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Our
latest Ofsted Report:
Inspection
report for early years provision
Unique Reference Number EY281807
Inspection date 03 October 2006
Inspector Diane Lynn Turner
Setting Address Dunnington C of E Primary School, Church Lane,
Dunnington, York, North Yorkshire, YO19 5QG
Telephone number 01904 489053
E-mail
Registered person Dunnington Children
Type of inspection Integrated
Type of care Full day care
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 satisfactory. The registered
person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and
childminding.
The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.
WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?
Dunnington Children is an established group, which has been registered
at the present setting since March 2004. It is run by a committee
and is located on the site of the primary school in Dunnington,
a village situated on the outskirts of York. The group has use
of a main playroom with office, toilet, laundry and kitchen facilities.
They have access to the two school reception classrooms, which
are used to provide additional activities for the out of school
provision and the two sessions that are run specifically for the
four-year-olds. There is an enclosed area at the rear of the premises
for outdoor play.
The group provides wrap around care including before and after
school sessions, pre-school sessions and holiday care. Opening
times are between 08.00 and 18.00 Monday to Friday throughout
the year, except for one week at Christmas. A maximum of 40 children
under eight-years-old may attend the before, after school and
holiday provision and a maximum of 31 children aged under five
years-old may attend the pre-school provision. Children up to
the age of 11 years-old may also attend the before, after school
and holiday provision. There are currently 171 children on roll,
of these 56 are in receipt of nursery education funding. Children
may attend for full or part time sessions and the group is currently
supporting children with learning difficulties.
There are 24 members of staff employed by the group. Nine of these
hold a level three qualification in childcare, one has level two
and one is working towards level three. The group is a member
of the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA) and the organisation
4Children.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISION
Helping children to be healthy
The provision is satisfactory. Children are kept healthy because
they are cared for in an environment where staff follow effective
procedures in their daily routines. For example, they routinely
record the checks they carry out on the toilet area throughout
the day and display notices to inform parents of any infectious
diseases that may be prevalent, including the exclusion times
for these. There is a clear policy detailing the procedure to
be followed in the event of a child needing hospital treatment
and a well stocked first aid box is in place. Staff are effective
in helping the children learn about the importance of following
good routines in their personal care. They talk to the children
about the importance of washing their hands and notices are displayed
in toilet area to remind them of this and other good practices,
such as flushing the toilet after use. As a result the children
independently wash their hands before eating and taking part in
activities, such as baking, and after toileting. The older ones
understand the importance of this as they clearly explain that
washing their hands helps to prevent germs that may make them
ill.
Children take part in a good range of physical activities that
contribute to a healthy lifestyle and help them to develop a positive
attitude towards physical exercise. For example, they are all
able to use the outdoor area each day when they demonstrate self
confidence in their physical skills. The three and four-year-olds
are able to successfully negotiate a pathway as they use wheeled
toys, climb the steps on the climbing frame safely and use tools,
such as spades, trowels and rakes effectively as they help to
maintain the school vegetable plot. The children who attend the
out of school sessions also enjoy using the outdoor area and taking
part in physical activities indoors, such as making up their own
dance routines, which they proudly demonstrate, showing that they
have a good sense of rhythm. All children have a good understanding
of the effect that exercise has on their bodies. They are able
sit and rest according to their needs, either using the benches
in the outdoor area or the comfortable seating indoors.
Children are encouraged to effectively learn about the importance
of a healthy diet during most sessions. For example, the pre-school
children enjoy snacks, such as fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and
bread sticks, and the children who attend the out of school sessions
are involved in drawing up their weekly snack menu when they request
that both fruit and raw vegetables be included. Staff who run
the twice weekly sessions for the four-year-olds do not, however,
ensure these children are offered the same healthy options. For
example, they are often given biscuits, cakes or crisps at snack.
Staff are well informed about the children's individual preferences
and dietary needs, and effectively take these into account when
providing snacks to ensure they remain healthy. Children are offered
a choice of drinks at snack time and staff talk to them about
why items, such as milk is good for them. They do not, however,
ensure the children have ready access to drinking water at other
times during the session.
Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay
safe
The provision is good. Children are cared for in well maintained
premises, which are organised effectively to provide for a variety
of learning opportunities. The play room is welcoming and has
posters and examples of the children's art work displayed, which
help to make it a stimulating environment and shows their efforts
are valued and appreciated.
Children's risk of accidental injury is minimised effectively
in the well organised setting, which has effective safety and
security precautions. All areas and equipment are maintained to
good standards and staff use effective risk assessments to reduce
potential hazards. For example, they check all areas before the
start of each day, ensure all necessary precautions are taken
and routinely record their findings. Parents and visitors are
admitted by staff and no unauthorised person is allowed access.
Identification is verified and the visitors' book completed. The
outside area is checked before the children go out to play and
a head count is carried out as they go out and come back in to
ensure they all return indoors safely. Notices are also displayed
to remind both staff and parents to follow good safety practices,
such as making sure the entrance door is closed securely at all
times.
