Helpston Playhouse and Under Fives

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 25/02/2004 Inspector Name Carly Louise Thrower

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Sessional Day Care Setting Name Helpston Playhouse And Under Fives Pre-School & Out of School Club Setting Address The Mobile John Clare Primary School West Street,Helpston Peterborough Cambs PE6 7DU

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Helpston Playhouse And Under Fives

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Helpston Playhouse And Under Fives Address The Mobile John Clare Primary School West Street,Helpston Peterborough Cambs PE6 7DU

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Helpston Playhouse and Under Fives Pre-school and Out of School Club opened in 1972. It operates from a purpose built mobile in the grounds of John Clare Primary School in Helpston, Peterborough and has done so since 1995.The setting serves the local community and surrounding villages. There are currently 24 children on roll. This includes 9 funded 3 year olds. There are no funded 4 year olds at present. The setting currently supports a small number of children with special needs. There are no children attending who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:30 to 12:00 for the pre-school and 08:15 to 09:15 and 15:25 to 17:30 for the out of school club. Four part-time/full-time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. One member of staff is currently working towards a recognised early years qualification.

p.2

Information about the setting

The setting receives support from an Early Years Pedagogical worker, a childcare advisor from the local EYDCP and teaching staff at the local primary school.

p.2

How good is the Day Care?

Helpston Playhouse Under Fives Pre-School and Out of School Club is providing good care for children. Effective use is made of the available play space in both the pre-school and out of school club so that children are able to move about freely and feel safe and confident in their environment. Children are interested and stimulated by the broad range of meaningful activities provided and are able to make very good progress in all areas of their development. Very good support is given to children with special needs to ensure they are valued, included and their individual needs are met. Children demonstrate warm relationships with all staff and enjoy their play.

p.2

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 Children's behaviour is good and staff give clear explanations to help children gain an understanding of right and wrong. Staff are very safety conscious and demonstrate a thorough understanding of safety issues which allow children to play with minimum risk. Snacks provided are healthy and nutritious and staff ensure personal hygiene is encouraged through routine activities. Staff provide a stimulating environment both inside and outside the pre-school and out of school club. A very good range of toys and play equipment, including toys which reflect equal opportunity principles, maintain children's interest and support their learning. Children are given individual attention and their needs are met. Positive, friendly relationships exist with all parents. They are kept very well informed

p.2

How good is the Day Care?

of their child's day and developmental progress and express their satisfaction at the care being provided. Documentation is well maintained, however, procedures to be followed in the event of allegations of abuse being made against staff members is missing from the child protection policy.

p.3

What has improved since the last inspection?

At the transitional inspection staff were asked to implement an action plan to recruit and train staff. Sufficient staff have now been recruited into the setting and one member is training towards her NVQ level 3 at present.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Children participate in and are interested by the broad range of activities provided. Children make excellent progress in all areas of their learning. Children have developed close, friendly relationships with all adults and enjoy their time at the pre-school and club. • Good use is made of the available play space in both the pre-school session and after school club. Children are able to move about freely and feel safe and confident in their environment. The lay out of the room ensures children feel welcomed and meets the needs of all children. • Regular detailed written risk assessments are carried out on the premises, outdoor area and on planned outings. Staff demonstrate a thorough understanding of safety issues and therefore provide opportunities for children to play with minimum risk. • Very good support is given to children with special needs to ensure they are valued, included and their individual needs are met. The pre-school receives

p.3

What is being done well?

clear advice and support from outside agencies such as the local EYDCP.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• the child protection policy to include procedures to be followed when allegations of abuse are made against staff.

p.3

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

p.3

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.

p.4

by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 13 Ensure procedures to be followed in the event of allegations of abuse being made against staff members is included the child protection policy of the pre-school and out of school club.

p.4

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

p.4

How effective is the nursery education?

