Wolsey Infant School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/12/2003 Inspector Name Linda Janet Witts

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Upton St Leonards Playgroup Setting Address 10 Bondend Road Upton St. Leonards Gloucester Gloucestershire GL4 8AG

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Upton St Leonards Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Upton St Leonards Playgroup Address 10 Bondend Road Upton St. Leonards Gloucester Gloucestershire GL4 8AG

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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

Upton St Leonard's Playgroup operates from Upton St Leonard's Village Hall. The playgroup was founded in 1966 and serves the communities of Abbeydale, Abbey mead and Upton St Leonards. It is run by a voluntary management committee. The building has two large halls. One hall is used as the main play area. The second hall is used for small group work, physical activities, an additional quiet reading area and an alternative play area in wet weather. Outside, the children are able to use an enclosed hard-surfaced area and also a larger grassed area. Opening times include Mondays to Wednesdays from 09:30 to 12:00 hrs; and Mondays and Tuesdays from 13:00 to 14:45 hrs. Pre-school sessions for the older children are run on Thursdays and Fridays from 09:30 to 12:30 hrs. The playgroup is registered for 26 children and takes children from two-years-nine-months to five years. Funded three and four year olds are accepted

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Information about the setting

and there are currently 33 funded three-year-olds in attendance. The playgroup also supports children with special educational needs. The team of staff is made up of four paid staff and a long-standing volunteer, all of whom are trained in childcare, first aid, child protection and food hygiene. A special needs worker has recently been appointed to oversee the care and education of children with special needs. Parents offer additional support participating in a duty rota. Upton St Leonard's Playgroup is a member of the local Playgroup and Toddlers Association and can access teacher support from the Sure Start Early Years development and Child Care Partnership..

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How good is the Day Care?

Upton St. Leonards Playgroup provides good quality care for children. An active voluntary management committee runs the playgroup. The chairperson liaises

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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 closely with the team of playgroup staff, overseeing their work and offering support as appropriate. The playgroup is managed effectively by joint-leaders. It is well organised and the key worker system works well, ensuring that the needs of individual children are met. Good child: staff ratios are maintained. Staff have good access to training and all staff undertake Child Protection, First Aid and Food Hygiene training. Good use is made of available space, with designated areas for different types of play. The group's resources are of good quality and plentiful. Records are well maintained and shared appropriately. Children are safe and secure within their play environment. Supervision of children is good. Staff demonstrate safety awareness but the group's written risk assessment

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How good is the Day Care?

lacks details of all identified risks. A good standard of hygiene is maintained within the premises and children and staff routinely wash their hands before eating. Hand-washing arrangements do not minimise the risk of cross-infection. Snacks are varied, nutritious and healthy. Children are happy, well-behaved and settled at the playgroup. They have good relationships with the staff and engage in a broad range of activities. Staff have a good knowledge of individual needs and positively acknowledge their differences. Non-stereotypical play is actively promoted and children are introduced to different cultures through planned activities. Children with special needs are supported well. Parents are happy with all aspects of the playgroup and have good relationships with the staff. Staff welcome parents and their children into the setting and give parents time to chat about any problems or to find out more about their child's

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How good is the Day Care?

progress. Good written information is also given to parents.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Following the last inspection the group was asked to ensure that the hazards posed by the drains and radiators are inaccessible to children and to draw up an action plan to show how the leader would achieve a level three qualification. The drains are now inaccessible and safety mats are currently used to protect the radiators. This is a temporary measure, until the village hall committee agree whether to change or protect them, to minimise the risk they present. A new leader, who has OCN level 3 in Childcare and Education, has been appointed to work jointly with the existing, experienced leader.

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What is being done well?