The children have good opportunities to learn about keeping themselves
and others safe. For example, staff skilfully explain safe practices
to them, such as why they need to line up sensibly before going
outside, and why they need to sit on their chairs safely. They
regularly practise the group's emergency evacuation procedures
with the children to ensure they know what to do in the event
of a fire, and the children who attend the out of school sessions
are actively encouraged to help staff carry out the daily safety
checks. It is evident that the discussions staff have with the
children are effective in raising their awareness of safety, as
a number of the older ones were keen to discuss what they had
learnt with the inspector.
Children use a good range of well maintained toys and resources
that are appropriate to their age and stage of development. These
are well organised and made easily accessible to encourage them
to make choices and develop their independence. For example, toys
for the younger children are stored in boxes that have a picture
of the contents displayed to help them in identifying the equipment
they want to play with. The children are interested in the resources
and use these well to support their play and learning.
Children are well protected by staff who have a clear understanding
of the group's policies and procedures in regard to protecting
children from possible abuse. They all attend training in child
protection to ensure they are able to recognise the possible signs
and symptoms and know what to do if they have concerns.
Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do
The provision is good. Children enjoy their time in the setting
and make effective progress because staff have a sound understanding
of the age and stage of development of the children who attend.
All children are confident in their relationships with the staff.
They play happily together and with adults as they enjoy using
a range of resources, such as construction toys, outdoor equipment
and art and craft materials. They settle well and are comfortable
in their surroundings. For example, some of the children who attend
the pre-school sessions also stay for the out of school sessions
where they confidently join in with the activities of the older
ones.
The children who attend the out of school sessions clearly enjoy
this time at the end of the school day when they can relax or
be active in accordance with their needs and interests. For example,
many children choose to take an active part in activities, such
as using the computer or playing games in the outdoor area, whilst
others choose quieter activities, such as drawing and craft. Staff
discuss the planning of activities regularly with the children
and encourage and value their opinions as to what should be included.
For example, they encourage them to look at recipe books to help
decide what items they would like to make during baking activities.
In addition, the activities offered at the holiday sessions, when
children are able to attend for a full day, are particularly well
planned and provide them with exciting learning opportunities,
including drama and film making.
Nursery Education
The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff use
their knowledge of the Foundation Stage to provide a range of
interesting activities across the six areas of learning, including
both free play and focused activities. They use resources and
questioning effectively during most activities to stimulate and
support the children's imagination and extend their learning.
Assessment systems are in place, which link clearly to the Foundation
Stage curriculum, but some staff are reluctant to complete these
for their key children. As a result, information about what the
children know and can do, is not always available for other staff
to help them plan activities that enable the children to make
best use of their skills. In addition, some of the activities
and group discussion at the sessions specifically for the four-year-olds
are not planned or delivered effectively at the children's level
of understanding, which means they do not always maintain their
interest.
Both the three and four-year-olds are confident in their interaction
with staff and their peers and join in enthusiastically with the
activities. They are self assured in their play and confident
to try new experiences, such as helping to make a bear from various
collage materials as part of a display depicting one of their
favourite books. They show an interest in stories, readily join
in with familiar refrains and are confident to predict what might
happen next as they listen to stories, such as 'Toffee the cat'.
They listen attentively during most group activities, but sometimes
loose interest when the activity is not presented at their level
of understanding. All children use marks readily to represent
their ideas. For example, they draw recognisable pictures, and
the more able children can write their own name, which they do
so confidently on their work. The younger and less able children
are keen to attempt writing their name and make good attempts
to do so. Staff have not, however, considered providing name cards
to help support them in this and the more able are not always
encouraged to use and develop their writing skills at all sessions.
Children use their imagination very well. For example, the four-year-olds
describe in great detail what they are doing during role play
as they build a boat using wooden blocks and pretend to go on
a journey over the sea. They also act out domestic situations
in the home corner when they take on the role of different family
members. Both the three and four-year-olds show great interest
in the environment. For example, they thoroughly enjoy digging
in the vegetable plot, showing curiosity as they find worms and
other items, such as pottery and stones in the soil. They are
keen to observe what has happened to their vegetable plants since
the last time they visited, know when produce, such as tomatoes
are ready to be picked and readily help to put discarded items
in the compost bin. They are developing an understanding of information
technology as they learn to use the computer and develop their
creative skills as they make pictures using materials, such as
paint and glitter.
Both the three and four-year-olds demonstrate a good understanding
of various number operations. For example, they confidently and
reliably count in excess of 15 as they line up to go outside.
The four-year-olds show a good understanding of size language
as they correctly identify they have large and small bottles as
they play in the sand and they are able to recognise various shapes,
such as a triangle, square and circle. Their physical skills are
developing well. They work cooperatively as they share wheeled
toys made for two, negotiate a pathway as they run and chase each
other in the outdoor area and demonstrate good control when using
the climbing frame. The more able confidently use pencils to write
their names, forming the letters correctly, and they all show
good control as they manipulate dough, use cutlery at lunch time
and attempt to fasten their coats.
