Horsendale Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/02/2004 Inspector Name Sue Carrington

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Horsendale Playgroup Setting Address New Community Room Assarts Road Nuthall Notts NG16 1AP

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Horsendale Playgroup 1042277

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Horsendale Playgroup Address 55 Cedarland Crescent Nuthall Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG16 1AG

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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

Horsendale Playgroup opened in 1985. It is situated in Nuthall, a suburb of Nottingham and operates from a self-contained community room within the grounds of Horsendale Primary School. The building contains toilets and a kitchen and they also have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The playgroup is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 09:00 to 11:30 and Monday, Wednesday and Friday 13:00 - 15:30. during term time only. Children attend a variety of sessions each week. There are currently 50 children on roll, of these 14 are funded 3-year-olds and 24 are funded 4-year-olds. The playgroup supports children with special educational needs and who speak English as an additional language. There are seven staff working with the children, on a full or part-time basis. Two staff have level 3 qualifications and three are working towards these. Support and training is accessed through the Nottinghamshire County Council's Early Years Development

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Information about the setting

and Childcare Partnership. The playgroup are members of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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How good is the Day Care?

Horsendale Playgroup provides good quality care for the children. Staff work very well together as a team to provide a stimulating environment for the children. A good range of activities are available to meet the children's needs and include some play provision which reflects varying cultures and lifestyles. Staff ensure a safe and comfortable environment. They generally provide suitable standards of hygiene, and toys and equipment are well maintained. There are good procedures in place to support children's individual needs and for encouraging independence. A good and interesting variety of activities are provided for children. Staff interact well with the children and encourage their progress in all areas of development. They manage children's behaviour in a very positive way and promote children's self

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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 esteem and confidence by praise and encouragement. Children are happy and relaxed in their care. A variety of nutritional snacks are provided. Staff work well with parents, they exchange information about the care of the children to ensure their needs are met. Parents are well informed about the pre-school's policies and procedures.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group were asked to devise a procedure for checking that staff and volunteers are suitable both mentally and physically to care for children. A procedure has been developed which ensures that only adults who work with the children are suitable to do so.

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What is being done well?

• Play materials and toys are in good condition and appropriate to children's interests and needs, they are used effectively to promote all areas of the children's development. Staff ensure they are organised to be readily available to the children so they can make choices in they play. • Staff show a sound awareness of safety issues and take appropriate steps to make the premises safe and secure. They have a daily safety check before the arrival of the children to ensure they are cared for in a safe environment. • Staff are very consistent in their expectations so children soon become aware of what is expected of them.They provide clear and consistent boundaries and the children respond well to their guidance and praise.

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What needs to be improved?

• resources to reflect disability • hygiene standards to ensure that all children wash their hands after using the toilet • procedures for sick children and ensure that the policy includes the procedure to follow if a child becomes ill whilst in the playgroup.

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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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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

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 9 Extend the range of toys and activities to reflect disability. 7 Ensure good hygiene practices are in place regarding hand washing. 7 Include the procedure to follow if a child becomes ill whilst in your care in the sick child policy.

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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?

Horsendale Playgroup offers good quality nursery education, with children making generally good progress towards the early learning goals with very good progress being made towards personal, social and emotional development. The quality of teaching at the nursery is generally good. Staff are deployed to full effect, ensuring that children benefit from their skills. They ask questions to increase the children’s knowledge and learning. All members of staff are involved in the planning process. Staff encourage the development of children's self esteem and relationship-forming abilities well. They are very interested in what children say and do. There is a clear timetable for the session, so children learn the routine, this enables them to feel secure and confident to learn. Children's behaviour is very good, staff are good role models and consistent in their approach. Children with special needs are included and supported.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management of the setting is generally good.The distribution of key responsibilities between the supervisors is even and other staff have defined responsibilities. The committee are very keen and offer ongoing support. The representative of the committee visits regularly to monitor the setting. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. The group supplies parents with comprehensive details about the setting. They send out letters informing parents about the topic for the forthcoming term and how it will link into the early learning goals, however, the children’s educational progress is not shared effectively with parents.

