Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Eastriggs and Dornock Playgroup Annan 7 September 2005 Eastriggs and Dornock Playgroup Eastriggs Annan DG12 6PP The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act, 2001, requires that the Care Commission inspect all care services covered by the Act every year to monitor the quality of care provided. In accordance with the Act, the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education carry out integrated inspections of the quality of care and education. In doing this, inspection teams take account of National Care Standards, Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16, and The Child at the Centre. The following standards and related quality indicators were used in the recent inspection. National Care Standard Child at the Centre Quality Indicator Standard 2 – A Safe Environment Resources Standard 4 – Engaging with Children Development and learning through play Standard 5 – Quality of Experience Curriculum Children’s development and learning Standard 6 – Support and Development Support for children and families Standard 14 – Well-managed Service Management, Leadership and Quality Assurance Evaluations made using HMIE quality indicators use the following scale, and these words are used in the report to describe the team’s judgements: Very good : major strengths Good : strengths outweigh weaknesses Fair : some important weaknesses Unsatisfactory : major weaknesses Reports contain Recommendations which are intended to support improvements in the quality of service. Any Requirements refer to actions which must be taken by service providers to ensure that regulations are met and there is compliance with relevant legislation. In these cases the regulation(s) to which requirements refer will be noted clearly and timescales given. HOW TO CONTACT US Copies of this report have been sent to the head of service, staff and the education authority. Copies are also available on the Care Commission website: www.carecommission.com and HMIE website: www.hmie.gov.uk. Should you wish to comment on or make a complaint about any aspect of the inspection or about this report you should write either to the Care Commission or to HM Inspectorate of Education at the address below. If you are still dissatisfied with our services, you can contact your member of the Scottish Parliament (or, if you prefer, any other MSP). You can also contact the Scottish Parliamentary Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and Agencies. Complaints Coordinator Hazel Dewart Headquarters HM Inspectorate of Education Care Commission Denholm House Compass House Almondvale Business Park Riverside Drive Almondvale Way Dundee Livingston DD1 4NY EH54 6GA Crown Copyright 2005 Care Commission HM Inspectorate of Education This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated. _______________________________ Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Eastriggs and Dornock Playgroup Annan Introduction Eastriggs and Dornock Playgroup was inspected in May 2005 as part of the integrated inspection programme by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. HMIE carried out this inspection on behalf of both organisations and consulted the Care Commission about its findings. The nursery catered for pre-school children aged three to five years. At the time of the inspection the roll was 22. The environment Standard 2 The playgroup was located within a community hall. Entry to the playroom was inadequate and needed to be improved to ensure the safety and security of those using the service. Staff made good use of the accommodation. They had carefully planned the layout of the room to enable children to play independently and with others. Overall, the surroundings would benefit from redecoration. Children had access to an enclosed outside play area with good opportunities for planting and growing. Staff had correctly identified the need to review and improve the maintenance of this area to enhance children’s learning experiences. Staff were developing good procedures for carrying out risk assessments. Fire drills were carried out regularly and recorded. Staff ensured resources were suitable, well maintained and regularly cleaned. They had implemented effective measures to control the spread of infection. Staff supervised the children carefully when attending the toilets and washing their hands before eating. Quality of children’s experience Standard 4 & 5 Staff provided a calm, welcoming environment for children and parents. They were patient, kind and caring. Children had access to an appropriate range of activities and were able to make choices. Staff made effective use of play experiences to support and extend learning. They intervened sensitively to provide support to those who needed help to focus on play activities. Staff had recently transferred to the education authority’s system for planning and profiling. Staff planning took some account of children’s interests and set out what children were expected to learn. Staff had begun to observe children as they played. They 1 now needed to make more effective use of the good assessment information gathered to ensure the needs of all children were being met fully. Staff kept parents informed about their children’s progress through daily contact and more formal consultations. Features of the programmes for children included the following. • The programme for emotional, personal and social development was very good. Children were cheerful and keen to learn. They were making friends and displayed caring attitudes for one another. Most children responded positively to musical signals to tidy away toys after play and to gather in a group. Staff made very good use of praise and encouraged children to share and cooperate with one another. They helped children understand simple playgroup rules and develop an awareness of routines. However, they did not always provide children with enough opportunities to be independent, for example at snack time. Throughout the year, children had good opportunities to learn about, and celebrate, festivals. • In the very good programme for communication and language, staff provided very good opportunities for children to develop new vocabulary. Children were good at talking in small groups and listening to instructions and information. They made valuable contributions to conversations in, for example, sharing their experiences of gardening. They enjoyed looking at books and were confident in re-telling a familiar story. Staff encouraged children to recognise their own name in print. Children’s interest and skills in early writing were developing through some play experiences. • The programme for developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the world was good. Staff provided a good range of experiences for children to observe seasonal change. They extended children’s learning through conversation. As part of one activity, some children became absorbed in planting flowers in tubs for the outdoor garden. Staff made effective use of visitors to extend the children’s awareness of their local environment. Children were developing an understanding of people who help them such as the police and fire fighters. They were learning to count and to recognise numbers and colours. They would benefit from more opportunities to develop further their skills of investigation and to use information and communications technology in their play and learning. • The programme for expressive and aesthetic development was good. Children made good use of the home corner and dressing-up area for imaginative play. The farm set provided some additional opportunities for imaginative play. Children had regular opportunities to sing and use percussion instruments. Staff offered children a variety of art and craft resources to develop their skills in printing, painting and gluing. Overall, children needed more opportunities to develop further their individual creativity and expression in art and in music making. • The programme for physical development and movement was very good. Children were developing good hand control through activities including drawing, cutting and working with dough using a range of tools. All children had daily 2 opportunities for indoor physical play. They were learning to climb and balance on the climbing frame. They were very enthusiastic during music and movement activities. Staff made some use of the enclosed garden for children to experience outdoor play, fresh air and exercise. Recently, children had enjoyed planting activities. Support for children and families Standard 6 Staff had very good relationships with children and their families. They responded well and were sensitive to their individual circumstances. Staff liaised closely with parents and other agencies to provide very good support for children who required additional support with their learning. However, they needed to devise individualised educational programmes for children who required them. Staff were aware of the need to access further training to ensure they continued to meet the needs of all children. Parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very satisfied with almost all aspects of the work of the nursery. They found the staff very friendly, helpful and enthusiastic. Staff and parents worked together