Penrhyn Childcare Centre

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 15/03/2004 Inspector Name Vivienne Rose

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Penrhyn Pre-School Setting Address 19 Priory Court Walthamstow London E17 5NB

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Penrhyn Playgroup 1032265

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Penrhyn Playgroup Address Priory Court Activity Centre 19 Priory Court Walthamstow London E17 5NB

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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

The Penrhyn Pre-school has been open for 32 years. It moved to new premises in 1997.It offers extended day care for children aged 2- to- 5 years. The centre is open each day between the 09:00 - 15:50 pm daily for 38 weeks of the year. Currently 32 children attend the nursery throughout the week. They are drawn from a wide catchment area and the local housing estate. The hours of attendance vary to suit the working needs of their parents. At present 5 children have English as an additional language, and 2 have special educational needs. There are 30 children who receive funding for nursery education 21 are 3 year-olds and the rest are 4-year-olds. The centre is shared with an after-school facility, the setting also provides a parent and toddler group one afternoon a week. It is a registered charity run by a parents committee. The pre-school is situated within a large purpose built building which serves the

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Information about the setting

needs of the local community with considerable social needs. It consists of one large room which is split to provide two smaller units with access to a large fenced outdoor play area. There are eight staff who work in the centre. All staff hold or are working towards the Diploma in Pre-school Practice (DPP); or the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ); Early years Childcare and Education level 2 or 3 or 4. Staff receive support from an advisory teacher from the Waltham Forest Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP). The pre-school is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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How good is the Day Care?

Penrhyn Pre-school provides a good standard of care for children. Most aspects of the provision are well organised, and effective use is made of the staff, space and

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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 resources to ensure the children are well cared for. Staff are guided by a set of policies which they consistently update and implement.High priority is give to ensuring children's safety both inside and outdoors. In all aspects of the provision, children with special needs are well supported and fully included in activities. Most relevant documentation is in place but it sometimes lacks detail these policies do not always accurately reflect the practice in the group. There are effective systems in place for observations and assessment of the children's development.The staff work well as a team to plan a range of stimulating activities which encourages the children to make choices and to learn.The resources

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How good is the Day Care?

are very good and are organised and easily accessible to enable children to make choices and to develop their play and learning.Throughout the day staff involve themselves in children's play to encourage to find out about the world around them and each others similarities and differences. Children's behaviour is good they help each other and co-operate well with staff.

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How good is the Day Care?

There is a good partnership with parents and carers.They know what is going on in the centre through regular newsletters and informal contact with staff. Activity plans and information is displayed for parents to see. Parents are given detailed information about the policies of the setting and parents are encouraged to be involved in the decision making and day-to-day organisation of the group.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to ensure that all new staff received induction training; records were maintained on staff arrival and departure; and all low level fencing was made safe in the garden. Induction is now carried out and all staff are fully informed of details such as health and safety and child protection. A formal written procedure for staff is in the process of being developed. The outside area is now secure, and staff are vigilant when using the garden area. A system is now in place for staff to sign in and out of the nursrey has been successfully implemented. By meeting the above actions the provision has improved the service they offer to children attending.

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What is being done well?

• The provision for children with special educational needs is very good and children are supported well to enable them to be included in all the planned activities. • Staff are warm and responsive to children, they are interested in what they say and do and this is reflected in children's confidence in their play. • Staff provide a stimulating range of activities and resources which are attractive, well organised and accessible to children. • Staff give a high priority to the safety and well-being of children and regular risk assessments are carried out.

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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 successfully implement the behaviour policy and they are consistent in their practice.

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What needs to be improved?

• the documentation. • the grouping of children • the storage of food products

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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 8 Ensure that the storage of food products meets environmental health requirements. 11 Ensure that children are grouped appropriately at story-times to enable them to get the most from the activity provided. 14 Develop documentation to reflect the practice in the setting to include; children’s arrival and departure times; operational procedure for outings; the frequency of administration of medication.