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What is being done well?

• Staff’s knowledge of the early learning goals enable them to plan activities to engage and sustain the children’s interest and efforts. Through their consistent interest and interaction the children are developing good concentration skills. • Staff work well together as a team. They are confident and competent, supporting each other to ensure that children have opportunities to learn.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to see more letters, written words and names within the setting, to enable them to begin to recognise, write and link sounds to letters • opportunities for children to see numbers within the environment, to help them to recognise them, and begin to count and calculate independently

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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 • opportunities for the children to learn more about the concept of time, past and present • strategies for informing parents and carers of the children's attainment and progress and for them to share their observations of children's learning at home.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group were asked to improve planning and give more consideration to what the children are intended to learn from daily activities and how their individual needs are to be met, so that coverage of all aspects of the learning programme are developed. To include more information about the educational programme in the parents' handbook, and provide details of the current learning theme by making planning accessible to parents and carers. To devise more formal strategies for parents and carers to be kept informed of the children's attainment and progress and for them to share their observations of children's learning at home. Limited progress has been made has been made in addressing the key issues from the last inspection. The planning now covers all the curriculum very well and the children’s level of development is taken into consideration when planning for their learning. Staff now send home a letter to each parent at the end of term outlining what the

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What has improved since the last inspection?

forthcoming topic will be. This highlights what activities will be included in the programme, to help contribute to the children’s development in the six areas of learning. Strategies for parents and carers to be kept informed of their child’s attainment and progress have been developed. However, this does not effectively occur at all times. Parents and staff verbally discuss the children’s progress and development but this needs to be developed formally to contribute to children’s assessment and is carried forward from this inspection.

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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 and motivated to learn, they select resources and activities independently. They understand what behaviour is expected of them and sit quietly at large group times. Children take turns and share very well, waiting patiently for a turn with the remote control cars. Children show care and concern for others, making friendship biscuits for each other. Children are developing their understanding of diverse cultures and beliefs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children listen attentively to stories in both small and large groups. Older children are learning how to use books appropriately and know that print carries meaning. Children have some opportunities to link sounds with letters in activities such as story and discussion times. Children make marks in their play, younger children attempt to write on the white board, and some of the older children can write their own name, however, there is limited visual evidence within the environment to assist.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident in using correct mathematical language in a variety of situations, the older children subtracting and adding on correctly. They learn to recognise shape and make patterns through planned activities. The older children confidently measure, calculating how wide a tunnel needs to be to get a car through. Children have some opportunities to see and use numbers, though limited; they correctly counted the amount of adults and children present.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children learn to explore, experiment and investigate the world around them. They look at bird-life, learning about different varieties of birds, this helps them to appreciate the environment. They investigate the way things change such as ice melting and bulbs growing. Children design and make, using a variety of materials such as card to make 3D tunnels and small notebooks. Older children show confidence in handling the remote control cars.

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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's small hand skills and whole body movements are developed through effective use of a wide range of equipment and large apparatus. Children move confidently and in safety, they can handle small tools including small hammers, rolling pins and scissors well. Some children are beginning to notice the effect that exercise has on their bodies, feeling how much faster their heart beats after jumping around.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use their imagination in role-play activities, such as acting out a birthday party in the home corner. They explore colour when sponge painting and notice the effect that white had when mixed with red. They enjoy tactile experiences, rolling out icing for the biscuits and feeling the wood shavings. All the children explore new sounds as they play a range of African 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

• Increase opportunities for children to see letters, written words and names within the setting for them to begin to recognise, write and link sounds to letters. • Provide opportunities for children to see numbers within the environment, to help them to recognise them, and begin to count and calculate independently. • Provide more opportunities for the children to learn about the concept of time, past and present. • Continue to devise more formal strategies for parents and carers to be kept informed of the children's attainment and progress and for them to share their observations of children's learning at home.

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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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