Forest Lodge Community Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 11/01/2005 Inspector Name Lisa Jane Cupples

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Leapfrog Nursery School Setting Address The Kiln, St. Georges Road Badshot Lea Farnham Surrey GU9 9LX

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Leapfrogs Nursery School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Leapfrogs Nursery School Address The Kiln, St. Georges Road Badshot Lea Farnham Surrey GU9 9LX

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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

Leapfrog Nursery School opened in 1985. It is managed by a parents committee and operates from a community hall in Badshot Lea, Surrey. A maximum of 26 children may attend the nursery at any one time. Children aged from 3 to 5 years can attend on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 09:30 to 12:15 and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 11:45 to 14:30. Children aged from 2 to 3 years can attend on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 09:30 to 11:30. The nursery is open during school term-time only and provides sessional care. The children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 52 children aged from 2 to 5 years on roll. Of these, 30 children receive funding for nursery education. The setting accepts children from the village and surrounding areas. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special needs. No children with English as an additional language attend at this time.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 7 staff to work directly with the children. There are 3 qualified members of staff who hold appropriate early years qualifications. A further 2 are currently working towards qualifications. The setting receives support from Surrey Early Years Childcare services.

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How good is the Day Care?

Leapfrog Nursery School provides good quality care for children. The setting is warm and welcoming and the children settle quickly on arrival. The daily routines and activities are organised effectively, providing an interesting and stimulating environment for all children. Most of the paperwork is detailed, up-to-date and well-maintained. The setting provides a safe environment for the children. Good hygiene practice is promoted and the children are encouraged to wash their hands at appropriate times. The setting provides a wide choice of healthy and nutritious snacks, which the children enjoy during snack time. The staff have a clear understanding of equal opportunities and child protection procedures.

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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 The staff have a good understanding of the developmental needs of children. This enables them to provide an extensive range of activities and resources to promote learning in all areas. The group Senco liaises well with the parents and other agencies to support the children who have special needs. The staff manage behaviour effectively. They have a calm and relaxed approach, encouraging the children to behave well. Partnership with parents is sound. All policies and procedures are shared openly. Keyworkers are available at the end of each session to discuss the children's individual needs. Parents have access to their children's achievement records at any time. Communication is good, providing a caring and supportive environment for the

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What is being done well?

• The whole staff team interact extremely well with the children. They know when to offer assistance and when to stand back and allow the children's play to develop. Staff extend activities, developing the children's ideas. The activities are stimulating and interesting. The staff effectively question the children, helping them to think about what they are doing during practical activities. • The canteen style snack time is well organised and used as a social part of the session. Adults sit with the children, encouraging and developing good conversational skills. Children are given the responsibility of self registering and choosing their own snacks, making them feel valued and encouraging independence. • Behaviour management is applied consistently throughout the setting. Clear rules and boundaries are in place and the children know what is expected of them. Staff are positive role models and they encourage the use of good

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What is being done well?

manners. Children behave well and are developing a clear sense of right and wrong. • Partnership with parents is good. Policies and procedures are shared openly, communication is clear. Keyworkers are available to discuss the children's individual needs. Parents find the staff friendly, knowledgeable and approachable, providing a caring environment for the children and their families.

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What needs to be improved?

• the system to record the times if children arrive late or leave the setting early • the procedures to ensure parents sign to acknowledge the records of existing injuries.

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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

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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

Since 1 April 2004 Ofsted has not received any complaints about this provider.

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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 2 Ensure times are recorded if children arrive late or leave the setting early 13 Ensure parents sign to acknowledge the records for children's existing injuries.

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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?

Leapfrog Nursery School provide acceptable nursery education of good quality. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. Most staff have a clear understanding of the Foundation Stage and with guidance from the supervisor know what they expect the children to gain from each activity. Staff observe and monitor each child's progress well, however, the information gathered is not used to plan the curriculum or identify the children's next steps. Staff extend activities well to differentiate for various levels of understanding. The resources, time and staff deployment is effective, encouraging full participation. The group Senco liaises well with parents and other agencies to support children with special needs. The leadership and management of the setting is very good. Clear roles and responsibilities are defined and the committee is active and supportive. Daily

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How effective is the nursery education?

routines, activities and the curriculum are evaluated and practice is improved as weaknesses are recognised. The new supervisor has implemented a wide range of new practices and documentation to improve the quality of education and care. Training needs have been identified and staff attend workshops and courses to improve their knowledge and understanding. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents receive a prospectus and a copy of the policies. The notice board and newsletters help to keep them informed of day to day issues, however, little information is shared regarding the Foundation Stage and educational programme provided for the children. Parents feel staff are friendly and approachable. Keyworkers are available at the end of each session to discuss individual needs.

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What is being done well?