The provision for nursery education at Helpston Under Fives Pre-school is very good. It enables children to make very good progress in all six areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff plan and provide a broad range of meaningful and stimulating activities for children. They have excellent knowledge and a clear understanding of the progress children make towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. This is demonstrated through effective questioning of the children and the ability to allow them time to think and predict for themselves. Staff are enthusiastic, value children's ideas and experiences and make learning interesting and enjoyable. Plans are evaluated effectively in order to influence future planning and detailed observations and assessments are carried out on children to be able to monitor their progress through the stepping stones. The leadership and management of the pre-school is very good. All staff work very

p.5

How effective is the nursery education?

well together as a team and are clear in their roles and responsibilities and in the learning intention for the children. An effective and thorough appraisal system allows staff the opportunity to discuss their own professional development within the setting. All staff are fully involved in the planning of activities and all contributions are highly valued by the supervisor. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents are well informed of the Foundation Stage Curriculum through a very informative parents notice board and photographic evidence to explain the six areas of learning. Parents receive regular updates of the child's progress through daily discussions, parent meetings and time to view their child's record of achievements at home. Parents are very committed to supporting the pre-school and regularly hold fund raising events.

p.5

What is being done well?

• The fostering of children's personal, social and emotional development. Children are very confident and have high self esteem. • Planning, which clearly illustrates staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals and how children learn. • Information parents regularly receive on their child's developmental progress. • An effective appraisal system for staff.

p.5

What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to practise their counting skills in routine everyday activities.

p.5

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

p.5

What has improved since the last inspection?

Helpston Under Fives has made very good progress since the last inspection. The previous key issue was to extend children's records of achievements and progress in all six areas of learning and allow for parental contribution with older children. Staff now use record of achievement folders supplied by the local EYDCP, which are adapted and extended to the settings own ways of recording the information. The folder is split into the six areas and includes observations, photographs and examples of children's work. Parents now contribute their own thoughts in writing when they take their child's folder home to view during the academic year.

p.6

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

p.6

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are very confident within the setting and have developed close, caring relationships with all staff. Circle time provides an excellent opportunity for children to talk about themselves and their families. Children are able to confidently self select their own toys and materials and staff encourage children to build upon their own thoughts and ideas. They are motivated to learn and enjoy their play. Children pour their drinks and fasten their coats to encourage personal independence.

p.7

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are very confident speakers in a one to one situation and as a whole group. They listen well and think carefully before responding to questions. Meaningful activities such as the days of the week allow children to develop their skills in recognising, writing and linking sounds to letters of the alphabet. Children are given very good opportunities to engage in mark making for a purpose during their play. Children enjoy books, eagerly anticipating what might happen next in the story.

p.7

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident counters and demonstrate counting skills for a purpose such as counting the number of children. They use mathematical language during their play and show that they understand concepts such as shortest and longest when rolling play dough. Children are given excellent opportunities to develop their skills in matching, sorting and measuring through the stimulating activities provided. However, some opportunities are not used to develop counting skills in routine activities.

p.7

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are provided with a broad variety of activities which allow them to explore and investigate the natural world such as digging in the garden and growing things. They are developing a very good sense of time and place and can confidently talk about themselves and where they live. Learning is further stimulated by local outings. Children enjoy using the computer and know to operate it. They are able to learn about cultures and beliefs of others through planned celebrations of festivals.

p.7

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

p.7

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident to move in a variety of ways such as hopping, running and jumping and show good awareness of their own personal space and that of others when playing and moving to music. Children handle and successfully use a variety of tools such as scissors, paintbrushes and rollers with increasing control and purpose. They are developing a good sense of health and bodily awareness such as hand washing before snack through everyday practical activities.

p.8

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are provided with a variety of activities which allow them to thoroughly explore shape, colour and texture on a regular basis such as printing with different materials. Children participate enthusiastically in music sessions. They enjoy exploring sounds with musical instruments and objects such as plates, moving to music in different ways and singing familiar songs. Children use their imagination well during their play and are encouraged to develop their thoughts and ideas.

p.8

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

p.8

OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

p.9

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There were no areas of significant weakness but consideration should be given to the following: • ensure all opportunities are explored for children to practice their counting skills in routine activities.

p.9

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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.

p.9

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO 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

p.9

STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

p.10

NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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

p.11