Holy Trinity School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 29/06/2004 Inspector Name Carole Argles

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Jungle Hut Pre School (The) Setting Address New Street Marnhull Dorset DT10 1PZ

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name The Jungle Hut Pre School Address New Street Marnhull Dorset DT10 1PZ

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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 Jungle Hut Pre School opened approximately 30 years ago and is managed by a committee of parents. It operates from its own premises which are situated in the grounds of St Gregory's C E V A First School, in Marnhull, near Sturminster Newton. The premises have three playrooms, cloakrooms, a kitchen and an office area. The children use parts of the school grounds for outside play. The pre-school serves families in the local area. The pre-school is registered to provide care for 18 children aged 2 to under 5 years and usually accepts children from the age of 2 years 9 months. There are currently 30 children from 2 to 4 years on roll. This includes 15 funded three-year-olds and 8 funded four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school supports children who have special needs. There are currently no children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09.10 until 12.10 with an optional lunch club until 13.10. Two full-time and three part-time staff work with the children. The manager has an early years qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

The Jungle Hut Pre-school provides satisfactory care for the children. The premises have been recently renovated. Staff make good use of the rooms to provide a wide range of activities for the children. They keep suitable records. Most policies and procedures are in place, but lack full information. The manager is the only qualified member of staff and minimum staff qualification requirements are not met. There is a satisfactory range of furniture, equipment and toys. Children are able to select some activities independently from low units.

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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 Staff have a good understanding of safety issues and make sure that the premises are safe and secure. They supervise the children well at all times. Staff promote children's good health and hygiene through regular hand washing, and keep the premises clean. Most staff have a satisfactory understanding of child protection issues. Parents and staff work closely together to make sure that children's individual needs can be met. Staff provide good support for children with special needs. The children are happy and settled. They relate well to the staff who talk with them about their homes and families. They play cooperatively together and they are learning to share fairly and take turns. Staff plan and provide a wide range of

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How good is the Day Care?

activities which support children's development well. They provide activities to help children learn about others in society. Most children behave well. Staff help them learn right from wrong through explanations and give them frequent praise and encouragement. Staff use displays of children's pictures and posters to create a welcoming environment for parents and children. There is a friendly relationship between staff and parents who take many opportunities to exchange information about the children. Parents receive satisfactory information about the pre-school. Full details of the polices and procedures of the pre-school are not readily available for parents.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to keep a record of visitors; make drinking water available to the children at all times; obtain written parental consent to seek emergency medical treatment or advice; devise a policy for the administration of medication to children. Staff now obtain written parental consent for emergency medical treatment when the child starts at the pre-school. There is a suitable procedure for the safe administration of medication and this has been put into action. Staff keep a record of all visitors to the pre-school. A jug of water and cups are available on a shelf and children can ask a member staff for a drink water. A drink is also provided at snack time. The action taken by staff has improved the safety and welfare of the children whilst at the pre-school.

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What is being done well?

• The staff relate well to the children and frequently talk to them about their homes and families. They plan and provide many activities which support the children's development well. They try to encourage all children to take part in activities by meeting their interests, for example planning a topic about football. This helps to ensure that children are happy and settled at the pre-school. • Staff have a good understanding of health and safety issues. They keep the building secure and carry out regular checks to make sure the premises are safe for the children. They help children learn about good health and safety,

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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 for example by talking to them about the importance of washing their hands or wearing sun hats. • Staff have decorated the play area with pictures and posters. They prepare the rooms and set out activities before the children arrive. Staff greet each family as they come into the pre-school and this creates a friendly and welcoming environment for both children and their parents. • There is good support for children with special needs. Staff work closely with their parents and others involved in their care, sharing information with them regularly so that the children's individual needs can be met. They keep suitable records about the children's progress and make individual education plans for children who are identified as requiring extra help.

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What is being done well?

• Staff manage the children's behaviour well and are helping them to learn what is expected of them. They encourage good behaviour by praising the children and sometimes rewarding them with stickers. They work closely with parents so that they can adopt a similar approach to managing the child's behaviour.

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What needs to be improved?

• the children's care and education by ensuring that minimum staff qualification requirements are met • the children's safety by devising a procedure to be followed in the event of a child going missing from the pre-school • the children's safety by ensuring the child protection procedure complies with the area child protection committee (ACPC) procedures and by ensuring that all members of staff have a good understanding of child protection issues •• the partnership with parents by making sure that a copy of the policies and procedures of the pre-school is readily available to them.

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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 13 Ensure that the child protection procedure for the pre-school complies with local Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) procedures and ensure that all staff are have a good understanding of child protection issues. 2 Develop and implement an action plan detailing how at least half of all childcare staff will hold a level 2 qualification in childcare. 2 Devise a procedure to be followed in the event of a child going missing from the pre-school. 12 Make sure that the policies and procedures of the pre-school are readily available to parents.

