Sherwood Park County Infant School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 27/01/2004 Inspector Name Christine Pettitt

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name St Barnabas Pre-School Setting Address St Barnabas Church Hall Queens Square,Adeyfield Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of St Barnabas Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name St Barnabas Pre-School Address St. Barnabas Church Hall Queens Square, Adeyfield Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP2 4HY

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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

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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. When making judgements, inspectors have regard to how well the provider meets the National Standards for under Eights Day Care and Childminding. A list of these is attached. The report identifies strengths and areas for improvement. This inspection report must be made available to all parents.

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Information about the setting

St Barnabus Pre-School is affiliated to the church and is committee run. It takes place in two church rooms, adjacent to the church building. The pre-school is open from Monday - Friday from 9:15 until 12:00 noon. There is the option for children to attend the lunch club which is open from 12:00 until 13:00. The pre-school is open term time only. The group is registered to care for 38 children ages 2 years 6 months to under 5 years. There are 46 children currently on the register. The premises includes two rooms for the pre-school. The children aged 2 years 6 months - 3 years are a smaller group which takes place in a first floor room. The 3-5 year olds use the ground floor room. There are toilet facilities adjacent to both rooms. There is a secure outside play area which is paved. There are 9 staff working within the group, some work on a part time basis. Two staff have relevant qualifications and two others are about to commence the NVQ level 2

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Information about the setting

courses. The group currently has two children attending who have special needs, they have a SENCO person who liaises with other agencies. There are four children who are in receipt of funding. Children for whom English is a second language are welcomed.

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How good is the Day Care?

St Barnabus Pre-School provides satisfactory care for children. A caring, friendly and welcoming environment is provided. The premises are safe, well maintained and hygienic. The staff are aware of safety issues and also include generally satisfactory hygiene practice within the routine. However, there are some issues to be addressed. The children have the opportunity to benefit from the activities provided, the play resources and caring adult interaction. There are appropriate resources available but there is a need to extend these further. The pre-school now has the finances to be able to extend their range of resources and to include more multicultural input. An inventory of the play equipment would identify which areas would benefit from additional equipment. The curriculum plans relate to weekly topics and include elements of the early learning goals. Development records are being devised and will be implemented shortly.

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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 An effective partnership with parents has been established. They are welcomed into the group and receive written information regarding the pre-school. Parents are kept informed of changes or events verbally or by written means. Within the current staff team, the leader and a part time staff member have the required qualifications. The leader and management committee are working towards the minimum staff qualification requirement by two staff members being about to commence NVQ2 courses. Some staff have attended extended short courses. The staff have a positive attitude to equal opportunities and special needs which is evident from the policies and practice. The pre-school has most of the required documentation. There is a need to complete a risk assessment and to review the child protection and behaviour

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How good is the Day Care?

management policy. Reviews of the PLSA policies, formerly used, are ongoing and are adapted to the needs of this pre-school environment. There is an awareness of confidentiality issues.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Following the previous inspection there were nine actions to complete. Five of these actions applied to written requirements regarding a complaints procedure, information for the deployment of students and volunteers, planning a curriculum, special needs and equal opportunities policies. These have been completed. Two actions were with regard to training and staff qualifications. An action plan with regard to staff training was completed and adhered to. Unfortunately the two staff who attended the training have subsequently left the pre-school. Two further staff are soon to commence NVQ2 courses. Two actions related to the need to extend the range of equipment, including those which reflect equal opportunities. This is currently in process of being carried out. The pre-school has recently become financially viable to be able to extend the range of play equipment.

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What is being done well?

• The staff show they value children by their welcoming approach. The children are encouraged in their development through staff interaction, by them asking questions to gauge their understanding and by giving them information on a one to one and group basis. The craft facilities promote opportunity for the children's experiences to be extended and cover different areas of the learning goals. The small group for the younger children in a separate room provides a homely, caring atmosphere for children to access free play with appropriate ratios of staff. This provides a very positive experience for the children before joining the larger group.(Standard 3) • The staff have a positive attitude to equal opportunities. They obtain written information from the parents about the individual needs of their child, before

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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 commencing in the group. The Chinese New Year topic showed a commitment to making children aware of other cultures. The staff are committed to making the pre-school accessible to children with special needs. There are children attending who have special needs. Consistent one to one care is provided for these children. The staff liaise with other agencies for the benefit of the child. (Standards 9 and 10) • The staff have established effective relationships with parents. There is written information given to parents, a parent handbook, an information leaflet and policies are available in a folder at the pre-school for parents to access. Ongoing communication takes place by use of the notice boards and newsletters. The parent's comments in the questionnaires indicate their

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What is being done well?

appreciation of the warm, friendly, atmosphere, the caring, understanding staff team and of the activities provided. (Standard 12)

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What needs to be improved?

• written information relating to behaviour management, child protection and health and safety policies (Standards 7, 11 and 13) • play resources including multicultural resources (Standard 5) • procedures to ensure a risk assessment is in place. (Standard 6)

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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 5 Identify gaps in different types of play resources and consider multicultural issues when purchasing further resources. 6 Carry out a risk assessment to promote procedures for safety. 7 Review health and hygiene policy to include medication/sickness policy/first aid training for staff and hygiene practice with regard to use of

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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 communal bowl and towel for washing hands. 11 Extend policy to include ways of encouraging positive behaviour. 13 Review child protection policy.

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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

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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 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

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