Helping children make a positive contribution
The provision is satisfactory. All children are warmly welcomed
into the provision. Staff recognise each child as an individual
and work well with their parents to meet their needs. Children
with learning difficulties or disabilities are fully included
through the effective adult support and partnership with their
parents.
Staff ensure that resources and activities positively represent
the children who attend as well as the wider world. For example,
the pre-school children have opportunities to learn about different
cultures and festivals, such as Ramadan, where as part of this
they make a picture of a mosque from collage materials. The explanation
of some aspects of the festival, however, are not always aimed
at the children's level of understanding. Staff also provide some
opportunities for the children to learn about their own community
and the local area. For example, the four-year-olds visit attractions,
such as soft play facilities and the local agricultural college,
but these opportunities are not extended to the three-year-olds.
Children who attend the out of school sessions benefit greatly
from visitors to the group who share their skills with them. For
example, they learn how to put on a sari, use henna hand paints
and discover the story of the Chinese willow pattern. They also
have opportunities to take part in drama sessions led by a professional
actress when they act out going on a journey using a 'magic carpet',
which is captured on film and made into a DVD.
Children behave very well. Staff support the youngest children
effectively in sharing and turn taking and set consistent boundaries
for the older ones. For example, the older children are involved
in drawing up the behaviour codes for the out of school sessions
and are able to earn points for their team when they display positive
behaviour. This helps them learn to negotiate with others and
take responsibility for their own behaviour. The pre-school children
show a good understanding of the routines of the day. For example,
they know they must line up sensibly before they go out to play,
sit at the table to eat and sit quietly in the book corner after
lunch until everyone has finished. This positive approach fosters
children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.
Friendly relationships and effective verbal communication is evident
between the staff and the parents. Information about the children's
care needs is sought before the child starts at the group and
parents receive useful information. For example, they are provided
with a leaflet detailing various aspects of the service when the
placement begins, staff photographs and their role are displayed
and notices about any infectious diseases that may be prevalent
are displayed as and when these occur. The partnership with the
parents of children who receive nursery education is satisfactory.
For example, planning of activities for most of the pre-school
sessions is displayed and a book bag lending scheme has recently
been introduced. However, parents are provided with limited information
about the Foundation Stage and they are not always kept fully
informed of their child's progress as some staff are reluctant
to use the assessment system to record what they know about the
children.
Organisation
The organisation is satisfactory. The premises are welcoming and
organised effectively. This maximises play opportunities for the
children and means they are able to move around confidently and
independently, and initiate their own play and learning.
The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory.
Overall, this promotes the children's learning effectively. Most
staff who work with this age group have early years qualifications
and most are receptive to developing their knowledge and improving
their practice further through training. They have an appropriate
knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and organise activities
effectively in most areas, which means children make effective
progress towards the early learning goals. However, planning and
information is not shared effectively between those who work specifically
with the four-year-olds and those working at the general pre-school
sessions.
Adult to child ratios are met well and the majority of the staff
work effectively together as a team, particularly those working
at the out of school sessions. However, some members who work
at the pre-school sessions do not carry out all aspects of their
role effectively. For example, some are reluctant to implement
the recently introduced system to record the children's progress
and they do not always support other members of staff or take
a full part in the activities. Written policies and procedures
are in place. These cover all areas and contribute effectively
to the children's health, safety and well-being. All legally required
documentation, such as accident, medication and attendance records
is in place. This is well organised, regularly updated and stored
securely to maintain confidentiality.
Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children
for whom it provides.
Improvements since the last inspection
At the last inspection it was recommended that the setting devise
and implement a procedure for the safe conduct of outings and
gain a signature from parents to acknowledge the entry of any
medicines administered. An outings policy is now in place and
parents are asked to sign the medication record book at the end
of the session if they have requested medication be administered
to their child. This keeps them fully informed that the request
has been carried out and the exact time the medication was administered.
The improvements had added significantly to the children's safety,
the organisation and the documentation within the setting.
Complaints since the last inspection
Since the last inspection there has been one complaint made to
Ofsted that required the provider to take action to meet the National
Standards. The complaint related to National Standard 2: organisation.
A Childcare inspector visited the provision on 18/01/2006. Actions
were raised and satisfactorily met. The provider remains qualified
for registration.
The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by
parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record
may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.
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 satisfactory. The registered
person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and
childminding.
The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.
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 healthy snacks are provided at all sessions
ensure drinking water is readily available
ensure all staff are fully aware of their role and responsibilities
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):
ensure the assessment system is fully implemented by all staff
so that information about the children's progress can be used
effectively to plan for the next steps in their learning
ensure parents are provided with information about the Foundation
Stage
ensure the planning of activities are appropriate to the children's
level of understanding and that they are able to use and practise
the skills they have developed at all sessions.
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
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