Playdays Opportunity Group

Playdays Opportunity Group Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 206146 Inspection date 10/03/2011 Inspector Jayner Rooke

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Setting address Chellaston Community Centre, Barley Croft, Derby, Derbyshire, DE73 1TU Telephone number 01332 690583 Email LWinter50@AOL.com Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Playdays Opportunity Group is a privately owned playgroup. It was registered in 1993. It operates from the main hall and club room at the Chellaston Community Centre in the Chellaston district of Derby City. The pre-school serves the local area and has strong links with local schools. The pre-school is accessible to all children and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 9am until 12:30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and from 9am until 3pm on Wednesday and Friday. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. A maximum of 40 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 75 children on roll who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs nine members of childcare staff. All of these hold appropriate early years qualifications. Additionally, three members of staff are working towards a foundation degree in childcare studies. The setting receives support from the local authority advisory service.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children make excellent progress towards the early learning goals because they are engaged in a stimulating range of activities. They are inspired to investigate and explore in the exciting outdoor play area. Staff are highly motivated to support children and families through the educational programmes. Practice is inclusive, ensuring that each child is valued as an individual. Partnerships with parents, carers and other professionals are strong in most areas. Self-review systems work well in practice and most of the necessary records contain accurate information.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure that risk assessments include the details set out in the welfare requirements (Documentation). 24/03/2011

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop further opportunities for parents to support and extend children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 learning and development at home and within the setting.

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the early years provision

Children are fully safeguarded because all staff are confident in their roles and responsibilities for dealing with any incidents or concerns about a child's wellbeing. Rigorous recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that children are safely cared for by adults who have completed the necessary checks. Children take part in activities, projects and routine fire evacuation drills which help them to learn how to keep themselves safe. Risk assessments are conducted for all areas of the pre- school, indoors and outside, although records are not consistent with current guidelines and regulations. This poses a potential risk to children's safety. However, staff complete a series of daily checks and closely supervise the children to minimise any risks.

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the early years provision

Staff work well as a team, contributing their ideas and suggestions for improvements through a well-established appraisal and development plan. The provider has a clear view of the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. She values the professional expertise of the staff and offers good levels of support to new trainees. Staff hold relevant qualifications and are highly committed to raising their qualifications to degree level. The team work in close partnership with other professional agencies and organisations to seek out advice and support and to share good practice ideas. As a result, considerable developments have been made in the quality of the indoor and outdoor environment to significantly enhance children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

Recommendations from the previous inspection have been successfully addressed to improve children's good health and safety and to enhance their learning. Consequently, written procedures relating to complaints and child protection are consistent with current guidelines. The arrival and departure of all children and staff is recorded on a daily basis. Hazards in and outdoors are identified and minimised through daily safety checks. Children use disposable paper towels to dry their hands on, which reduces the risk of cross-infection. Parents are invited to contribute to initial and ongoing assessments, which helps them to work toward their child's 'next steps' in learning.

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate positive attitudes towards equality and diversity. They are appropriately trained and hold designated responsibilities to support children with additional needs, and those who speak English as an additional language. Children's unique qualities are valued from the onset and the 'voices' of children and their parents are captured in the introductory development records. This ensures that activities and routines are tailored towards children's individual interests, patterns of attendance and development needs. Clear policy directives ensure that any discriminatory remarks or behaviour are positively managed. Resources and activities are carefully planned and organised to develop children's knowledge and understanding of diverse communities, cultural traditions and beliefs and disabilities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Essential information about children's care and welfare is accurately maintained.

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the early years provision

Most of the records, polices and procedures work well in practice for the safe and efficient management of the setting.

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the early years provision

Parents are well informed about their child's activities, routines and progress on a daily basis. They are invited to attend a variety of meetings and other social events throughout the year, so that they can find out what their child does and exchange information with their child's key person. However, there are few opportunities for them to become actively involved in the educational programmes within the setting. This potentially minimises opportunities for them to support and extend their child's learning and development at home.

