Harlesden Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 02/11/2004 Inspector Name Miriam Sheila Brown

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Naunton Park Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Naunton Lane Leckhampton Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7BJ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Naunton Park Pre-School Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Naunton Park Pre-School Playgroup Address Naunton Lane Leckhampton,, Cheltenham Glos GL53 7BJ

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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

Naunton Park Pre-School Playgroup is situated in the Leckhampton area of Cheltenham and is managed by a voluntary committee of parents and staff. The playgroup operates from two dedicated playrooms within Naunton Park Primary School. It is registered to care for 24 children aged from 2 to 5 years and accepts those from 2 years 9 months. The playgroup is open Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 12.00 and Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 13.00 to 15.30, during school term time. The group increase the number of afternoon sessions according to demand during each term. There are currently 47 children on roll, of these 39 are funded 3-year-olds. There are six members of staff, three of whom are working towards a National Vocational Qualification, level 3, in Childcare and Education. One staff member holds a Bachelor of Education (Hons) degree. Other staff hold level 2 qualifications in childcare and all have first aid and child protection training.

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Information about the setting

The playgroup is supported by a daily parent rota system, the local authority Early Years Advisor and the local Playgroup and Toddler Association (PATA) representative. They work closely to PATA recommended guidelines.

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How good is the Day Care?

Naunton Park Pre-School Playgroup provides good care for children. It is bright, clean and welcoming and offers well planned provision for them. The range and balance of toys and resources, in the playroom and art room, are easily accessible to children and meet their needs effectively. Safety issues are generally well addressed, although there is scope to improve children's awareness of emergency evacuation routines. Children are supervised effectively at all times and basic hygiene routines are good. Accident records are

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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 well kept, however the sickness policy does not give clear information about exclusion times for infectious illnesses. Children enjoy a varied and well planned menu of snacks. Staff have a good awareness of all aspects of child protection and act appropriately if concerns arise. Staff organise a wide range of activities to support children in all areas of their development. Topic work is planned with a common theme for all ages and adapted appropriately for children of different ages and abilities. The sessions are well planned to provide children with good opportunities to explore and experiment through a wide choice of structured and free-play activities. The playgroup resources support all aspects of equal opportunity and there are effective procedures in place

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How good is the Day Care?

to meet the needs of children with special needs. Children's behaviour is very good and staff provide positive and consistent support to all children. Parents are offered good information about the playgroup. Regular newsletters outlining activities and themes and good use of a whiteboard outlining daily activities, keep them well informed about their child's care and play. Parents are encouraged to take an active part in group sessions either as part of the rota or bringing specific skills, for example playing the didgeridoo or bringing a new baby to bath. Recent parental questionnaires offer strong support for all aspects of care provided.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group agreed to address three points. These were to ensure that emergency evacuation procedures are displayed, that the complaints procedures includes a contact for Ofsted and that the child protection policy includes information about procedures if there is an allegation against staff. All three points have been successfully addressed and help to ensure that parents receive clear and accessible information about the group and that children are better protected in an emergency situation.

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What is being done well?

• The wide range of activities provided assist in children's all round development very well. Daily activities include particularly good opportunities for children to develop their growing awareness of music and early matching and number skills. • Playgroup resources are extensive, well organised and easily accessible. They reflect all aspects of equal opportunity and are used appropriately to meet children's needs. • Support for children with special needs is good. Staff have an effective understanding of the Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs and have used this well to support children in the group. • Children's behaviour is well managed. Staff have a positive and consistent approach and are calm and supportive at all times. The group have adopted

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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 seven 'golden rules' for behaviour, all of which are expressed as positives, for example, 'we are kind and helpful'.

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What needs to be improved?

• the information provided for parents within the sickness policy about exclusions to help prevent the spread of infection • children's awareness of emergency evacuation procedures, in line with group policy.

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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 6 Ensure that children have a good understanding of emergency evacuation procedures and that group policy is reflected in practice. 7 Develop the sickness policy to include details about the exclusion of children who are ill or infectious and ensure parents are aware of it.

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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?

