Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Bower Busy Bees Pre-school Centre Wick

26 October 2005

Bower Busy Bees Pre-school Centre
The Stables
c/o Bower Community Centre
Wick
KW1 4TL

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.

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

If you would like an additional copy of this report
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 .

If you wish to comment about integrated pre-school inspections
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of integrated pre-school inspections, you should write in the first instance to Dr Bill Maxwell, HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.

Our complaints procedure
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to either:

If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You can write to The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 4-6 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7NS. You can also telephone 0870 011 5378 or e-mail enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk. More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.scottishombudsman.org.uk.

A copy of the HMIE complaints procedure is available from the HMIE website at www.hmie.gov.uk or by telephoning 01506 600 258

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 Bower Busy Bees Pre-school Centre Wick

Introduction

Bower Busy Bees Pre-school Centre was inspected in May 2005 as part of the integrated inspection programme by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. The centre catered for pre-school children aged three to five years. At the time of the inspection the roll was 14.

The environment
Standard 2

The centre was located in a converted stable block situated to the rear of the Bower Community Centre. The premises comprised two playrooms and a toilet located on the ground floor. Stairs from the entrance area led to the attic snack room which included a food preparation area. Children also had access to the main hall in the community centre and a field to provide additional opportunities for physical and energetic play. Staff had identified the need to develop further a garden area recently acquired by the group. The accommodation was clean and hygienic, pleasantly decorated and in a good state of repair.

The centre was well resourced to support all aspects of children’s learning. Staff ensured that children could play independently or alongside others.

Staff provided parents with very good information on the range of activities within the centre and on forthcoming events. These were clearly displayed on notice boards. Staff displayed a very good selection of children’s work throughout the centre.

Staff paid good attention to the safety and security of the children. They had undertaken appropriate risk assessments in respect of the indoor accommodation, outside play areas, and outings. Staff had also developed appropriate procedures for the control of infection. However, there was only one toilet and wash hand basin available to children. Given the limitations of this facility and the fact that snacks were taken on the first floor of the building, staff needed to ensure that there was minimal delay between children washing their hands and taking their snack.

Quality of children’s experience
Standard 4 & 5

Staff demonstrated a very sound understanding of children’s development and learning. They had very good relationships with children. They valued children’s ideas about their own learning. They intervened sensitively to provide support to those who needed help to focus on play activities.

Children played happily together. Staff provided a broad range of activities for children to encounter over the course of the daily session. However, throughout the session, the noise level was frequently too high. This was distracting for some children and disturbed concentration during play. Although children had access to both playrooms on the ground floor, each used for different types of play, only one was available at any one time. This restricted the choice of activities available to children. The time allowed in each room did not ensure that the needs and interests of all children were being fully met throughout each session. Staff needed to improve the use of space and review the pace of the day to provide some children with more opportunity to make choices in their play and to become more absorbed in experiences.

Staff had developed very good procedures for planning, assessment and reporting. They made regular observations of children at play. They now needed to make more use of the very good assessment information gathered to provide more opportunities for the youngest children to explore and experiment. Staff had effective procedures in place to challenge the older and more able children.