• Children are happy and settled at the playgroup. They have good relationships with the staff and engage in a broad range of activities. They have good opportunities to use their own ideas within their play and staff know when to play an active role and when to stand-back. Staff are responsive to children's ideas e.g. when a child danced spontaneously to Christmas music, the adult joined in and encouraged other children to do so, much to their excitement. • Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the children's individual needs and

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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 plan appropriate, interesting activities. Staff show warmth and affection towards the children in their care. They take an interest in what the children have to say, listening carefully, giving them time to speak. They pose questions to promote children's thinking and are responsive to their needs. • Good use is made of available space. The main hall is warm and welcoming. Large rugs, banners and posters are hung to create an interesting child-orientated environment. Areas within the hall are designated for different types of play and this works well. Children move freely between activities, choosing what they want to do. Staff use resources creatively to reflect themes. The home corner has been transformed into a variety of

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What is being done well?

shops, including an ice-cream kiosk where children could purchase 'real' ice creams. • The group special educational needs co-ordinator has undertaken appropriate training and is experienced in identifying and supporting children with special needs. The group has also recently recruited the support of an experienced special needs worker, who has already proved to be an asset to the playgroup. Parents of children with special needs report positively about the support both they and their children have received. • The playgroup environment is calm. Staff are good role models, have a consistent approach to behaviour management and value good behaviour with praise and encouragement. Children are well-behaved.

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What needs to be improved?

• the group's written risk assessment to show identified risks within all areas used, including those arising from activities and action to be taken to minimise those risks • hand-washing arrangements to ensure that the risk of cross-infection is minimised.

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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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WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE 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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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 6 Extend the group’s written risk assessment to include identified hazards in all areas used and those arising from activities, together with actions to be taken to minimise those risks. 7 Review hand-washing procedures to ensure that the risk of cross-infection is minimised.

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by the time of the next inspection

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

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How effective is the nursery education?

Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff provide a good range of activities to promote children's development in all six areas of learning. Children's progress in knowledge and understanding of the world, physical and creative development is very good. Children's opportunities to further develop their personal independence, use mathematical ideas and improve their 'writing' skills could be extended. Three and four-year-olds are enthusiastic in their learning and have a sense of belonging at the playgroup. Teaching is generally good. Staff have a good awareness of the foundation stage of learning and associated developmental stepping-stones. Planning is linked to the stepping stones and regular opportunities are planned to evaluate activities. Key workers for the children carry out assessments of children's progress and demonstrate an awareness of where children are at in their learning. The use of

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How effective is the nursery education?

assessment to inform future planning needs to be monitored to ensure that activities provide challenge for more able children and help children to move onto the next stage of their development Leadership and management is very good. The playgroup committee and staff are clearly committed to improvement of care and education for all children. The chairperson liaises closely with the team of playgroup staff overseeing their work and offering support as appropriate. Staff have good access to training. The playgroup is managed effectively by joint-leaders. They work well together, fostering team spirit and encouraging good communication between staff and the management. Partnership with parents is very good. Staff have formed good relationships with the parents. They provide clear information about the foundation stage and offer details of forthcoming themes, suggestions of things children might like to bring in for the

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How effective is the nursery education?

interest table and ideas of things parents might like to do with their children at home to assist their learning.

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What is being done well?

• Children show excitement and curiosity when presented with both new and familiar activities. They show increasing independence, choosing activities and resources and with personal hygiene. Three and four-year-olds separate from their main carer with confidence and have a sense of belonging at the playgroup. • Children have good opportunities to freely access books. They handle books carefully and show interest in illustrations and print in the books. They are also able to suggest how the story might end. Three and four-year-olds ascribe meanings to marks. They can hold pencils correctly and four-year-olds attempt to write their own names.

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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 • Four-year-olds examine objects to find out more about them and three-year-olds show curiosity, observe and manipulate objects. Children notice differences between features of the local environment. They talk about the weather and effects of the seasons upon the natural environment. • Children move freely with pleasure and confidence. They walk, run, jump and roll, negotiating space successfully when racing or chasing with other children. Four-year-olds use a range of small and large equipment and tools confidently. They balance and move on stilts and manoeuvre a football with control, as can some three-year-olds. • Staff have a good awareness of the foundation stage of learning and associated developmental stepping stones. Planning is linked to the stepping

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What is being done well?

stones and regular opportunities are planned to evaluate activities. Key workers for the children carry out assessments of children's progress and maintain their developmental records. They demonstrate an awareness of where children are at in their learning. Individual education plans have been drawn-up for children with special needs and support for them is good.