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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 provision for nursery education at Penrhyn Pre-school Centre is good. It enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in their creative development, knowledge and under of the world and personal,social and emotional development and generally good in all other areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff plan a variety of activities, both in and out of doors, and understand what children learn from them. Resources are of good quality and well organised to increase children's independence. Staff are generally well skilled at developing children's language. They maintain a dialogue with them and ask questions to encourage them to find things out and talk about what they are doing however, children are not always grouped appropriately to enable older children to get the most from the groups, especially at story times and there are limited opportunities for the children to develop climbing skills; and to practice writing

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How effective is the nursery education?

for a purpose. Staff observe and make notes of children's learning in each of the six areas and assessments are evaluated very well to help plan for the children's next steps in learning. The leadership and management of the group is generally good. The Manager works closely with the parent management committee to develop and review policies. They are clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and effective strategies are put into place when weaknesses are identified.The very committed staff team work well together, but there is not yet a system in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are involved in the nursery at every level. There is good communication between key workers and parents at present there is no effective system in place for parents to contribute to the children's records of achievement however, this is under review and how to improve

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What is being done well?

• Relationships between staff and children are very good staff plan a variety of activities which stimulate the children's ideas and learning and build on their experiences. • Many children arrive at the centre with limited communication skills. Staff support children to develop their language skills; they value what children say and do effectively; model and reinforce language and encourage children to listen, express ideas and feelings. • Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is excellent ,children

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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 handle and discuss a variety of objects and artefacts to widen their experiences of the natural world, science ,growth and world around them. • Provision for children with special needs is very good and the children and families are supported well.There is good liaison between the nursery and other professional agencies.

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What needs to be improved?

• Opportunities for children to climb. • The monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching. • the attention given to the older children's awareness of the different purposes of writing. • opportunities for the children to practice problem solving in every day routines.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the last inspection the setting has developed a planning system which identifies the learning outcomes for activities in all six areas and this is being implemented through the medium term planning for each half term. There are focus activities on a daily basis, puppets and big books are now used at group times to encourage the children to concentrate more and to include and involve the children for whom English as an additional language. A letter of the week has been introduced and children enjoy this activity as it linked with themes and creative activities.

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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's development in this area is very good. Children's confidence and self -esteem are built up by staff who are sensitive to their needs and know them well. They are encouraged to be independent and to persist to complete difficult tasks. They choose between activities , select resources for themselves, and learn to take care of personal needs, such as dressing themselves and washing their hands. Children behave well, they take turns are polite to each other and help tidy away toys.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children's development in this area is generally good. Children are keen to communicate with staff through gesture and talk. They listen to stories,enjoy sharing books with staff and enthusiastically re-enact familiar stories. Children recognise their own first names. However, activities such as role play are not extended to include opportunities to practice writing for a purpose and children are not encouraged to write their own names on art work.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children's development in this area is generally good. Children count to 10 and recognise shapes, colours and sizes. Children connect with building bricks to make bridges to see 'how many more they need to make it fit' .Children have a birthday chart with candles and they count how many cars in the garage. They sing numbers rhymes and songs counting their fingers. However, their understanding and concept of numbers is not reinforced throughout the day in every day routines.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children's development in this area is very good. The outdoor area is used well to stimulate the children's interest in the natural world. Resources are very well organised to enable the children to handle and explore natural materials and to find out about the features of science using magnets, clocks, watches and egg timers to investigate how we tell the time. Children use technology with confidence and the computer has a variety of programmes to develop their skills and understanding.

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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's development in this area is generally good. Outdoors staff set children challenges, such as balancing along the dinosaur or driving to the bus stop to pick up passengers. They ride around obstacles on bikes and staff support children to learn new skills such as skipping and hopping. Children use a range of tools with confidence they thread, use rolling pins spreaders and paint brushes.There are limited opportunities for active climbing.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children's development in this area is very good. Children have access to a variety of very good resources to stimulate their rich imaginative play.They listen to stories and sing nursery rhymes and songs with great enthusiasm. The recent visit from a musician inspired the children to participate and staff developed the theme by talking about notes and how they are interpreted. Children explore with a variety of media which include,boxes,paper, paint, and natural materials

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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 to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching • provide more opportunities for older children to write their own name, and to practice writing for a purpose • provide more practical opportunities for children to practice problem solving, including simple addition and subtraction during routines of the day.

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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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