Westfield Children's Centre

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 17/03/2004 Inspector Name Rachael Mankiewicz

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Sessional Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Westfield Children's Centre Day Nursery Setting Address Westfield Community Centre Rosemary Way Hinckley Leicestershire LE10 0LN

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Westfield Community Development Association 4016718

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Westfield Community Development Association Address Westfield Community Centre Rosemary Way Hinckley Leicestershire LE10 0LN

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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

Westfield Community Development Association is a limited company. It operates a range of services, including three registered day care settings, and facilities for under 5's and their parents and carers. These settings, some of which have been in operation over 30 years, are all on the Westfield site, located close to the centre of Hinckley in south Leicestershire. The Pre-school/Playgroup runs daily during term time, from 09:00 to 11:30 and from 12:30 to 15:00. The children are cared for in a large play room and a cloakroom area, which is also used as a group area, and associated facilities. The group can access outside areas, on the site, and another area within the adjacent school. It is run by nine members of staff, six who work with the children, three of whom have a level 3 qualification in early years and child care and two who are working towards one. One other staff member is working towards a level two qualification in childcare.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 78 children on roll, which includes 42 funded three-year-olds and 18 funded four-year-olds. The Kids Club offers before and after school care, in a separate building, with its own facilities. It is open daily, during term time, from 07:30 to 09:00 and from 15:00 to 17:30. There is also a summer play scheme. Six members of staff work with the children, four of whom have relevant qualifications. There are 54 children on roll. The Day Nursery operates from 08:15 to 17:45 throughout the year, excepting bank holidays and 2 weeks holidays during the year. Eight members of staff work regularly with the children. Four of the staff have the equivalent of a level 3 qualification in early years and child care, and two others are working towards one. There are 37 children on roll, with 11 funded three-year-olds and 7 funded four-year-olds. The nursery operates from a family centre, with three rooms of their own, plus an

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Information about the setting

outside area, and a shared area of indoor space.

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Information about the setting

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 All the settings support children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Westfield Community Centre has three care settings; the day nursery, Kids' Club out of school care(including the playscheme) and pre-school/playgroup. The quality of care in all three settings is good. They offer a warm and welcoming child care experience for children. The premises are safe and well-maintained; both indoors and outside. The staff and management have a good awareness of health and safety issues, and encourage children to learn to keep themselves safe and to have good hygiene practices. The settings all provide a good range of toys, resources and activities to meet the needs of the different ages of children and their levels of development. The range of activities and resources that promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice are good particularly in the Kids' Club and Playscheme. However, the appropriate policy for the pre-school and nursery does not include monitoring that

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How good is the Day Care?

the individual needs of children are being met. The planned activities offer a good level of stimulation for the children. The staff in the settings have a good awareness of special needs and meeting these needs for individual children. Staff have continued to attend appropriate training to meet the required level of qualifications. The Kid's Club more than meets the requirements regarding qualifications, but the trained and experienced management of the nursery and pre-school/playgroup do not have qualifications equivalent to the required level 3 currently. Emphasis is put on good relationships with the parents, including ensuring that children are looked after according to parents' wishes. Parents are given good information about the settings, and the welfare and progress of their children. All paperwork is in place and completed appropriately with the exception of the correct procedures for informing Ofsted of any significant events.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection, the three settings were asked to address a number of issues regarding the recording of information, staffing issues and qualifications and an issue regarding health and safety. The issue regarding health and safety has been addressed by the regular visits of Environmental Health Officers, who are happy with the premises and practices. The system of Risk Assessments and daily checks are ongoing and help to ensure that children are safe. The procedures regarding complaints and child protection are all in place and are used in practice to ensure the welfare of the children. The issues regarding the staffing qualifications and relevant clearances have been addressed. Staff are cleared as soon as possible to ensure the safety of children. Action plans have been submitted to demonstrate how the groups intend to meet the qualification requirements. There has been little progress to these plans and the

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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 recommendation is repeated as an outcome of this inspection.

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What is being done well?

• The staff and management have a good awareness of health and safety, with an ongoing system of risk assessments and daily checks that ensure a safe environment is maintained and that potential risks are minimised. • Comprehensive policies and clear procedures make up the operational plan, which works well in practice. This includes good staff deployment and the effective organisation of space and resources which has an impact on the care provided for the children in all the settings. • The children experience a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities, which are supported by a good range of toys and resources. Children are stimulated and challenged, and are interested in their play and learning. Opportunities for the children to choose their own games and make decisions about playing indoors or out is particularly good in the Kids' Club. • Staff have received training and have experience of caring for children with

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What is being done well?

special educational needs. They work with parents and other agencies for the benefit of the child. Children's individual needs and interests are supported by the knowledgeable staff. • The settings encourage good relationships with the parents. These relationships are based on effective channels of communication between keyworkers and parents, and good written information being made available. Parents and carers are encouraged to become involved with their children's learning and welfare in all of the settings.

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What needs to be improved?

• the requirement that supervisors will achieve a level 3 qualification • the information passed on to Ofsted about all significant events • the equal opportunities policy to be consistent with current legislation and guidance, including the monitoring of practice to ensure that the needs of all children are met and that they are treated with equal concern.

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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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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

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 2 Develop and implement an action plan that sets out how supervisors of the pre-school will achieve a level 3 qualification. 7 Ensure that Ofsted is informed of all significant events such as serious accidents. 9 Develop further the equal opportunities policy that is consistent with current legislation and guidance. Ensure that this is understood and implemented by all staff and shared with parents

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by the time of the next inspection

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

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How effective is the nursery education?

