Thamesmead Community College

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 06/05/2003 Inspector Name Hilary Elizabeth Tierney

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name All Saints Playgroup Setting Address John Wood Room All Saints Road Cheltenham GL52 2EY

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of All Saints Playgroup

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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 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

All Saints Playgroup operates from one room within a church hall in the Cheltenham area of Pittville. The playgroup is owned and managed by the two play leaders. The playgroup serves the local community and some children come from further away. The children who attend eventually move on to a wide variety of schools within the Cheltenham area. The group opens from Monday to Thursday between 9.15 a.m. and 11.45 a.m. On these days children may stay until 12.30 p.m. for their packed lunch. Friday session times are 9.15 a.m. to 11.45 a.m. On Monday and Tuesday the group run afternoon sessions from 1.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. and on Friday afternoon they open from 12.15 p.m. to 2.45 p.m. The group only opens during school terms. The group is registered to provide care for 20 children between two and five years old. This includes 12 funded three-year-olds and 11 funded four-year-olds. The playgroup offers care for children with special needs. There are

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Information about the setting

currently no children attending for whom English is an additional language. The group are undertaking a Quality Assurance Scheme. They receive support from the Early Years Development Childcare Partnership teacher mentors. The team of staff comprises of the joint leaders plus one other. All have childcare qualifications. The group welcomes rota parents as extra help.

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How good is the Day Care?

All Saints Playgroup provides satisfactory care overall for the children. The staff are committed to training and use courses to enable them to support the children's development. Staff work well together and they know their roles within the setting. They use the space effectively within the building with specific areas for the children to play. There is a comprehensive behaviour and special needs policy, although the other policies are in place they lack some detail. Children's safety is a priority and the staff ensure the children are safe both in the building and in the garden. Suitable systems are in place to encourage good personal hygiene. During the children's snack time staff do not fully exploit routines to encourage children to develop their independence. Staff work successfully with the parents to ensure that the children's needs are met and they are all included in the activities offered. Children have a

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How good is the Day Care?

good range of activities which are well-planned and link to the chosen topic to

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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 encourage the children's development. The staff are calm when dealing with the children and use praise and encouragement to ensure the children feel valued. Staff ask questions and take time to listen to the answers of the children. There is a good partnership with parents. They are encouraged to participate in the planning and carrying out activities with the children within the setting.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The actions from the last inspection were to develop a procedure for a lost child and a parent failing to collect a child, record the actual times of attendance of the children, keep a visitors record book and record any medication given to children. All these actions have been completed which have made the playgroup safer for the children. All were in place at the time of the visit.

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What is being done well?

There is good interaction between staff and children. Plenty of praise and encouragement is used with the children. Staff work well as a team and know the children well. All children play and interacted well together as a group.(Standard 3) There are many displays of the children's work around the room which encourages the children's pride in their work. (Standard 4) All children are encouraged to participate in activities and the activities are linked well to topics that reinforce the children's knowledge.(Standard 3) Children's preferences, religious beliefs and individual needs are discussed with parents. Their wishes are respected and reflected in the activities offered. (Standard 9) The staff work well with other professionals and parents for the good of the children. (Standard 10)

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What needs to be improved?

the policies to include more detail. (Standard 2) the snack time for children to encourage the children to become more independent.(Standard 3). the regularity of access to physical play, and creative play to encourage the children's development in these areas.(Standard 3)

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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 Std Recommendation 2 further develop policies to include more detail. 3 encourage the children to be independent during snack time.

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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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How effective is the nursery education?

Children attending All Saints Playgroup are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Progress in Personal, Social and Emotional development, Communication, Language and Literacy and Knowledge and Understanding of the World are very good. Children take part in well-planned topics which encourage their awareness of the world. Children communicate clearly and form good relationships with the staff and each other. They are independent and very well behaved. Regular opportunities are needed for the children to climb, balance and use craft materials imaginatively to explore and create. Teaching is generally good and staff support the children well as they play and learn. Planning requires further development to ensure individual children's learning is extended or reinforced during play and planned activities. Topics are well resourced with reference and story books, songs, music and artefacts. Leadership and management of the playgroup is very good.

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How effective is the nursery education?

