Mawdesley Pre-School Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 08/07/2004 Inspector Name Denise Sixsmith

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Mawdesley Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Mawdesley Village Hall Hurst Green, Mawdesley Ormskirk Lancashire L40 2QT

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Mawdesley Pre-School Playgroup 1028120

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Mawdesley Pre-School Playgroup Address Mawdesley Village Hall Hurst Green, Mawdesley Ormskirk Lancashire L40 2QT

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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

Mawdesley Village Playgroup has been established for over 34 years. It operates from a room within the village hall building in the village of Mawdesley. The children also have access to two enclosed outside play areas. There are currently 27 children from 2 to 5 years on role. This includes 12 funded 3 year olds and 12 funded four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children with special needs. There are no children who speak English as an additional language. The group opens 4 days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 until 12:00. There are 3 staff who work with the children. All the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 3. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. They are also a member of the Pre School Learning Alliance.

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How good is the Day Care?

Mawdesley Pre-school Playgroup provides good care for children. The staff team work very well together. Comprehensive policies are in place, which enable the group to run smoothly, a review of some documentation is required. The staff have a positive commitment to self-development and attend courses to keep up to date with current practice. The space is used very well enabling children to have easy access to a range of good quality stimulating resources and activities. Older children have the opportunity to have one session a week together. Staff have a good regard for safety within the building to ensure the children are safe, attention is required to outdoor security. Health and hygiene is promoted well by staff two of which have first aid certificates. Staff ensure that children wash their hands appropriately throughout the session, especially after handling the snails 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 worms. Staff have a satisfactory awareness of child protection issues. Healthy eating is promoted at snack time; children enjoyed the fresh fruit salad eaten outside under the tree. Water is available throughout the session. Children have good opportunities to choose activities that promote their development. They enjoy the water play activity and investigating the snails, spiders and worms at the activity table. All children are included in the activities and valued by staff. Children's self esteem is fostered very effectively, praise and encouragement is given readily to recognise children's achievements. Strong emphasis is placed on children being kind and helpful. Staff support children very well and good behaviour is valued. Children and staff have developed warm

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How good is the Day Care?

relationships resulting in children being very settled. Partnership with parents is good. Information is shared daily about the children's care and achievements. Parents speak very highly of the staff and value the group, stating that their children are very happy.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The group has addressed the agreed actions successfully. It was agreed at the last inspection that the group would address a number of safety issues all of which have been attended to ensuring a safer environment for the children. Policies and procedures were to be reviewed to ensure they were more comprehensive. A review has taken place and documentation requested is now in place ensuring a smoother running of the group and adherence to requirements.

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What is being done well?

• The good commitment by staff to implementing the parental involvement policy, ensuring a warm welcoming environment is provided for both parents and children. Staff encourage parents to stay with their children until they settle as well as staying to join in the group activities as often as they are able. • Staff place a strong emphasis on children being kind and helpful, this is encouraged through small group activities that enable children to work cooperatively together. Children eagerly assist staff to tidy away and set the table for snack. • Staffing arrangements, resources and the environment are adapted well to ensure all children take part in the activities. All children are valued in the group with children with special needs being involved in activities and supported as required. • Children are very happy at the group and have developed good relationships with each other and staff. Parents are very happy with the group and the way

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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 • staff induction records to ensure they clearly indicate that staff have covered health and safety and child protection issues in their first week of employment • the updating of policies to ensure that all details are accurate and that the child protection policy contains procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff • the daily register to ensure staff's departure from the group is recorded • security of the outdoor play area and safety of the tiles in the toilet area.

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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 6 Ensure that the following safety issues are addressed, the outdoor play areas are secured and not accessable to the general public during children’s outdoor play time, the broken tiles in the toilet area are made safe. 8 Seek advice from the Environmental officer regarding the storage of children’s packed lunches. 13 Ensure that the child protection statement includes action to be taken in the event of an allegation being made against staff. 14 Ensure that staff induction records clearly indicate that staff have covered health and safety and child protection issues in their first week of employment and that staff departure times from the group are recorded.

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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?

Mawdesley Pre-School Playgroup provides good quality education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for personal, social and emotional development and creative development are a strength and children are making very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff know the children well, they support, encourage and challenge them, through exciting activities and questions. Children are happy, confident learners and form good relationships in the group. Staff provide good role models encouraging turn taking, sharing fairly, showing consideration and manners towards others. All staff have a generally good knowledge of the early learning goals and of the ways children learn. They plan some good practical learning activities across the six areas of learning within an organised environment. Space and resources are managed well, although some areas of learning and

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How effective is the nursery education?

children's assessment are managed less well. Staff have due regard to the Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs and there is an effective system in place to provide good support for children and liaison with parents. The leadership and management of the group is generally good. Strong teamwork results in the creation of a positive enthusiastic caring group for children and parents. There is a good team commitment to improving the quality of care and learning for the children. Staff's access to regular training effectively contribute towards their professional development ensuring they keep up to date with current practice however there is insufficient review of curriculum planning and assessment. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are well informed verbally about their children's daily activities, but opportunities to share children's ongoing

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How effective is the nursery education?

learning is less well developed. Parents speak very highly of the group, happy staff and children.