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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 Jungle Hut Pre School provides nursery education which is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals and very good progress in communication, language and literacy. The teaching is generally good. Staff form good relationships with the children, managing their behaviour well and giving them praise and encouragement. Most staff are inexperienced and do not have a good understanding of the early learning goals. Staff supervise the children well at the activities but do not always question them effectively to encourage them to think or solve problems to extend their learning. The manager regularly observes what the children can do to assess their progress but enters few details on their records. Staff provide a range of interesting activities which support children's development in most areas of learning. However, their plans do not clearly show what children will be doing and sometimes staff do

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How effective is the nursery education?

not take full advantage of learning opportunities. Generally children are well occupied but occasionally time and the staff are not used effectively and children become restless and do not concentrate on the activities. Staff provide good support for children who have special needs. The partnership between staff and parents is generally good. They have a friendly relationship and they talk about children's care daily. Staff give parents some information about the activities provided and they take informal opportunities to discuss children's progress and their developmental records. There are no opportunities for parents to contribute to their child's records and limited information to help them become involved with their child's learning. The leadership and management is generally good. Generally staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Procedures to monitor the effectiveness of the pre-school and the activities are not fully established but all are committed to training

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What is being done well?

• The children relate well to others and many share fairly and take turns at activities. Some children are beginning to form established friendships and to show concern for others, for example holding a friend's hand as she uses balancing apparatus. • Many children speak clearly and confidently and often suggest their ideas at group times. Children talk with others about real and imaginary ideas and some introduce a story line in their pretend play. Staff help children to extend their vocabulary. • Children have many opportunities to handle small equipment, for example construction pieces, and to use simple tools. This helps them to develop

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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 good hand-eye coordination and many are beginning to draw pictures and write recognisable letters. • Children are making generally good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of the world. Staff provide interesting resources for children to examine and explore. Children were using a variety of vegetables in a pretend shop. They were enjoying opening the bean pods to find out what was inside and talking about the feel and smell of the vegetables. • Many children enjoy singing and rhymes, and join in with the words and actions. They have opportunities to use instruments and to match movements to music.

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What needs to be improved?

• the staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals to allow them to plan and provide a balanced curriculum which sets a suitable level of challenge for all children • the deployment of staff and the use of time to ensure that children are given a good level of support and fully involved in all activities • the partnership with parents to ensure they are kept well informed about their child's progress and to encourage them to be further involved with their child's learning • the procedures for monitoring the effectiveness of the pre-school.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection there were no significant weaknesses to report but the following points for development were made: consider the benefits of ensuring that formally recorded methods of planning as well as the informal methods of planning containing details of what the children should learn, are linked to the six areas of learning; find ways of extending the records of assessment to include relevant details of what the child should learn next. Since the previous inspection there has been limited improvement. Planning documents make reference to the six areas of learning and stepping stones leading to the early learning goals. However plans do not clearly identify the intended learning outcome of the activity, how this will be achieved, or how the activity will be adapted to meet the needs of children of differing abilities. The planning documents do not help the less experienced members of staff understand how the activity

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What has improved since the last inspection?

should be managed or how to support the children's learning effectively. The manager observes the children regularly and makes notes to help her assess the children's progress. She uses this information to help her complete a tick chart which records the child's progress towards the early learning goals. These records

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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 are the transfer document passed on when the child enters school. Although it is possible to identify the next stepping stone in the child's progress from these, the records do not show clearly what the child can do or what the next small step in their learning will be. The staff cannot use the records effectively in their short term planning to help them set an appropriate level of challenge for the child.

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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: Generally Good Children are happy and settled. They are lively and interested in new resources and activities. They often show good concentration when working at the activities and many are beginning to work independently. Most children are confident and readily talk about themselves and their families. Children behave well and often play cooperatively together. They understand there are times when they should sit quietly but during group activities some children can become restless and do not join in.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Many children speak clearly, initiating and taking turns in conversation. They express their feelings and talking about real and imaginary events. Some introduce a story line in their play. Many children can recognise their names and they are beginning to link letters to their sounds. Children enjoy rhymes, books and stories. They take part in many activities to help them develop good hand-eye coordination and some children are beginning to form recognisable letters and write their names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy number rhymes and games where they count forwards and backwards. Many children are beginning to count competently, linking numbers to objects and some of the older children can name and recognise numerals. However children have limited opportunities to think and solve problems using numbers, or to combine or compare groups of objects. Children are beginning to use the right words to describe quantity and size. There are few activities to encourage children to talk about shapes.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children find out about and investigate objects and materials around them. They observe changes when cooking or growing seeds. They often make models with recycled materials and use tools for a purpose in woodwork. There are few opportunities for children to find out about their local community through walks or photographs. However, they are beginning to learn about the culture of others through music, food and role play. Children use equipment like telephones and tills in pretend play.

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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 There are many activities provided to help children develop good hand-eye coordination. They are beginning to use and handle small objects and simple tools with control and many are beginning to use scissors skilfully. Although children often play outside and use a range of equipment, there is no planned approach to their development of large muscle movements and skills. Children are developing a good sense of space of themselves and others when playing or sitting together.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use their imaginations and explore their ideas in small world and pretend play. They often work cooperatively together for long periods, discussing their ideas with others. Children talk about what they have seen, heard and felt and some represent their experiences in drawings. There are infrequent opportunities for children to use paint, dough or collage to express their imaginations or explore their ideas freely. Children sing and try out musical instruments.

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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 the staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals to allow them to plan and provide a balanced curriculum which sets a suitable level of challenge for all children • review the deployment of staff and the use of time to ensure that children are well supported and fully involved in all activities • develop the partnership with parents to keep them fully informed about their child's progress and to encourage them to be further involved with their child's learning • develop procedures for monitoring the effectiveness of the pre-school. 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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