Naunton Park Pre-School Playgroup provides high quality nursery education which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for all six areas of learning is well-planned and language, number work and music are particularly well supported. Teaching is very good and staff have an excellent knowledge of the early learning goals and stepping stones and how these are used to effectively plan children's learning. Staff support the children appropriately. They provide a wide range of exciting and stimulating adult and child-led activities, to help them progress in all areas of development. for example creating a blanket ski-slope and cereal box sleds. Staff are consistent and positive in managing children's behaviour and continually help to develop children's confidence and self-esteem, particularly in small group work. This is well planned and includes learning intentions to meet the

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How effective is the nursery education?

needs of different ages and abilities. Staff are experienced in supporting children with special educational needs. The leadership and management of the playgroup is very good. There is an effective staff team who work well together. The committee support staff training and organise fundraising. The group regularly assess their own strengths and weaknesses through staff meetings and feedback from parents. Individual assessments, observations and support from the main school assist in monitoring the effectiveness of the pre-school education. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are provided with good information about the setting and group activities. They are regularly invited to the group to discuss children's progress, although there is scope to develop this further to ensure that all parents receive regular details of children's development. Parents are encouraged to take an active part in group sessions. Feedback from them offers

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How effective is the nursery education?

strong support for all aspects of playgroups care.

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What is being done well?

• Planning and assessment is informative, completed regularly and used effectively to meet children's needs. Small group work plans are particularly well written and reflect learning intentions and specific extensions for children of varying abilities. • Language development is well supported. Staff encourage children to think of words to describe such things as the sounds fireworks make, then write them down to use as part of topic displays. This effectively develops children's understanding of print having meaning. Children have many good opportunities to talk about personal experiences at snack and circle times. • The experiences provided to develop children's knowledge of number in their

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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 play are very good, for example they drew a dinosaur on the playground and used their bodies to measure it. Daily routines are used well to reinforce counting, mathematical language and other aspects of number work. • Music and instruments are used effectively to support language and counting skills. Children discover the rhythm of words acting out and playing instruments to poems and stories. • The partnership with the school is very good and has a positive effect on children's learning and development.

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What needs to be improved?

• the methods used to inform parents who may have limited contact with staff, about their children's progress throughout the year.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last education inspection in February 2001, one point for consideration was raised. This was to provide parents with better information about the recording of children's progress in assessment documents and to offer more regular opportunities to share these with parents. The group have made very good progress with this and parents may seek information about their children' progress. The group have developed a 'My time at Playgroup' booklet which is given to parents at the end of the school year and gives an overview of each child's progress in the six areas of learning. Parents are invited to discuss their child's progress with staff and assessment records are available to be shared with them at the end of the year. Additionally parents receive information about topic work each half-term and daily activities are detailed on a white board at the main door. Parents on rota duties have good opportunities to speak with staff

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What has improved since the last inspection?

and all parents are encouraged to take an active part in group sessions and fund raising activities.

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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 settled and growing in confidence within the group. They are keen to hear about each days play activities and enjoy working within their small groups. Children have a good awareness of playgroup rules and follow directions well. They select activities and resources independently and are beginning to concentrate for extended periods of time. Their sense of community is developing well, supported by trips to the local park and shops and participation in some school activities.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident speaking with staff and unfamiliar adults. They are growing in their confidence when speaking in small group situations such as circle times and enjoy practising new words. They are developing a love of books and use them for stories and reference. Most children recognise their printed names and understand that print carries meaning. They enjoy making marks in their play and have many excellent opportunities to develop their hand and eye coordination.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have many good opportunities to practise counting and recognise some numerals. They enjoy themed work involving measuring, for example finding out how many of them, lying head to toe, were needed to measure a dinosaur drawn on the playground. Children sort and match using different criteria and are starting to use appropriate mathematical language to describe size and shape. Children enjoy and make good use of the colourful, textured number displays in the playroom.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have many good opportunities to explore and investigate the natural world and use a range materials. They watch the changes in tadpoles and butterflies and compare pictures of themselves as babies to the present time. They have a good awareness of how to use simple equipment such as tape recorders and magnifiers. Children enjoy themed work such as 'around the world' which introduces them to different cultures and traditions. They have a developing sense of time and place.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children show good control playing with large toys and apparatus outside. Inside they move carefully during music and movement times, pretending to be small animals at night. Group routines and topic work develops their awareness of keeping healthy, for example hand washing, discussion about healthy foods and looking at X-ray pictures. Children use small tools such as brushes, pencils and water tray equipment with growing dexterity.

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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: Very Good Children use a variety of materials in their play and enjoy painting on coloured papers, modelling with clay and recycled materials and exploring natural materials such as leaves and twigs. They are becoming confident musicians, using instruments to act out firework poems. They enjoy the role-play area where they imitate familiar scenes and use their imaginations to create stories. Children are starting to express their feelings through their play experiences of music and stories.

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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 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.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following: • further development of the methods used to keep parents informed about their children's educational progress.

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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.

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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

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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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