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What needs to be improved?

• Children's opportunities to gain personal independence at snack-time, with opportunities for children to pour their own drinks and select food. • Children's opportunities to rhyme and link sounds to letters. Also opportunities to use mark-making for different purposes and to learn how to form letters correctly. • Children's opportunities to show an interest in number problems, to undertake simple calculations, to show curiosity and observation talking about shapes or arrangements. • Assessments to ensure that they are used effectively to inform future planning. Short-term plans need information to show how individual children can be helped to move onto the next stage of their development, to ensure that activities provide appropriate challenge for more able children.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There were no key issues raised at the last inspection but points for consideration were to improve the presentation and accessibility of certain resources. Ensure that there are sufficient glue sticks, sharpened drawing implements and good quality brushes. Develop a system for children to be able to select more of their own resources from a range of construction toys, jigsaws and games. Also to seek advice on the teaching of alphabet letters and sounds to offer more appropriate activities for this age group. Children now have good access to a broad range of resources and tools. Staff have sought advice on the teaching of the alphabet letters and sounds, but opportunities to link sounds to letters could be extended.

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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 Three and four-year-olds separate from their main carer with confidence and have a sense of belonging at the playgroup. Children are patient and take-turns. They show excitement and curiosity when presented with both new and familiar activities. They demonstrate increasing independence, choosing activities and resources and with personal hygiene; opportunities to gain personal independence at snack-time are limited. .

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Most children are confident speakers recalling past experience. They use talk to gain attention and initiate exchanges. Children's opportunities to rhyme and link sounds to letters are limited. Children access books freely handling them carefully, showing interest in illustrations and print. Children ascribe meanings to marks, holding pencils correctly. Four-year-olds attempt to write their own names. Opportunities to 'write' for different purposes and form letters correctly are limited.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident counters. They count competently to 10 and some four-year-olds count beyond. Some can also recognise numerals to 10. Most children can find items from positional and directional clues. They use size language such as 'big' and 'little'. Opportunities to show an interest in number problems, undertake simple calculations, talk about shapes or arrangements, are limited.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are beginning to differentiate between past and present. They describe significant family and playgroup events. Three and four-year-olds construct pieces together to build and try out a range of tools safely. Four-year-olds examine objects to find out more about them and three-year-olds show curiosity, observe and manipulate objects. Children notice differences between features of the local environment. They talk about the weather and effects of the seasons upon the natural environment.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move freely with pleasure and confidence. They walk, run, jump and roll, negotiating space successfully when racing or chasing with other children. Four-year-olds use a range of small and large equipment and tools confidently. They balance and move on stilts and manoeuvre a football with control, as can some three-year-olds. Children show awareness of a range of healthy practices with regards to eating, sleeping and hygiene.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children engage in imaginative and role play based on their own first-hand experiences and play alongside others engaged in the same theme. They imitate and create movement in response to music; sing familiar songs from memory and many are beginning to build up a repertoire of songs. Children describe the texture of things, enjoying the sensory experience of exploring materials with their bodies. They make constructions, collages, paintings and drawings using their own ideas.

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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

• increase children's opportunities to gain personal independence at snack-time, with opportunities for children to pour their own drinks and select food • extend children's opportunities to rhyme and link sounds to letters; to use mark-making for different purposes and to learn how to form letters correctly; to show an interest in number problems, undertake simple calculations and talk about shapes or arrangements • monitor the use of assessments to ensure that they are used effectively to inform future planning. Extend short-term plans to show how individual children can be helped to move onto the next stage of their development, ensuring that activities provide appropriate challenge for more able children.

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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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