Whetstone Baptist Church Pre-School

Whetstone Baptist Church Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 226504 Inspection date 11/10/2011 Inspector Maggi Hunt

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Setting address Whetstone Baptist Church,, 2 King Street, Whetstone, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE8 6LS Telephone number 0116 2863145 Email www.playgroup@wbconline.org.uk Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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

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

The Whetstone Baptist Church Playgroup was originally registered in 1976 and operates from church rooms located in the Baptist Church in Whetstone, Leicestershire. The setting serves the local community and the surrounding rural villages and is open from 8.45am to 11.45am, Monday to Friday, and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, during term time. Children can attend for a variety of sessions. Children use the two group rooms, the main hall, toilet facilities and an adjacent manse garden for outdoor play. The playgroup is registered to care for 38 children under eight years. There are currently 42 children on roll aged from two to five years. This includes 32 who receive funded nursery education. The group provides support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for children who speak English as an additional language. There are nine staff who work with the children, all of whom

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Description of the setting

hold an appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are cared for in a warm and welcoming environment where safeguarding is given highest priority. They are happy and settled and make sound progress in their learning and development. However, opportunities to enhance children's learning are not always used effectively. This is because of weaknesses in the promotion of equality and diversity, some staff interactions with children and systems for observation, planning and assessment. The partnerships with parents and other agencies are generally positive. Self-evaluation systems are in place but are not fully established to accurately identify key areas for further improvement that support children's individual progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop systems for observation, assessment and planning to fully involve parents and to ensure that children's next steps are effectively identified across all six area of learning  develop further resources and activities to ensure children's awareness of diversity is promoted  ensure that questioning and engagement with children consistently challenges them to think critically and develop their learning  develop further systems for self-evaluation to ensure that they accurately reflect and identify what needs to be done next in order to secure further improvements. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded and well protected in the setting because the staff have a very good understanding of both the signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow to report concerns. Vetting and induction procedures for all adults who work with or come into contact with children are secure. Children are kept safe in the setting because staff ensure all hazards to children in the setting, both indoors and outside, are identified and minimised. Risk assessments are reviewed and updated at least annually. Staff closely monitor the arrival and departure of children and a record of visitors is maintained. Most staff in the setting have current paediatric first aid certificates. The children are further protected because the setting keeps good records, including accident, medication and attendance records. This actively promotes children's good health and well- being.

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the early years provision

Staff are kind and caring role models who regularly praise and acknowledge children's efforts and achievements. Most staff in the setting are familiar with the Early Years Foundation Stage and are beginning to use it to support children's learning. The environment is generally well organised to support children's learning. Overall, resources are fit for purpose and are able to support children's learning and development. However, there is not a sufficient range of resources and activities to increase children's awareness of diversity.

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the early years provision

The setting is committed to improving the well-being of the children in its care. All staff are qualified to level three and good adult-to-child ratios are maintained. The leader has recently introduced annual staff appraisals and these are used to identify training needs. The setting has completed a self-evaluation, but this does not always reflect accurately the practice in the setting. The lack of accuracy impacts on the identification of key areas for development, for example, weaknesses in planning, observation and assessment. As a consequence, appropriate targets for improvement have not been set. The setting has begun to address recommendations raised at the last inspection. Sessions have been reorganised, the outside area is used daily and a procedure to follow on outings is in place. However, despite some improvements, encouraging parents to contribute to their children's learning and the organisation of children's learning continued to

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the early years provision

Overall the setting has satisfactory relationships with parents and carers. Parents comment positively on the care and learning provided. They are informed about what their children have done through the Learning Journeys and informal discussions, but parents do not have sufficient information about how their child is progressing. This limits their ability to support their child's learning at home. Staff ensure that parents are kept fully informed about how children are settling into the playgroup. For example, they ring parents during the session if the parent is anxious or the child is experiencing difficulties. Effective relationships with other providers, especially local schools, are well established and contribute well to supporting children's welfare and learning through a regular exchange of information. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The setting offers sensitive and caring support to children who have special

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the early years provision

educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work well with other professionals to ensure that they are well informed about any special needs specific to the children in their care. They put in place highly effective and enjoyable programmes that result in, for example, improved communication. The setting supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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and outcomes for children

Children are offered a variety of play opportunities that support them in making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals in relation to their capabilities and starting points in their learning. They settle quickly when they arrive and are developing positive attitudes to learning as they play. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Children are happy and relaxed. The key person system ensures one member of staff takes a special interest in the development, welfare and overall progress of the children. However, all staff in the setting are not sufficiently familiar with the Early Years Foundation Stage to use it well to support children's learning. Descriptions and photographs of activities children undertake are included in their Learning Journeys, but observations of each child's achievements against the six areas of learning are not regularly carried out. As a consequence, staff are not easily able to plan effectively to meet

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and outcomes for children

children's learning and development needs or to identify children's next steps.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident and sociable. They are developing their personal independence as they move from one chosen activity to another and from one room to another. For example, they choose whether to take part in the musical group activity taking place in one playroom or the story session in another. They willingly help to tidy away when asked. Generally, children listen and concentrate well, for example, during group registration sessions. They look for their name cards as they self register at the beginning of the session and make marks as they draw. Children enjoy regular stories and rhyme sessions, joining in enthusiastically with favourites. However, activities are not always fully used to develop children's emergent writing skills or their recognition of letters and sounds. Children confidently count by rote to ten and beyond and are able to complete simple calculations. For example, in group sessions they are able to identify whether there

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and outcomes for children

are more boys than girls present. They learn about capacity and weight as they play, for example, when filling and emptying containers in the sandpit in the garden. Staff carefully supervise children at all times. However, not all staff engage sufficiently in the children's learning by encouraging the children to think for themselves and extend their learning through discussion and questions, both in child initiated and adult led activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children have regular opportunities to use their imagination through art, design, music, dance and role play. For example, children enjoy using the role play home area and dressing up as doctors or in a dog costume. Children differentiate colours with confidence and enjoy mixing them together as they paint to observe how they change. Children have opportunities to learn about the roles of others through This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 visitors. They also learn about Christian festivals. For example, they recently joined in the church's harvest festival, after which they made clay models of fruit and vegetables to paint. Children develop satisfactory skills for the future by using phones, keyboards and calculators with confidence.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing a good understanding of how to stay safe. They follow a careful routine that replicates the procedure for the safe evacuation of the building in the event of a fire as they move from the indoors to the outside play area. Children's behaviour is good. They respond to gentle reminders and are actively encouraged to share and take turns.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing a good awareness of what constitutes healthy lifestyles. They adopt good hygiene routines by, for example, washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet. This sustains levels of hygiene and helps to prevent the spread of infection. They learn about healthy eating because they are offered nutritious snacks, such as fruit, toast and raisins, and are well hydrated because they can help themselves to water. Children are not able to freely use the outside play area as it is not immediately accessible, but they have regular daily opportunities to play outside. They are also able to exercise and develop their awareness of space and body control in the large hall area. 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 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 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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