• Children's spoken language is developing well. They learn to negotiate with others. They are able to express their real and imagined experiences during role-play situations. Staff know the children well. They know when to let the play develop and when to redirect the children, or extend their imaginations further, for example, drawing pictures or making models to represent their ideas and thoughts. • Children are making very good progress in personal, social and emotional development. They are extremely confident and independent. Children are active in their learning and curious about their surroundings. They enjoy working with a variety of materials. They are able to express themselves and develop their imaginations through talking and communicating their ideas during role-play, art and free-play. • Staff continually extend the children's vocabulary, introducing new words at

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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 every opportunity. They offer appropriate support and encouragement to the younger children, while providing sufficient challenges for those more able. • The setting takes active steps to assess it's own strengths and weaknesses. The provision is regularly monitored and evaluated by the manager and staff, which ensures the nursery education provided is effective and supports the development needs of all children. The setting works closely in partnership with other agencies.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities for children to develop their awareness of weight and volume through practical activities • the opportunities for children to explore simple number operations, using groups of objects to begin adding and subtracting • the children's spatial awareness when working in large groups • the use of the information gathered by keyworkers about the children individual progress, to identify their next steps and plan the educational curriculum • the information provided to parents about the settings educational programme, including the foundation Stage and early learning goals.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Progress since the last inspection has been generally good. At the last inspection the setting was asked to address the following: ensure all staff have a secure working knowledge of the desirable learning outcomes; strengthen the programme for language and literacy by providing more opportunities for mark-making and for linking sounds with patterns in rhymes; settle on an appropriate system of assessment and record keeping and use it to ensure that the specific learning needs of all funded children are recognised and met; re-establish a method of monitoring and improving teaching; improve teaching methods to encourage the children to persevere, to think and to explore meanings and express thoughts. Use practical activities to introduce the children to number operations such as addition and subtraction. Most members of staff have either completed training or are currently working towards an appropriate early years qualification to ensure they have a secure

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What has improved since the last inspection?

knowledge of the foundation Stage and early learning goals.

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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 Children are now able to use writing for a variety of purposes, for example, making lists, writing their names and making notes. A mark-making table is provided during every session. Children are able to link some letters and sounds during practical activities. Good assessment records are now in place, however, they are not effectively used to identify the children's next steps or plan the curriculum to meet their individual needs. Monitoring does take place on daily activities identifying weaknesses, which are addressed. The new supervisor has implemented many changes since taking over the role in September 2004 and is working towards setting up a suitable system for staff appraisals. Staff ask open-ended questions to encourage the children to think and explore their

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What has improved since the last inspection?

own ideas. There are still missed opportunities for children to begin using simple number operations.

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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 interested and keen to learn. They are able to sit quietly when required and show high levels of concentration. Children are confident and work well together during role-play and table top activities. They express their ideas and explain their feelings clearly. Children behave well and have good manners. Children are able to self-select resources and dress themselves, showing independence and self-awareness. They are beginning to show a sense of community.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are very confident speakers in a variety of situations. They negotiate roles during free-play and explain their thoughts with clarity. Children form well constructed sentences. They are able to recognise letters and link the sounds. Children use and handle books correctly and retell their favourite stories during practical activities. Children practice their emergent writing skills, using text for a variety of purposes, for example, writing their names and making lists.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to count confidently up to and sometimes above 15. They count everyday objects during free-play, developing their skills. Children are beginning to problem solve and use mathematical language well to describe size, shape, quantity and position. There are missed opportunities for children to begin using simple number operations or begin to gauge weight and volume through practical activities. Children can recognise and recreate simple patterns accurately.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children investigate and explore a range of man-made and natural resources. They are able to join materials using a selection of techniques successfully. Children use programmable toys competently and a range of everyday technology during the sessions. They use the computer independently and have good mouse and keyboard skills. Children have a good sense of time and place. They are beginning to have an understanding of other cultures and beliefs.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move around the setting with ease. Children recognise changes to their bodies during physical activities. They are beginning to understand the concept of healthy eating. Children use a range of equipment with confidence. They have good hand-eye co-ordination and manipulate a selection of tools with increasing control. Children have good spatial awareness during some activities and free-play, however their spatial awareness is limited during large group activities.

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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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children recognise a number of colours and shapes during practical activities. They talk about the variety of textures when using the extensive range of materials available. Children sing songs from memory and confidently match movements to action rhymes and music. Children express their ideas with creativity and imagination during role-play, free-play and craft activities. Children use all of their senses to explore the resources.

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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

• provide opportunities for children to pour, measure and explore volume and weight and to begin using simple number operations, adding and subtracting with groups of objects; • provide activities to encourage and develop children's spatial awareness when working in large groups; • ensure the information gathered and recorded by keyworkers is used to identify the children's next steps and to plan a curriculum aimed at meeting their individual needs; • provide parents with information about the Foundation Stage and the settings planned curriculum to further encourage their involvement in the children's learning.

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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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