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the early years provision

Comments received from parents during the inspection and in written satisfaction questionnaires are very positive and complimentary. They value the staff's 'warm and friendly' approach toward the children and themselves, which provides a 'relaxed' and 'structured' environment in which children are 'happy' and 'love coming to'. They enjoy the open day events which give them an insight into what children do, and consider the 'fabulous garden' to be of great benefit to their children's learning. Successful arrangements for supporting children's transition to the pre-school, and as they move on to their next setting, ensure that children receive the necessary support to develop their confidence and future skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from the highly committed and consistent support of knowledgeable adults who understand the importance of children learning through play and first-hand experiences. Consequently, children are actively engaged in a well-balanced programme of activities which cover all areas of learning, and which offer children a broad range of interest and ongoing challenge. For example, children manage self-help tasks with confidence. They register their name on arrival and help to prepare food and drinks at snack and meal times. Picture labels and low-level pegs enable children to take responsibility for dressing themselves and hanging up their own coats. They are encouraged to make suggestions and share ideas for favourite games and activities which are noted in easily accessible writing books. Rooms and resources are exceptionally well organised to encourage children to make choices and decisions for themselves. They move around freely,

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and outcomes for children

choosing to visit the art and craft room when they wish to express their creativity. The inviting computer area encourages children to practise their emerging technology skills. They share a quiet story in the library in small groups or choose to look at books by themselves. They enjoy continuous outdoor provision which enables them to explore and investigate using a wide range of tools and equipment. Girls and boys are keen to share what they know and find out as they look through the binoculars and take photos with the cameras. They learn how things live and grow as they take part in planting seeds and vegetables, which they take home to eat when the produce is fully grown. They explore changes in seasons, and wind direction and find out how caterpillars grow into butterflies. They have lots of fun as they help themselves to water from the tap to fill up their buckets. They use the water and paintbrushes to make marks and patterns which

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 help them to practice their early writing skills.

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and outcomes for children

Adult-led activities are interesting and exciting. Children show a sense of anticipation and excitement as they watch how popcorn kernels expand when they are heated up in the popcorn machine. Children learn how to press buttons and switches to make the machine work and compare the similarities of the sounds they hear to other domestic machinery they have heard before, such as the hoover and the washing machine. Children follow sensible safety rules as they are encouraged to keep a safe distance away from the machine as it heats up. They have lots of fun counting the pieces of popcorn as they 'pop' out 'one-by-one'. They are engaged in conversation as they look at and touch the popcorn kernels and predict what might happen when they are cooked. Adults ask questions which help children to think about their likes and dislikes and to recall past and present events, such as where they might have eaten popcorn before. They draw children's

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and outcomes for children

attention to the 'lovely smell' of the popcorn as it gets warm, developing their sensory awareness. Children make decisions about whether they like the taste of the popcorn, before they use it to decorate their blossom tree pictures. Adults introduce a range of materials and reference books so that children can consolidate their understanding of how the seasons change and how things grow over a period of time. This leads to interesting discussions about how children grow taller themselves and can measure themselves on the height chart. Art and craft activities are well planned to enable children to practise and develop new skills. Older, more able children are given appropriate responsibility for cutting out their own paper shapes, whilst younger children snip the edges of paper to perfect their scissor control. Their creations are proudly displayed throughout the setting, developing children's sense of belonging and raising their self-esteem.

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and outcomes for children

Children are physically active indoors and outside, using a wide range of toys and equipment to climb, slide and peddle. They enjoy exciting activities and games which encourage them to move their bodies with good control and coordination. They love running under the parachute and join in enthusiastically as they march, clap and sing to the music. They listen carefully and follow instructions as they stretch themselves up 'very high', step side to side and change the pace of their movements from fast to slow.

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and outcomes for children

Observation and assessment information is used skilfully by each child's key worker to inform future planning and to identify children's 'next steps' in their learning. They take into account each child's learning style and interests, capabilities and needs to ensure that all children are included and supported in their play. Evaluations are generally used well to assess the impact of planned activities on children's development and learning, but sometimes lack detail regarding the use of resources and adult input.

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and outcomes for children

Rooms and resources are exceptionally well organised so that children can move freely and safely around the setting. Most of the equipment that children use is appropriate for their age and stage of development, although the computer is potentially placed too high for them to reach comfortably. Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks and take part in activities which help them to develop a good attitude toward healthy lifestyles. They behave well because adults act as good role models, encouraging them to be polite and to take care of themselves and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 others. They learn to value and respect people's differences and similarities through discussion, stories and as they celebrate a variety of festivals throughout the year. Consequently, children make outstanding progress towards the early learning goals and develop strong skills for the future.

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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