Murdishaw West Pre-School Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 30/06/2004 Inspector Name Frances Shaw

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Murdishaw West Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Murdishaw West Infant School Barnfield Avenue Runcorn Cheshire WA7 6EP

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REGISTERED PROVIDER 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

Murdishaw West Pre-School Playgroup opened in 1993. It operates from a double mobile classroom within the grounds of Murdishaw West Infant School in Runcorn. An enclosed area is available for outdoor activities. The pre-school serves the local community. There are currently 40 children on roll from 3 to 5 years. All children attending receive funding and attend for a variety of sessions. The group supports children with special needs. The group operates Monday to Friday during term time from 09.00 to 11.30 and from 12.45 to 15.15 pm. There are four full-time members of staff who care for the children with assistance from parent helpers. There are 2 staff who hold qualifications in early years to NVQ level 2, 1 has an NNEB qualification and 1 has a Diploma in Playgroup Practice. All staff are working towards NVQ level 3. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and SureStart and is a member of

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How good is the Day Care?

Murdishaw West Pre-School Playgroup provides good quality care for children. All staff hold a relevant qualification in childcare and have a commitment to further training. They work well together with a good understanding of each others roles and responsibilities. There is a warm and welcoming atmosphere and children show they are content and secure. Effective organisation of playrooms allows children plenty of space to move freely between rooms with easy access to resources. Staff are deployed well with absences being covered efficiently. Most documentation is in place with omissions in the registration system and incident recording. Good attention is given to children's safety with a gap in the playground safety. Staff promote children's awareness of good hygiene practices within daily routines.

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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 Healthy snacks are provided which respect children's dietary requirements. The group are sensitive to special needs and liaise with other agencies to ensure appropriate support is provided. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the issues surrounding the child protection procedures. Strong relationships are made through the key worker system. Staff are caring towards the children and spend time talking to them and supporting their chosen activity, encouraging their independence. A wide selection of toys, equipment and stimulating activities promote children's learning through play. There is a commitment to equal opportunities with good resources that reflect positive images of culture and diversity, ensuring children have experiences of the world around

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How good is the Day Care?

them. Behaviour is managed through recognition and praise allowing children to develop a positive image of themselves. An open door policy promotes good relationships with parents. Good sources of information are available to keep them informed.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection it was agreed that appropriate vetting procedures were put place and the group keep a record of visitors. It also agreed that children would be protected from the metal heater, the group conduct a risk assessment and that the fire door was to be easily opened. It was agreed that at least one member of staff would have a current first aid certificate and the complaints policy would include Ofsted's details. Since the last inspection the group have initiated the appropriate procedure for vetting staff and have provided a visitor's book to record details of persons in the building, ensuring that children are protected and security is maintained. Extra guards have been fitted to heaters to prevent child access to heated surfaces. A risk assessment has been devised which identifies actions to be taken to minimise risks and create a safe environment. Both fire doors on the premises are easily opened to

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What has improved since the last inspection?

enable the emergency evacuation procedure to be carried out effectively. All members of staff have a current first-aid certificate that includes the care of young children. The group now have confidence in first-aid procedures. The group's complaints procedure has been updated to include appropriate details of Ofsted ensuring parents have knowledge of how to make a complaint. This has resulted in improved safety for children and updated documentation.

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What is being done well?

• There is a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The building is brightly decorated with examples of children's work which encompasses number, colour and texture such as feathers, jewels, sand, straws, wood and glitter. Playrooms are organised well with storage that enables children to access their toys easily. Children are allowed free movement between two rooms, toilet and outside areas, promoting their independence. • Regular staff meetings ensure staff are able to understand each other's roles

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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 and responsibilities and share future planning, enabling them to work well together. They are committed to furthering their childcare knowledge by attending various courses such as behaviour management, special needs, health and safety, child protection, Makaton, music, multi-cultural issues and diversity enhancing the quality of care provided. • An effective key worker system ensures staff know the children well. Staff spend time talking to the children and support their activity such as explaining how to use a compass and map as reference to find a jungle built into the role play area, encouraging children's spatial awareness. The area is decorated with a variety of wild animals and covered with camouflage

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What is being done well?

creating the jungle atmosphere. • There is an open access policy enabling new starters to settle and for parents to feel comfortable leaving their child. Parents are kept informed by means of notice boards, newsletters, brochures, parents handbook which includes a comprehensive set of policies and a fun day. The use of home link bags ensure parents are integrated into their child's learning processes. • There is a commitment to providing a varied range of resources that reflect positive images of culture and diversity ensuring that children have experiences of the world around them. Various festivals are celebrated such as Chinese New Year by printing and displaying language signs and food tasting.

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What needs to be improved?

• the safety of the drain • the procedures for documentation.

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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

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 Std Recommendation 14 Devise and implement a system for registering children and staff attendance on a sessional basis showing hours of attendance. Devise and implement a system to record any significant incident and show how the parent is informed on the day. 6 Make the drain safe.

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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?

