Fleetville Infant and Nursery School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 14/05/2003 Inspector Name Linda Priest

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Pelican Children's Centre Setting Address Pelican Centre, 66 Saltash Road Keyham Plymouth Devon PL2 1QS

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Registered Office Board of Trustees

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Registered Office Board of Trustees Address 66 Saltash Road Keyham Plymouth PL2 1QS

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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

Pelican Children's Centre is a community run voluntary centre, which was first opened in 1991. It moved into the current premises in 1997. The building is an extensive double fronted, end of terrace property in Keyham, Plymouth. It is an inner city area adjacent to the Royal Navel Dockyard. There is a small outdoor play area. The centre is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm for 48 weeks each year. A nursery facility operates from 8.00am to 6.00pm and there is a separate after school club held daily in term time until 6.00pm. A holiday club is run during most school holidays from 9.00am to 5.00pm and is open to children from the local community. The nursery cares for a maximum of 26 children aged three to five years whilst the after school club can take 17 children aged four to eight years old. There are 46 children on roll in the nursery and 27 in the after school club. There are currently 19 funded three year olds and 25 funded 4 year olds on roll. The setting supports 11

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Information about the setting

children with special needs. There are currently no children attending for whom English is an additional language. The centre caters for children with special needs. It has a superb purpose built sensory room and facilities for the disabled. There are 13 staff, all of whom are qualified or in training. Pelican Children's Centre is run by a full time manager under the supervision of a Board of Trustees. This setting has received accreditation from the Pre-school Learning Alliance and holds a certificate of Quality Assurance from Plymouth City Council Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Pelican Children's Centre provides a satisfactory standard of child care. There are some very good aspects of care, particularly in the provision for children

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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 and adults with special needs. The building is carefully adapted to allow easy access to all areas. There is a sensory room used by all children from the centre and other families in the Plymouth area. The support offered to parents is also excellent, ensuring that parents are well informed and involved in their child's care. The centre has developed many very positive and mutually beneficial relationships between the staff and parents. Both have access to the many well written and comprehensive policies and procedures that are in place to guide the staff in their care of the children, although one or two of these need additional information included. Managers, trustees and all staff are well informed, experienced, suitably qualified

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How good is the Day Care?

and trained, making sure the setting is running efficiently and effectively. Good use is made of the many different areas within the building for a variety of interesting and stimulating activities to help children learn appropriately. The rooms are bright and colourful, warm and welcoming, with a wide range of toys and resources available to further support the activities provided by staff. There are only limited opportunities for children to choose their own activities and toys to play with. Children are confident and generally well behaved, although on occasions they become distracted when waiting for the next activity to begin; they have respectful and comfortable relationships with staff members. The centre gives high importance to making sure that children are able to learn in a safe and comfortable building, with all safety requirements well met and additional features in place for added security.

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How good is the Day Care?

Children are provided with regular, suitable snacks and drinks, although at times there is a lack of promotion of good, healthy eating awareness.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The Pelican Children's Centre had no actions following the previous inspection visit.

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What is being done well?

• There is excellent provision for children and adults with special needs, with easy access to the building and a sensory room. (Standard 10). • There is very good, positive support for parents who are well informed and included in the provision of care for their child. (Standard 12) • The centre has a bright and colourful, warm and welcoming environment, with good use made of all areas in the building, including the small outdoor garden area. (Standard 4) • Good attention is paid to safety and security requirements for the building and for the care and welfare of the children. (Standard 6) • Well written and comprehensive policies and procedures are available to staff and parents and support the care provided to children. (Standard 14)

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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 • some aspects of the policies and procedures; including acknowledging administration of medication, including contact details for OFSTED in the complaints procedure and making sure all areas are covered in staff induction procedures. (Standards 7, 2 and 12) • the promotion and awareness of healthy eating through storage of food at the correct temperature and provision and encouragement of healthy snacks and drinks at all times (Standard 8).

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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 7 Obtain parent's signature to acknowledge administration of any medication.