There is close co-operation between the staff, who work hard to make the playgroup a warm welcoming place for children and their parent's. Staff are committed to ongoing training and share information gained at training courses with each other. Staff appraisal ensures future personal development needs are noted. Membership of a quality assurance scheme encourages the group to assess its own strengths and weaknesses. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are provided with information about the group and forthcoming topics. Parents are not given written information on the Foundation Stage of learning but feel they have sufficient information, through discussion with staff, to allow them to be fully involved in their child's education. Parents share information with the playgroup before their child begins by filling in an information form with basic details. Children's assessments are shared with parents and there are daily opportunities for verbal feedback from staff.

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What is being done well?

Children have many opportunities through well-planned and resourced topics to explore and investigate the world they live in. Children have observed frogspawn and minibeasts and studied the people, customs, festivals, plants and animals of world countries. They are developing a good understanding of other cultures and beliefs. Children are polite, well behaved, independent and self reliant. They form good relationships with both the staff and other children. Children converse confidently and listen well. They use language effectively to organise their play and interact with staff and each other. Books are used well both for story and reference. Many opportunities are provided for children to practise emerging writing skills as they play. Staff work closely with parents to meet the needs of the children, sharing information and encouraging parental involvement with their child's education.

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What needs to be improved?

daily opportunities to climb, balance and develop gross motor skills. planning for

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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 individual children to reinforce or extend learning. free access to craft materials to allow children to design and make independently. opportunities for children to practise writing numerals as they play.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection. The group had four key issues for action following the previous inspection. These were: to further develop planning so that what children are expected to learn from activities is clear; to ensure that physical development is clearly planned for and a full range of activities is available on a regular basis; to extend the programme for knowledge and understanding of the world and to improve partnership with parents and carers by enabling them to contribute to assessment of their children and share records of children's attainment and progress more frequently. Planning now shows clear objectives for activities linked to the stepping stones. Children have many opportunities to use small equipment to encourage their physical development but access to large equipment is still limited and irregular. The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world is now very good with many opportunities

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What has improved since the last inspection?

for the children to explore, observe and investigate through well planned topics such as the resent topic which looks at the people, food, animals and customs of countries form the world's continents. Partnership with parents is now a strength of the group. Parents feel well informed and involved with the group. They contribute verbally to their child's assessments and have access to all assessment records. Staff take time to talk parents through the assessments on a one to one basis. Parents skills and expertise are well utilised by the group with contributions to topics and art work within the setting.

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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

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Progress in personal, social and emotional development is very good children form good relationships with adults and children. The children are polite and well behaved. They are able to sit quietly and patiently during story and registration, responding to instructions about daily activities and routines. Children are independent and make decisions and choices regarding their play activities. They are self-reliant in their personal care when washing hands and managing their clothes.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress in communication, language and literacy. Good opportunities are provided for children to communicate and express themselves. Children communicate clearly and are encouraged through careful, questioning to think and problem solve. Children listen well to stories and use books independently for reference and story. They link initial sounds to their names and are beginning to write recognisable, correctly-formed letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Progress in mathematical development is generally good. Staff utilise opportunities well for the children to count, estimate and perform practical calculations. Children recognise shape, position, size and quantity. They weigh ingredients when they cook and observe and recreate patterns such as snail shells and walls. Children looked at the shape, colour and number of segments as they coloured and cut pizzas. Opportunities are missed for children to practise writing numerals as they play.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress. Children explore, investigate, observe and record the world they live in. Children have observed frogspawn and minibeasts and studied the people, customs, festivals, plants and animals of world countries. They are developing a good understanding of other cultures and beliefs. Children demonstrate an understanding of time and are able to recall events from the past such as topics studied. Children use the computer with confidence.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Progress in physical development is generally good. Children move carefully and competently around the setting avoiding toys and children as they go. Staff provide access to a good range of small equipment to support physical development. Children use small equipment, such as scissors, confidently. They can jump and throw and are developing catching skills. Opportunities to climb and balance are

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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 limited and children do not have free access to large equipment on a daily basis.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Progress in creative development is generally good. Children use their imagination well as they play in the role-play restaurant. They join in enthusiastically with art and craft activities including cooking and tower construction. Children sing songs and rhymes from memory, use unusual instruments such as the didgeridoo and experience dances from other countries. Children do not have daily independent access to craft materials to allow them to explore and create using their imagination.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately: Y

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CREATIVE 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

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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

Provide regular opportunities for children to practise balancing and climbing skills. Further develop planning to ensure individual children build on or reinforce prior learning. Provide free access to craft materials to allow children to design and make independently. Provide opportunities for children to practise writing numerals as they play.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO 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

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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 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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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

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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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