Wheelton Nursery@ Withnell Fold Inspection report for early years provision
Unique reference number EY334350 Inspection date 09/02/2010 Inspector Joan, Patricia Flowers
Setting address Withnell Fold Methodist Church, Withnell Fold, Withnell, CHORLEY, Lancashire, PR6 8AZ Telephone number 01254 832182 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises
Inspection Report: Wheelton Nursery@ Withnell Fold, 09/02/2010
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects 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 rates 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 [email protected].
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. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA
T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: [email protected] W: www.ofsted.gov.uk © Crown copyright 2009
2
Inspection Report: Wheelton Nursery@ Withnell Fold, 09/02/2010
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.
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).
Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.
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.
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.
3 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
Inspection Report: Wheelton Nursery@ Withnell Fold, 09/02/2010
Description of the setting
Wheelton Nursery @ Withnell Fold out of school care is operated by a private partnership that offers other nursery and out of school facilities in the local area. It has been registered since 2006. This out of school club operates from Withnell Fold Methodist Church Hall. Registration is effective on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 20 children aged from four to eleven years may attend the group at any one time. There are 27 children on roll, four of whom are in the early years age range. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities attend. The group is open each weekday from 7.45am to 9am and later between 3.10pm and 6pm during school term time. A holiday play scheme operates from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. This setting employs two qualified staff. Support and training is accessed from the local authority Sure Start development consultancy.
The overall effectiveness of the early years provision
Overall the quality of the provision is good.
Children clearly enjoy their time in this close community and purposeful setting where the range of resources is good overall. Staff are committed and knowledgeable and they attend regular staff meetings. All of the setting’s care systems and procedures, including assessments, are well documented and effective. However, the regulator has not been informed of the recent change of manager, which is a requirement of registration. Partnership with parents is good, and positive use is made of the informal relationships with the main village feeder school and others to support children’s progress. This is in the process of being developed more broadly overall and the management demonstrate a good capacity for continuous improvement.
What steps need to be taken to improve provision further?
To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:
ensure that Ofsted is notified about changes of 23/02/2010 manager in a timely way so that the required checks can be carried out (Suitable people).
To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:
continue to develop the methods of charting children's progress so that their learning at school and at home is complemented effectively.
4 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
Inspection Report: Wheelton Nursery@ Withnell Fold, 09/02/2010
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision
The arrangements for safeguarding children are good and robust. Staff are vigilant in their supervision of the children within the church hall. Effective child protection policies and procedures are in place, with designated staff having received appropriate and specific training to the required level. Staff are vetted and visitors are checked before being admitted onto the premises. Good implementation of the required policies ensures the children’s safety and well-being is well promoted. Staff assess safety risks robustly and use these risk assessments to monitor and take action as required to maintain children's well-being.
The flow of the club's play based session runs very smoothly, with all the children getting on well together, supported by the two enthusiastic and caring staff members. Each child’s background is known and their individual needs are catered for because staff are informed from the initial enrolment of information parents and carers provide. All children are respected and valued as individuals and everyone is well integrated into the club. The staff help children to value diversity and to learn about different cultures through the resources that are used and the planned activity programme. The children make good progress in their learning and development and engage well with the range of activities that are available to them. Their progress towards achieving the early learning goals is monitored, but the informal input from parents and the school is yet to feed into the planning formally. The key worker system works to identify and track children's development and what the staff can do to help them make greater progress. Planning is the responsibility of the staff and overseen by the providers. The programme is varied and includes children's access to technology by way of the computer. Current restrictions for children's access to outdoor play are soon to be a thing of the past. The addition of a new and exciting outdoor play area has been designed and installed. This will provide children with a great opportunity to freely move from inside to outside as they wish, allowing them to benefit from the freedom of an outside learning environment and the fresh air. The staff facilitate children’s learning and play, knowing just when to play actively with them or stand back and let them explore and play freely in this relaxed out of school environment.
The partnership that staff have with parents and carers is good. One parent said ‘I couldn’t do without it. I come after work and sometimes my children do not want to come home. All my children love coming here'. The partnership with the feeder school is very strong as they value the service the club provides highly. Information about the children is communicated daily with parents and with the reception class teacher. Children's learning and progress are also communicated and passed on informally to the school and to parents. All the recommendations from the previous inspection have been actioned satisfactorily to improve the outcomes for children. The registered providers know the club's strengths and where improvements can be made. The providers carry out their own form of self- assessment and are introducing questionnaires for parents and for children to supplement the comments book that parents and carers can already write in. These initiatives and the improvements to the outdoor play area show a strong
5 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
Inspection Report: Wheelton Nursery@ Withnell Fold, 09/02/2010
commitment to continuous development, promoting good outcomes for every child.
The quality and standards of the early years provision and outcomes for children
Children can make choices about what to do, who to play with and when. They can take out a game, work with malleable materials like play dough or create pictures with paint. They can work on their homework or just relax and talk with their friends. They are supported by the staff, who facilitate children’s play, extending their enjoyment and creativity. The hall is not overly large so staff can create an environment that feels welcoming and warm. A good range of books are available and used well by the children. Staff sit with small groups to read books that they choose. They sing 'ten in a bed' before reading the story as their learning and enjoyment is continued. Writing materials are available and children spend time concentrating on making a picture using different coloured felt pens. They practise their number and coordination skills during a game of skittles as they count how many they have knocked over, refining their aiming skills the next time round to try for a better score. Children enjoyed this activity and laughed and were animated in excitement.
Children learn about being healthy and safe through the well planned afternoon snack. All children are relaxed and seem to look forward to this time. Sweet and sour vegetable dip was offered with prawn crackers at snack time, connected to the festival of Chinese New Year. Plenty of fresh fruits were also provided which children ate as much or as little of as they wished. They independently pour their own drinks from the jug on the table and can choose water or diluted sugar free fruit cordial. Before preparing food or sitting down to eat, children know that they must wash their hands thoroughly. They make healthy choices and know that they can help themselves to a drink at anytime if they feel thirsty. Snack time is very much a social occasion, with children sitting and enjoying the social aspects of eating together. All children play very well together and behave in a mature and responsible manner because they know what is expected of them through staff expectations and the club rules. Children share the equipment and respect and care for each other. They learn to be independent and to make the right choices. They know they can turn to the caring staff if they have any problems. There is a happy community feeling in this after school club. Children are seen to behave well because of the good day-to-day planning and organisation of the setting. They are encouraged to suggest which activities they would like to be made available at future sessions. This involvement helps to develop their skills of independence and confidence and feelings of self-worth.
There are regular fire drills to familiarise children with the emergency evacuation procedures and good evacuations are made to ensure their safety and that their personal awareness is raised. They understand how to keep safe on their short walk along the lane from school to the club each night as they walk in twos along the narrow path.
6 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
Inspection Report: Wheelton Nursery@ Withnell Fold, 09/02/2010
Annex A: record of inspection judgements
The key inspection judgements and what they mean
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
The overall effectiveness of the early years provision How well does the setting meet the needs of the 2 children in the Early Years Foundation Stage? The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous 2 improvement
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision How effectively is the Early Years Foundation Stage led 2 and managed? The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding 2 ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and 2 diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the 2 steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and 2 carers
The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2
Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation 2 Stage The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 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
Any complaints about the inspection or report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk
7 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
Inspection Report: Wheelton Nursery@ Withnell Fold, 09/02/2010
Annex B: the Childcare Register
The provider confirms that the requirements of the Met compulsory part of the Childcare Register are:
The provider confirms that the requirements of the Met voluntary part of the Childcare Register are:
8 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006