Greentrees Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 13/01/2004 Inspector Name Claudia Padfield

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name ST NICHOLAS PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP Setting Address Hurst Village Hall, School Road Hurst Reading Berkshire RG10 0DR

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name St Nicholas Pre-School Playgroup 900344

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name St Nicholas Pre-School Playgroup Address Hurst Village Hall School Road, Hurst Reading Berkshire RG10 0DR

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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

St Nicholas Pre-School Playgroup has been established in the village of Hurst for approximately 30 years. It is run by a voluntary committee of parents and is a registered charity. The premises are within the smaller of the two village halls and there is a secure outdoor play area. The group have funding for children who are three and four years of age. The group is open term time only between 09.00 and 15.00. The afternoon sessions are for the funded four-year-old children. The opening times of the group incorporate a 16 place lunchtime session, which allows children in the morning to stay on in the afternoon and for the afternoon children to come for lunch. Three members of staff hold relevant qualifications in childcare and education.

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How good is the Day Care?

St Nicholas Pre-School provides good quality day care for children. Children are happy, content and secure in their surroundings. Staff interact well with the children and good relationships are evident. The staff are well organised and use the premises to provide an interesting and safe environment. All of the relevant documentation is in place. However, group needs to maintain when parents sign forms. Staff demonstrate an awareness of health and safety, setting good examples to the children throughout the session. The group promote health and hygiene, which the children are encouraged to follow. Staff use praise and encouragement to develop independence and promote good behaviour. Staff work well as a team to plan a stimulating range of practical activities which promote children's thinking, knowledge and development. Children play well with their peers and caring relationships are evident. The setting operates a suitable

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How good is the Day Care?

keyworker system, which enables staff to have good relationship with parents.

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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 Systems and plans are in place to support children with special educational needs if required. The group have a good working relationships with parents. The setting provides good quality information, which they keep up to date and share with the parents as required. Parents receive a termly written report and are encouraged to share their observations on their child.

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What is being done well?

• The staff give high priority to ensuring children are safe and secure. They carry out regular checks through the session to protect the children attending. • The children are involved in a variety of interesting and stimulating activities. They eagerly participate and experiment during their play. • Children's behaviour is very good in response to staff's high expectations. The staff offer praise and support to promote the children's self esteem. • Partnership with parents is effective; they are actively welcomed into the group and provided with good levels of information. The group relies on parents participating in running the committee.

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What needs to be improved?

• staff need up to date training in child protection • confidentiality when parents sign accident or medication books • staffs first aid knowledge.

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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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WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NEXT?

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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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 7 Ensure confidentiality when parents sign accident or medication books. 13 Ensure all staff have updated child protection training

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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?

St Nicholas's Pre-School is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good, staff have a working knowledge of the stepping stones and make good use of the foundation stage and take opportunities to implement this in the day to day practise. Teaching is effective and stimulating in relation to the children's learning. Activities are well resourced and staff are able to plan further challenges to meet the needs of all children with in the group. Children's behaviour is good due to the high expectations and sensitive support from staff. Leadership and management is generally good. The planning and assessment systems move the children forward well in their learning. This is under regular evaluation and revision to be more formalised. Staff keywork children and have systems in place to support those with special educational needs. There is a missed

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How effective is the nursery education?

opportunity to share the children’s play plans with parents and work in partnership at moving the children's learning forward. They follow the code of practise and liaise with outside agencies. Staff are deployed effectively to enhance the children's learning. Planning and preparation of activities is good. Staff listen to the children and respond during an activity to extend or develop an ideas further. When listening to the story the children request to read and act out the story; staff respond and support. Partnership with parents is very good and contributes to the children's learning. The group produce well-written documentation and they share in the observations and discussion about their child's progress in most areas. Parents attend sessions and support staff on a regular basis.

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What is being done well?

• Staff create a well planned stimulating environment where children learn through a wide range of activities. • Children's personal, social and emotional development is very good, staff are skilled in allowing children to be confident, use their initiative and become independent learners. • Children are developing positive relationships with adults and peers, through frequent opportunities for language related activities, encouraging communication and negotiation. • Leadership and management of the setting is good. Through effective teamwork support and planning there is a commitment to provide quality education.

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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?

• staff need to share play plans with parents in order to aid the children's learning • staff need to formalise evaluations of activities to enhance the on going development of the group.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The group have made generally good progress since the last inspection. The children assessments continue to be completed and are used to feed the foundation profile. However, there are still missed opportunities to share the play plans with parents.

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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 confident; they speak individually in large group situations and listen quietly at story times. They know the routine well and have good relationships with each other and staff. They demonstrate good self care skills and freely talk about themselves and their families and home. Children take turns and share; they make choices for themselves and negotiate when using toys and equipment.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children's language skills are good. They are attentive during stories and respond appropriately to questions put to them. They enjoy singing songs and join in enthusiastically using actions. They handle books correctly and with a growing awareness that the print conveys meaning.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children regularly discuss size shape and use positional language during play. They have a growing awareness of mathematical language; apparent during play on the computer. The children can count and take away numbers and categorize into smaller groups sorting people into patterns. The staff use number rhymes effectively to practise and consolidate the children's skills.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children use their senses to explore a range of objects and materials in practical activities. During construction, children use equipment and tools with understanding. Children are inquisitive and excited to experiment with materials such as the ice individually and as a small group. For example, how it would move faster, why your hands stick to the ice and how the gloves stop this from happening.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Staff provide a range of opportunities for children to develop and practise skills. Children move confidently and with co- ordination showing an awareness of space in relation to themselves. The group select and use small tools with skill and success. Children understand safety implications whilst using the tools.

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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: Generally Good Children have opportunities for free creative craft and more structured activities. Staff value the children's input and act upon this. Children express themselves through music, drama and singing. They enjoy drama, acting out the story of the bear hunt, relating personal experiences into the story and enjoying being with friends.

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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

• ensure staff share the children's play plans with parents to aid further learning • formalise evaluation of activities to develop and progress the setting. 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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