The Victory Academy

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 22/06/2004 Inspector Name Shirley Ann Jackson

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Tower Playgroup Setting Address Church Room Thomas A Beckett Church,Pucklechurch Pucklechurch South Glos BS17 3RB

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Tower Playgroup Address Thomas A. Beckett Church Pucklechurch Bristol Avon BS16 9RB

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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

Tower Playgroup operates from the church room of Thomas A Beckett Church in Pucklechurch. The church is in the centre of the village. The group serves the surrounding area. There are currently 32 children from two to four years on roll. This includes 12 funded three-year-olds and 7 funded four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting can support children with special needs. There are no children attending who speak English as an additional language. The group opens four days a week during school term times. Sessions are Monday to Thursday from 09.15 until 11.45 and Tuesday and Wednesday from 12.45 until 15.00. Four staff work with the children. Two of the staff have a recognised early years qualification, another is a qualified teacher. One member of staff is currently working towards a recognised childcare qualification to level 3. The setting receives support from a teacher advisor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership

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How good is the Day Care?

Tower Playgroup provides satisfactory quality and standard of care. Staff work well together as a team. They work with the children for most of the time. Children are cared for in premises which are clean, welcoming and well maintained. Staff use a wide range of resources for the children. These are good quality and well maintained. Children's records are well maintained, but the group's operational plan is still in it's infancy. Staff are vigilant about children's safety at all times. Clear procedures are in place for dealing with and recording accidents and administering medication. Children are aware of good hygiene procedures through the daily routine, but procedures are

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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 limited. Children's privacy is not always maintained. Children have free access to drinking water during the session. However, they are offered a poor variety of snack. A good range of interesting activities are offered on a daily basis. Children are settled and confident. They have good relationships with staff and each other. Staff listen to children and respond accordingly. They encourage children to become independent and to think for themselves. Staff are aware of children's individual needs and offer the appropriate care. Staff use praise and encouragement to promote positive behaviour and to raise self-esteem. They treat the children and each other with respect and kindness. Children follow this example and behaviour is

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How good is the Day Care?

generally good. Partnership with parents is strong. Parents are given good quality information when their child first starts. They are happy with the care and education their children receive. Parents have the chance to become involved by helping on rota duty.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group were asked to: ensure all policies and procedures are reviewed regularly and are made available to parents. The group has made satisfactory progress in this area. The group's policies are being reviewed as part of their inclusion in the group's operational plan. A folder with the group's current policies is available for parents in the entrance hall.

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What is being done well?

• Staff are vigilant about children's safety at all times. Clear procedures are in place for the safe collection of children. Premises are kept secure when children are present. • Staff are positive role models. They have a calm and re-assuring manner. They use praise and encouragement to raise self-esteem and to promote positive behaviour, for example, the play leader said to children "you did very well at tidying up the play dough, well done". • Children are settled and confident. They have good relationships with each other and with staff, for example, child bringing in her holiday photos to share with the group. Staff interact well with the children, using effective questioning to encourage them to think for themselves. • Staff are aware of children's individual needs and offer the appropriate care, for example, the three-year-old who was struggling with the resources in the sand tray, the play leader found him some smaller pieces to use.

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What needs to be improved?

• develop further the group's operational plan to include updated policies and

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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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 procedures • procedures for good hygiene practices with regard to hand washing • procedures for changing children when the toilet is occupied • opportunities to offer the children a healthy and balance snack.

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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 4 ensure procedures are in place which provide children with privacy when they are being changed 7 ensure good hygiene practices are in place regarding hand washing 8 ensure children are offered a healthy and balanced and choice of snack

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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?

Tower Playgroup offers good quality nursery education which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. Staff offer interesting activities to the children which cover the six areas of learning over time. Staff provide opportunities for the children to think for themselves by using effective questioning. However, more able children, although identified by staff, are not always sufficiently challenged. Also staff use of observation, evaluation and assessment to aid future planning is limited. Relationships between staff and children are good. Staff are positive role models for children, they have clear and realistic expectations of children's behaviour. They have a calm and relaxed approach. Children follow this lead and behaviour is generally good. Staff promote self confidence and a positive attitude in all children, regardless of ability, disability, gender or special needs. Staff are deployed well,

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How effective is the nursery education?

working closely with the children for most of the time. Leadership and management are generally good. Staff work well together as a team and promote good relationships with the committee. The staff and committee are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Both are committed to improving the quality of care and education which the nursery provide. However, there is no system in place to review the strengths and weaknesses of the group. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are given good quality information about the setting which covers the six areas of learning. However, parents receive limited information about the Foundation Stage, what it is and how the group implement it. Parents are happy with the care and education given to their children. They are involved in their child's learning by doing rota duty at the group.