Murdishaw West Pre-School offers good quality education, children are making generally good progress in four areas of learning and very good progress in personal social and emotional development and in creative development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff are warm and caring towards the children. They work directly with the children supporting them in their activities. Staff are skilled at promoting children to think and become independent learners through the careful organisation of the environment, inside and outside and the use open questions. Staff manage behaviour very well and support children to become self disciplined. Their use of assessment to promote learning is weak. Staff meet weekly to plan a good range of stimulating activities, however not all aspects of mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and communication language and literacy are adequately covered.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management are generally good. The staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and work cohesively as a team. There is a strong commitment to continuous development evidenced by the training offered and accessed and the development of new areas of provision such as the exciting new outdoor area. The management have not adequately monitored the implementation of the action plan following the previous inspection. Parents receive good quality information relating to the setting and its educational provision. They are very well supported to become involved in their child's learning through brochures and a home links scheme. Parents are not asked to contribute to their child's assessment and do not receive a copy of the written assessment unless they request it. They do receive a record of their child's work as a record of progress however as staff do not add comments its use to parents is limited.

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What is being done well?

• High priority is put upon the children taking part in role-play to develop their confidence and imagination. They are able to choose from two different role-play areas and staff support them appropriately in the jungle where language, imagination and mathematical skills are successfully promoted. • Staff use effective strategies to promote good behaviour. They give children clear and consistent boundaries and help them understand the impact of unkind behaviour on others and to negotiate fair outcomes for instance when sharing resources. They are good role models and the children respect them and are keen to please. • Staff use effective questioning techniques to cause children to think for example on a rainy day asking the children how the path looks different and why. There is a strong commitment to further development and training

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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 opportunities. Staff work cohesively as a team to support children in a well organised, and stimulating environment. • Parents are given excellent information about the setting and educational provision. They have good opportunities to be involved in their children's learning through the open door policy and provision of home link work. Children have individual work to support areas of development parents are given clear instructions and all the necessary equipment to complete the activity, even glue.

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What needs to be improved?

• the effectiveness and monitoring of observation and assessment in providing practitioners with timely information about the progress of children in order to plan their next steps in learning across all six areas and to evaluate the quality of the provision • the opportunities for parents to contribute to the assessment of their child and to receive a formal assessment of the child's progress.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Limited progress has been made in tackling the four key issues identified at the previous inspection. The group were asked to clearly identify learning intentions for activities on weekly plans and to show how the activities would be adapted for different abilities. The plans now show learning objectives which allows staff a shared understanding to promote children's learning. The plans do not include how activities will meet the needs of children with different skills and abilities. The lack of differentiation within activities combined with complicated and ineffective assessment systems means children do not always make optimum progress in their learning. The group were asked to ensure ongoing observations of children were in all six areas of learning and that these informed the planning. A weekly report of learning experiences for each child was devised but is not used. The system of observations remains an informal system and is not monitored to ensure each child

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What has improved since the last inspection?

is assessed regularly in all areas, this remains a key issue. Pre-school were required to provide a systematic approach to informing parents of their child's progress; this remains a key issue. The group were also required to improve children's independent access to creative materials. A wide variety of interesting creative materials are now displayed in labelled boxes easily and freely accessible to children this has made a positive contributed to children's creative development.

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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 are independent learners who concentrate on chosen activities for extended periods. They organise good quality resources for their own purposes for example taking the zoo animals for a swim in the water tray or "pool". They are considerate, well behaved and are learning to negotiate outcomes. They dress themselves unaided for sand and water play and tidy up. Children often discuss their homes and have visitors from the locality helping them to foster a strong sense of community.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are learning to take turns to speak and are developing their listening skills. They use their language skills to recount events and to articulate thoughts and ideas. Mark making resources are available and children access them independently, however they do not write for a purpose during role-play. They link sounds with letters but do not often use rhyme or access books. Children use sand trays, paint and trace the lines on a zebra gaining skills necessary for writing.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing an understanding of number whilst counting during daily routines. They learn about shapes constructing robots and whilst modelling with clay. Children find out about capacity using sand and water and position reading a map in the jungle. Children learn about patterns and sequence producing a coloured caterpillar from circles. More able children are not sufficiently encouraged to calculate and problem solve. Children see few examples of numerals in the environment.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children learn about the world they live in, talking about children from other countries and celebrating the Chinese New Year. They are curious and inquisitive examining seeds with magnifying glasses. They enjoy learning about nature and caring for the goldfish and going on a bug hunt with the park ranger. They are beginning to gain mouse skills using the computer and enjoy the music centre however they do not independently use technology on a regular basis. Children build and construct models.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use a range of equipment. They move around, negotiating objects with confidence and control. Children enjoy dancing following instructions on a tape to jump high, move sideways. Children run, hop, jump and ride whilst playing outside where opportunities for physical challenges and robust play are encouraged, the use of balls and bean bags is limited. Children use fine motor skills handling tools skilfully and competently, for example using scissors to cut spines in a clay hedgehog.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy singing in a group or on their own and have favourite songs. They use musical instruments to learn about pitch, rhythm and pace. Children are good at creating stories, informing adults when they are in the water surrounding the exciting jungle role play area or too close to the snake. They experiment with a wide range of stimulating media for example clay, seeds, string, glue, sequins, straw, fresh fruit and chocolate.

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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

• introduce a system that ensures each child is regularly observed in each area of learning and that those observations are used to effectively monitor the child's progress towards the early learning goals • use assessments and observations to inform plans and adapt activities to meet the needs of all children and to monitor the effectiveness of the educational provision • ensure parents are systematically informed of their child's progress and are given an opportunity to contribute to the assessment of progress.

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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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