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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 Pelican Children's Centre offers a generally good standard of nursery education. Staff provide a happy and caring environment and treat children with warmth and consideration. Children are making generally good progress toward the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. Children are confident and staff encourage them to become independent. The quality of the teaching is generally good and staff interact well with children to support their learning. Staff have a generally good knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and the six areas of learning within it. Planning and assessment systems provide a suitable framework to help children make progress overall. However the planning does not result in a broad and balanced curriculum to sustain learning and there is insufficient evaluation of activities to inform planning. At times during the day children’s interest is not sufficiently maintained.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The leadership and management of the group is generally good. The person-in-charge provides good support to staff and works well with the centre manager and Board of Trustees. Staff work well together as a team and are committed to improving the care and education of the children. A recent quality assurance scheme identified strengths and weakness of the centre, which the manager has addressed. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents are well informed of children's progress and are encouraged to extend their children's learning at home. There are opportunities for parents to be involved in the assessment process.

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What is being done well?

• There is a strong focus on developing children's mathematical awareness through a range of routine and practical activities. • Children with special needs are well supported in this setting. Individual education plans are used effectively and staff liaise well with other agencies. • Children are confident and eager to learn. They are encouraged to talk about every day events and to practise self-care skills. • Staff produce excellent children's transfer documents including special educational needs transfer documents. These are clear, concise comprehensive and based on extensive assessment.

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What needs to be improved?

• Planning of activities to ensure children have a broad range of experiences of

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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 all six areas of learning on a regular basis, learning objectives are clearly identified and plans show how activities can be extended to provide sufficient challenge for older and more able children. • Organisation of the daily routine to ensure children's interest is maintained throughout the day. • Evaluation of activities to inform planning. • Opportunities for children to share books and to practice writing in play activities.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The centre has made generally good progress since the last inspection. Children are now provided with more indoor and outdoor physical play opportunities. Parents have opportunities to extend their children's learning at home. They receive regular information on children's progress and are able to offer suggestions in a weekly progress book.

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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 making generally good progress in personal, social and emotional development. Children are confident and interact well with each other and with staff. They are learning good self-care skills in matters of hygiene. They talk freely about themselves and events within their immediate and wider community.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children's progress in communication, language and literacy is generally good. Children are confident talking in small groups and older children in large groups. They recognise and some attempt to write their names. Children listen to stories and enjoy singing. However there are not sufficient opportunities for children to share books and more use could be made of imaginary play situations to encourage writing skills.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children's progress in mathematical development is generally good. They have many opportunities to use mathematical language and number labels in familiar contexts. Children recognise numbers up to nine and can count reliably up to ten. They are beginning to understand simple mathematical concepts and show an interest in shape. Children learn mathematical language through practical activities. However some mathematical activities are pitched too high for younger or less able children.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children's progress in knowledge and understanding of the world is generally good. They learn about the world around them and some of its features during a variety of visits to local places of interest and from visitors to the centre. Children have opportunities to learn about the natural world through activities such as growing seeds in the garden. They learn about their own cultures and beliefs by celebrating a range of different festivals.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children make generally good progress in physical development. They are confident in their manual skills and use of small tools. They use a range of equipment to increase their physical skills such as bean bags, hoops, climbing frame and bikes. They make good use of the space available to them for physical activities. They have a good awareness of health issues and are able to recognise the need to wash hands after toileting and to wash faces and clean teeth after eating.

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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 make generally good progress in creative development. They have opportunities to learn about colour, shape and texture. Children enjoy participating in simple songs and rhymes and use their imagination to develop their role-play. They have access to a good selection of creative materials, however do not have sufficient opportunities to freely select these.

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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 planning of activities to ensure children have a broad range of experience of all six areas of learning on a regular basis, learning objectives are clearly identified and plans show how activities can be extended to provide sufficient challenge for older and more able children. • Develop the assessment system to include evaluation of activities and use this to inform planning. • Review the organisation of the daily routine to ensure children's interest is maintained throughout the day.

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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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