The Westfield Children's Centre Day Nursery provision is of a good quality overall, where the children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The welcoming atmosphere makes children feel happy, safe and secure. The children are making good progress in personal, social and emotional development.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a sound knowledge of the foundation stage, and have taken advice from others to produce a full range of activities and resources to help children learn through play. Planning does not always make clear the stepping stones towards the early learning goals, and consequently aims too high for the children involved. Evaluation, to ensure that the children have covered what was planned, is limited and the system of observation and assessment is not formally used to influence planning and help children make progress. There is limited spontaneous use of counting and the concepts of quantities, space, weight and size in the activities provided. The staff interact well with the children and act as good role models. They have high expectations, and are rewarded with children respectful of friends and adults. Good staff to child ratios and support systems are in place to cater for special educational

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How effective is the nursery education?

needs and English as the child's second language. The leadership and management of the group is generally good. Systems are in place to support staff and to encourage them to undertake training and to take responsibilities. Staff review practices and show a strong commitment to the improvement and care of children. The partnership with parents is generally good. Relationships are friendly, with information shared on both a daily and a formal basis, and parents can talk to staff at any time. Information about the Foundation Stage is available and the planning for current themes is displayed.

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What is being done well?

• The area of personal, social and emotional development is an area where children are making good progress. They listen and interact in large and small groups and express their feelings and experiences well. They care for each other but are able to negotiate and show assertiveness when needed. • The encouragement of good behaviour, of the older children acting as role models for younger children, being kind to each other and taking turns in activities. They act very sensitively when other children are upset or need help. This sensitivity, combined with an awareness of routines and a calm, controlled atmosphere, results in good behaviour overall.

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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 • Staff ratios are high which enables the individual needs of children to be met. Some staff have particular knowledge and experience in the field of special needs. • Leadership and management systems show commitment to maintaining the quality of the provision. The staff are encouraged to undertake training and to take responsibilities.

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What needs to be improved?

• The further development of planning to ensure that challenge is set at the correct level and that children can make progress, by using observation systems and assessments of where children are in their learning. • Children's experience of simple problem solving within activities and routines, and the opportunities to practice the use of mathematical language to compare quantities, shapes, weight and size. • Children's opportunities to explore objects, to investigate how things work and to develop further their interest in information and communication technology.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the setting was asked to continue to develop planning, particularly regarding mathematics, and to make clear what the children are intended to learn from the activities provided. Some development has taken place but overall planning is based on the goals rather than the stepping stones leading to the goals. The individual/target activities do not show the intentions clearly, how the activities can be adapted for those with individual needs or extended for the more able. This area will be addressed as an outcome of this inspection The area of mathematics still lacks depth in planning and in spontaneous use of mathematical language through counting in everyday activities, although the staff assure the inspector that this area has been looked at. Mathematical games are used to consolidate what the children know and work has developed in the area of exploring shapes. This area will be addressed as an outcome of this inspection.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The area of knowledge and understanding of the world has been developed to a limited extent. The children do have more experiences of some materials, but the exploration of similarities, differences, patterns and change are not developed during those experiences. This also applies to machines and other constructions. This area will be addressed as an outcome of this inspection. The information for parents has been developed with more information regarding the Foundation Stage. The projects and experiences in planning are displayed for the parents but they are not informed about taking the experiences further at home and encouraging the children's progress. Parents are involved in the initial assessment of the children.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

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

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children show confidence as they independently choose activities, and work together in large and small groups, and on their own sharing both ideas and resources. They persevere with their tasks. Children have an awareness of routines and rules, and behaviour is generally good. They show care and concern for others, for example when children are upset. Children are developing an awareness of other cultures through their interest in festivals.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children talk confidently to each other and adults as they explain activities and act in role play. They listen well to stories, and participate in rhymes and songs. The children are beginning to understand the written word through books and worksheets. They attempt to write and make marks, with older children making recognisable letters and some able to write their names. They are beginning to recognise the sounds that start their names and match them with other words.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children learn how to use numbers recognising and counting reliably numbers 1 to 10, with more able children counting larger numbers and matching quantities. However, this is not always done spontaneously in everyday activities, and simple number problems are not experienced. Children use words to describe size, shape and position. They are beginning to understand shape through matching squares, circles and triangles, including the large soft-play 3D shapes.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore different materials in crafts, playdough, and construction toys, and see how changes occur as they grow things. However, the children have few opportunities to investigate objects and technology to find out how things work. They talk about events in their own lives and show some awareness of time and space, but have little awareness of the local community. They have begun to learn about other people, their roles and cultures through looking at different countries.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good The children explore a variety of ways of moving; outside using equipment, and inside on large soft-play apparatus and during movement tapes. They show confidence and good control as they use wheeled toys and apparatus. They handle a range of materials, tools and small equipment, and their manipulative skills are good. Older children show a good awareness of their own physical needs through good hygiene practice and a topic on their bodies.

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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: Generally Good Children use their imagination well during role play, and small world play. They enjoy singing and using musical instruments. Children have some sensory and imaginative experiences through working with different materials, such as playdough and food. They are able to express themselves during messy play, free painting and drawing, and talk confidently about their feelings and experiences.

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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 staff's knowledge of the Foundation Stage, and the use of systems of observation and assessment, to enable them to plan effectively and progress children's learning • increase staff's knowledge of how to use everyday activities and routines to help children develop their understanding of number through practical problem solving, and to consolidate their mathematical concepts of space, size and weight • increase children's opportunities to explore objects, to investigate how things work and to develop further their interest in information and communication technology.

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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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