Acorns ofsted 05

Helmdon Acorns Playgroup
Inspection report for early years provision
Unique Reference Number 219983
Inspection date 12 September 2005
Inspector Sarah Harrison
Setting Address Reading Room, Church Street, Helmdon, Brackley,
Northamptonshire, NN13 5QJ
Telephone number [phone number removed]
E-mail
Registered person Helmdon Playgroup
Type of inspection Integrated
Type of care Sessional 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

ABOUT THIS INSPECTION
The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards
Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School
Standards and Framework Act 1998.
This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the
Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.
The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004
whichever is the later.
The key inspection judgements and what they mean
Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality
Good: this aspect of the provision is strong
Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound
Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough
For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website:
www.ofsted.gov.uk.
THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION
On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:
The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the
National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.
The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.
WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?
Helmdon Acorns Playgroup is run by a committee and is situated in the Reading
Rooms, close to the centre of the village. The playgroup has been in existence since
1971 and became the Acorns group in 1996. The premises consist of the main playgroup room, back room for more physical activities, cloakroom, toilets and kitchen. The provision is currently open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday mornings during term time. Children attending on Thursday and Friday
This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

mornings stay to eat their packed lunch.
The playgroup is registered for a maximum of 18 children between the ages of two and five years, with no more than eight of these children aged between two and three years. There are currently 13 children on roll including 8 funded 3-year-olds.
The staff group consists of the person in charge, a deputy and two assistants each day. All members of staff are appropriately qualified. The setting receives support from a teacher/mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, and has active involvement with the Pre-School Learning Alliance.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISION
Helping children to be healthy
The provision is good.
Children learn about healthy living whist attending the playgroup. They understand simple good health and hygiene practices. For example, they are encouraged to wash their hands after doing messy play or touching resources, such as untreated wool, brought into the setting from the country side. They understand the reasons for this and go to the sink independently to clean their hands. They also do this at key points in the day such as after visiting the toilet and before eating. Children enjoy a balanced and nourishing diet. Parents provide snacks but staff actively encourage them to provide a healthy range. Water is available throughout the day and children are encouraged to drink after physical activity. Children are regularly involved in cooking activities. They help prepare food to share with others. They grow and harvest their own vegetables in their allotment which they take home or cook, prepare and taste whilst at the setting. This gives them a good understanding of healthy eating. Although there is no outdoor area for play, children enjoy physical activity regularly because they go on walks, regularly visit the local farm and access ride – on toys set up inside the playgroup. Through activities such as these, children are beginning to develop an awareness of what happens to their bodies when they are active.
Children enthusiastically take part in music lessons where they dance and move around with increasing control and co-ordination and develop a good awareness of the space around them. They stay healthy because there is a thorough and well written health and safety policy in place which is put into practice effectively. The kitchen and bathrooms are kept clean and suitable for children to use. They are cleaned and checked before and after each session. All records, consent forms and policy documents are in place and reviewed regularly to secure and maintain the good health of the children.
Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe
The provision is good.
Children are cared for in a welcoming, secure and safe indoor and outdoor
This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

environment because formal risk assessments are undertaken and displayed so that all staff and volunteers are aware of how to keep children safe. Space is suitable for the number of registered children and they can rest and eat comfortably. It is used extremely well to provide different areas for play. There are room layout plans for each day that the setting operates so that children are offered variety should they attend each session.
Children are safe on outings. Positive steps are taken to secure their safety. The lead team member ensures that all consent forms are in place and takes a bag with a mobile phone, emergency contact numbers, the first aid kit and antibacterial wash with her. Ratios are always well maintained and children are kept free from harm whilst enjoying exploring the outdoors. Children are aware of safety issues because staff talk to the children about how to play safely. When on outings, road safety is carefully practised and talked about and children offer answers to questions about why they must stop look and listen. Staff monitor children's free play vigilantly in order that they remain free from harm. Children of different ages use suitable and safe equipment because it is cleaned and checked every time it is used. Good quality resources help to enrich the environment in which the children play. They are rotated regularly and placed at child height and so that children can choose from them safely and freely.
Children are protected from harm and neglect because all staff understand their role in child protection and are able to put the appropriate procedures into practice when necessary. Children are cared for by adults who are vetted appropriately and good polices and effective procedures are in place to ensure that volunteers and helpers at the playgroup are supervised appropriately.
Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do
The provision is good.
Children enjoy their time at the playgroup because they are looked after in a welcoming and caring environment. They gain confidence and new skills with good adult support, sensitive interaction and positive encouragement. Children make decisions about who to sit with and what to play. They make positive relationships through opportunities to play independently and with their peers. They are also encouraged to participate in adult led activities. As a result, they enjoy learning through a variety of play experiences and their interest is maintained. Children play, have fun, sing and laugh, with adults joining in, as they all take part in the walk to the farm activity. They use their imagination as they take part in interesting craft activities and role-play based on their first-hand experiences, such as being on a farm and going to the shops or post office. They develop their personal, social and emotional skills as they are encouraged by staff who have high expectations of what children can learn and achieve. Staff base their planning on their knowledge of the children and the foundation stage curriculum.
Nursery Education
The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a clear understanding of the early learning goals and planning is based on the six areas of learning using practical
This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