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What is being done well?

• Children explore colour, texture and shapes as they express themselves using a variety of media, squirting and dropping paint onto a large plastic sheet then moving it around with brushes and sticks to create spiders webs. • Children enjoy well-planned, interesting, imaginative activities, which stimulate their natural curiosity and interest in the natural world. They enjoy looking, handling and talking about the snails, worms and spiders they have brought in for the activity table. Children draw the mini beasts they see accurately and record the bug hunt trail they have undertaken. • Staff provide very good learning activities for children to develop their understanding of their local community through visits to the village and

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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 provide a camera for them to take photographs to record the event. Children recreate the main street on a large painting depicting the different buildings. • Staff know the children well, they support, encourage and challenge the children, through exciting activities and questions. Relationships are good, children are happy, confident learners. They form good relationships in the group. Staff provide good role models through, turn taking, sharing fairly, showing consideration and manners towards others.

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What needs to be improved?

• assessment of three and four year old children, which is generally informal particularly in the case of three year olds lacks, systematic, informative and objective systems that are clearly linked to the stepping stones • channels for parents to receive and provide ongoing information about their children's learning throughout their time at the group • monitoring of curriculum planning and assessment to ensure children learn to write for a variety of purposes. Have regular exposure or opportunity to handle numerals in the environment or through daily activity. Access a wide range of resources to select, build and construct, enabling them to spontaneously develop their experimentation and risk taking and experience more focused outdoor physical play.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The group has made generally good progress since the last inspection. It was agreed that planning of the curriculum would be developed to include activities for the less and more able children. That the plans would reflect the varying stages of development and provide opportunities for children to develop an understanding of sounds and print as well as develop their questioning skills of why and how things happen. Plans now include learning outcomes for less and more able children in the focused activities ensuring that all children have a better opportunity to achieve at their individual level of learning. Further development of the assessment system is required to fully support this. Staff have attended a variety of courses to assist them with the planning of activities to help children. To assist them to understand sounds and print, they now include sounds in songs 'ssss' snake and sound out the letter in their names etc. Staff

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What has improved since the last inspection?

encourage children to ask 'how' and 'why' questions in exciting practical activities, supporting them to investigate a variety of resources and develop a positive inquisitive approach to learning.

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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 happy, confident, independent and eager learners who explore new activities and often persist in order to achieve success. Children spend time creating a large scale picture while ribbon threading through the outside mesh fence. Children show a good respect for the environment and each other, as they share, take turns and help to tidy away. Children enjoy setting the table for snack and helping wash up afterwards. They are making good relationships and are valued within the group.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy stories and handle books carefully looking at books themselves or with an adult in a small group. All children enjoy and join in the 'bear hunt' story with words and actions. More able Children are forming letters and some write their own names on their pictures. They experiment mark making with brushes, sticks and pencils but have little opportunity to observe adults writing for a variety of reasons. Children confidently identify their own written names on arrival at the group.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use good mathematical language to describe position, shape and size through practical and creative activities. Most older children can count up to five, and often beyond, especially when singing number songs showing five or ten fingers, or working together making 11 coins for the car boot role play. Children have insufficient exposure or opportunity to handle numerals in the environment or through daily activity. They do learn very well about capacity in good water play activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy well-planned and interesting activities, which stimulate their curiosity and interest in the natural world. They enjoy handling and talking about the snails, worms and spiders on the activity table. Children draw the mini beasts they see accurately and record the bug hunt trail they have undertaken however, access to a wide range of resources to select, build and construct spontaneously are limited. Children are learning about the wider world well through themes.

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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 a good awareness of space and consideration for others when moving around the room however outside physical activity is less well planed. Children handle tools competently and safely. Good manipulative skills are used when they shape, roll and cut dough and make model clay insects using sticks for legs. Children's confidence and skills are developing successfully through climbing, balancing and extremely good jumping in the sack race practice for sports day.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children explore colour, texture and shapes as they express themselves using a variety of media, squirting and dropping paint onto a large plastic sheet then moving it around with brushes and sticks to create spiders webs. They sing songs from memory with enthusiasm and enjoyment, joining in with actions for the 'wiggly worm', 'nippy crab' and 'slippery fish'. Children enjoy participating in role-play and have well developed imaginations, as they engage in a pretend car boot sale.

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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 assessment systems to be more systematic, informative, objective and linked to the stepping stones • provide a variety of channels for parents to receive and contribute ongoing information about their children's learning throughout their time at the group • develop planning to ensure children learn they can; write for a variety of purposes, have regular exposure to numerals through practical activity, experience more focused outdoor physical play and access a wide range of resources to select, build and construct, spontaneously through experimentation and risk taking.

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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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