of their progress in relation to the stepping stones and use this information to help plan for what children could usefully do next.

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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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