experiences and play. Children are interested in the activities and as a result they are motivated and learn as they play. Children speak confidently and have access to a range of topical books. They listen and respond well to stories. Early communication skills are developing well, as they confidently make marks with paints and pens to represent letters or numbers. Children are able to build and use creations to represent real life when they make simple animal models. They concentrate well at these activities. Some children are able to count a collection of objects up to 5 and some enjoy counting larger numbers, such as the number of sheep they see at the farm. Opportunities for all children to develop their mathematical understanding by solving simple problems are developing. They explore a variety of materials using all their senses and investigate changes in materials, for example when cooking food and taking part in craft activities. Children’s individual interests are encouraged by the staff who know them well and skilfully question the children in great depth to offer challenges to them. Staff make observations of what the children achieve in their activities and their progress towards the early learning goals and use this knowledge when planning. Children are well supported by the effective use of resources and through the way they are rotated to reflect current learning themes. However, there are insufficient resources to allow children to progress in the area of ICT.
Helping children make a positive contribution
The provision is good.
Children feel a sense of belonging because staff ensure that information about their care and education is sought as soon as the children arrive at the setting. Parents are encouraged to share their knowledge and views of their children's development with the playgroup in order that staff may provide the most appropriate care for the children's needs on an individual basis.
Children develop self-esteem as they are praised openly and their achievements are celebrated. They learn respect through celebrating different cultural festivals and traditions and by being encouraged to treat each other well. They learn about topics such as, 'People who help us in the community'. They understand that society is comprised of many different types of people who all deserve to be treated with respect and courtesy and so they begin to understand responsible behaviour.
Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.
The setting's environment is a positive one. Children behave very well. There is a written behaviour policy which is shared with parents in order to secure a shared and understood approach. It includes a statement on bullying and positive strategies for dealing with certain behavioural issues. Through reference to the document, parents can help their children to understand the accepted code of behaviour for the setting and staff use it to put effective policy into good practice.
The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is good.
Parents are warmly invited to take an active part in the setting and there is detailed information given to them on the benefits of this and of what their roles and duties include. This close, informal partnership benefits children because the setting firmly supports the philosophy that parents are the first and most important educator of their
This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

young children. By acknowledging this, they invite parents to embark on the learning journey with their children and help maintain an environment where information is exchanged between the two parties in order to bring about the most effective learning route for children.
Organisation
The organisation is good.
Children benefit from the effective organisation of staff, space and resources. The indoor space is laid out very effectively to allow for active and quiet play with children being able to move around safely and freely. Their safety and well-being is enhanced by high adult : child ratios, ensuring that children are protected, well cared for and supported during their time at the playgroup. Thorough and comprehensive documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place and reviewed regularly, however, the registration process lacks relevant details.
Children's care and learning are promoted because of the good leadership and management of the nursery. Staff work very well together as a team and understand their roles and responsibilities. They are highly committed to the aims of the playgroup to care for children and help them make progress. Staff development is given a high priority and regular appraisals ensure that staff are progressing well.
There is an effective system of monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and children’s progress toward the early leaning goals. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.
Improvements since the last inspection
At the last Children Act inspection, the setting was asked to confirm how requirements for staff training and qualifications were being met. All staff now have relevant childcare qualifications and continue to attend training. Recommendations were made to increase the number of resources promoting equality of opportunity.
Children now have greater access to positive images of diversity. The setting was also recommended to develop a written statement regarding the complaints procedure and to devise a system for ensuring safety checks on the premises were undertaken before the children arrived. Both of these issues have been addressed and children are cared for with their safety in mind and their welfare protected.
In terms of its provision for funded children, the setting was recommended to encourage the use of mathematical language to encourage children to describe shape and position and to consider ways of encouraging all children's learning through play. These issues have now been addressed and children progress well through the stepping stones as a result. Finally, a previous recommendation suggested that the setting consider key issues around the planning of nursery education and as a result of this inspection, a further recommendation to support this has been made.
This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

Complaints since the last inspection
There are no complaints to report.
THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION
On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:
The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the
National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.
The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.
WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?
The quality and standards of the care
To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):
• ensure that there is a system for registering children's and staff attendance on a sessional basis, showing hours of attendance.
The quality and standards of the nursery education
To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):
• plan to provide children with opportunities to begin to use technological equipment in order to support their understanding of ICT in everyday life
• ensure that planning documents give clear understanding of the purpose of activities in relation to the areas of learning that are to be covered.
Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website:
www.ofsted.gov.uk
This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000