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What is being done well?

• Children develop good relationships with staff and other children. They are confident, co-operative, well behaved, independent and show good levels of concentration. • Children show an interest in numbers and counting. Some find the total number of items in two groups by counting all of them, for example counting the total number of boys and girls present. • Children are beginning to differentiate between past and present, for example during registration four-year-old said "I wasn't here yesterday", another said "I don't come to playgroup on Mondays". • Children sing simple songs from memory. They sing to themselves. They know that print carries meaning, for example, they used the song book from the book corner, opened it and started singing together from it, "let's sing the happy song" said a four-year-old.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• providing opportunities for children to practice writing for different purposes • improve plans to show how more able children will be challenged, who will lead the activity and an evaluation • challenges for more able children to help them to use and extend their skills, for example when solving simple practical problems and writing for different purposes • staff's use of observation, evaluation and assessment to inform future planning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The group has made generally good progress overall since their last inspection. The group was asked to: 1. improve staff deployment in order for adults to be more available to support activities fully. The group has made very good progress in this area. Staff deployment is now good and they work with the children for most of the time, supporting children's play and learning. 2.improve the division of children into smaller groups where appropriate in order to facilitate more concentration and discussion. The group has made generally good progress in this area. Children work in small groups for adult-led activities, leading to more concentration and discussion. At other times children choose where they want to play. 3.improve differentiation within activities to cater for children's individual needs, and particularly to provide more challenge for older children throughout the week. The group has made generally good progress in this area. Plans now show how activities

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What has improved since the last inspection?

will be simplified for the younger children. However, it doesn't show extension for the older children. 4.improve implementation of the new assessment system and use it to inform planning for individual children. The group has made generally good progress in this area. Assessments are not yet carried out systematically, but there is a limited system in place. Observations and assessments are only loosely linked to future plans.

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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 develop good relationships with staff and other children in the group. They are co-operative, well-behaved and operate fairly independently within the group. Children are developing concentration skills for self-selected and adult-led activities, for example a three-year-old playing for some time with the magnetic blocks. Children show a strong sense of self as a member of their family and the group. They are aware of the group's boundaries and show care and concern for others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident speakers. They enthusiastically extend their vocabulary when this is introduced by staff. They are beginning to use language to organise their play. Children are developing a love of books. When looking at them independently, they handle them appropriately. Some children can write their own names, others are forming recognisable letters. More able children are not always challenged, for example to practice writing their own names and writing for different purposes.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children show an interest in numbers and counting. They use some numbers accurately during play. Children recognise numerals to nine. Some attempt to write numerals, such as the number of girls or boys present. Children show confidence and offer solutions to problems. Some children find the total number of items in two groups by counting all of them. They show an awareness of size, shape and positional language. More able children, although identified, are not always sufficiently challenged.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have opportunities to explore, observe and manipulate a variety of objects. They show an awareness of change by looking at the weather and during cooking activities. Children know how to operate simple equipment, for example the computer mouse and cameras. Children remember and talk about significant things that have happened to them. They show an interest in the world in which they live. Children have limited opportunities to freely design and build with recycled materials.

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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 have opportunities to move in a range of ways. Children negotiate space successfully. They show respect for other children's personal space when playing among them. Children are beginning to show an awareness of healthy practices, for example putting on hats and sun cream before playing outside. Children use a range of tools and equipment with increasing control and skill. Due to limited access to outdoor space, opportunities for children to develop large muscle skills are limited.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are beginning to differentiate colours. They choose particular colours to use for a purpose. Children respond to comments and questions, entering into dialogue about their creations. Children sing simple songs from memory. They enjoy singing to themselves. Children engage well in imaginative play based on their own first-hand experiences. Children's spontaneous creativity is restricted by a lack of freely available resources and the expectation of an end product.

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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 use of observations and assessments of where children are in their learning so that staff can help children move on to the next stage and provide appropriate challenges for the 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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