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 encouraged to express their views and helped to make decisions about resources and activities. They were making friends, and displayed caring attitudes for one another. Staff helped children understand simple playgroup rules and develop an awareness of routines. 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.
• Staff provided a very good programme for communication and language. They offered a wide range of activities to develop children’s interest in language. Most children listened well and talked confidently to adults and each other. They enjoyed regular story sessions and had good opportunities to take books home to share with their families. Staff made very effective use of books in play areas and text on labelled photographs and children’s work. Most children could recognise their own name in print and were making very good progress in learning to control a pencil. Staff provided some opportunities for children to extend their skills in early writing through play activities.
• The programme for developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the world was good. Staff were developing children’s awareness of planting and growing. They made good use of visits to extend the children’s awareness of their local community. As part of the recent playgroup celebrations "30 Busy Bee Years", children had been learning about life at the centre over the years. Children were developing good skills in counting and early mathematics. They also enjoyed sand and water-play activities. A few children made some use of a computer and camera. Overall, children did not have sufficient opportunities to develop their skills of investigation and to use information and communications technology in their play and learning.
• The programme for expressive and aesthetic development was very good. Staff had introduced children to a good range of techniques and materials in art and craft. As part of this, children had been learning the technique of weaving. Children had daily opportunities to develop their skills in painting and gluing. With the support of a parent helper, they had recently taken part in clay-modelling activities. They made good use of the home corner, dressing-up area, and train set for imaginative play. Children enjoyed taking part in singing, dancing and music-making activities.
• The programme for physical development and movement was very good. Staff provided an appropriate range of materials to develop children’s control of their fingers and hands, including small construction toys, drawing tools and jigsaws. Most children used these resources well. Children took part in daily movement activities in the playroom. They had regular use of the community hall to experience more energetic physical play. Staff made good use of a nearby field to provide children with opportunities to enjoy fresh air and exercise. Children were highly motivated during physical play sessions. In particular, they enjoyed playing with hoops and balls.

Support for children and families
Standard 6

Staff worked very effectively with parents to provide very good support for children and their families. The small numbers attending the centre allowed staff to know the children as individuals. They kept parents well informed about their children’s progress.

The centre provided an important focus for families in this small rural community. Parents were involved in many aspects of the life of the group. They gave very good support to the group by fund raising. Those who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very satisfied with the work of the centre. Parents, children, staff and the local community had recently joined together to celebrate "30 Busy Bee Years" of the centre.

Staff had developed very good arrangements for children’s transition to the local primary school. Working in partnership with the school, they had established a scheme to share home learning bags for parents to use at home with their children. Reports were prepared and shared with parents and the school. Staff had a good understanding of procedures for supporting children who required additional help in their learning. They had established some useful links with support agencies and other professionals.

Management
Standard 14

Management of the centre was good. The staff were well supported by the enthusiastic parents’ committee who provided the service. Relationships and communication within the committee were good, and members performed their respective roles within the service well. Regular meetings took place to ensure efficient organisation and management. The committee had implemented an effective system of staff review. Staff had undertaken relevant training to sustain and develop their skills and knowledge. They were committed to continuous professional development and were aware of the Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice.

The senior playleader was responsible for the smooth day-to-day running of the centre. She provided good leadership and was dedicated to the development of the centre. The senior playleader and the newly-appointed playleader worked very well together. They were friendly, approachable and supportive to each other, parents and children. They met regularly to plan and evaluate their work.

The committee and staff regularly reviewed and improved the good range of policies, procedures and written information. These were readily available for parents and visitors. Together, they should now review child protection procedures. The current arrangements were complex and included stages that were not relevant or compatible with the protection of children. The fact that a representative from Highland Pre-school Services was the named child protection coordinator was not appropriate and this responsibility should lie with the senior playleader. As part of this, staff also needed to introduce a system whereby parents provided written consent for photographs of their children to be taken and displayed.

The complaints procedure inappropriately suggested contacting Highland Pre-school Services over any complaint which was not resolved within the group. Parents needed to know that the Care Commission is the organisation that should be contacted.

The committee involved staff, parents and children in identifying priorities for improvement. An appropriate development plan was in place and priorities were being addressed and implemented.

Key strengths

• The involvement of children in expressing their views and helping to make decisions about resources and activities.
• The very good programmes in emotional, personal and social development, communication and language, expressive and aesthetic development and physical development and movement.
• The commitment of staff to continuous professional development.
• The very positive relationships amongst children, staff, and parents.
• The very good arrangements to identify priorities for future development of the centre.

Other Issues
Response to recommendations or to requirements made at previous inspection

There were no recommendations or requirements made following the previous inspection which was undertaken by the Care Commission on 18 June 2004

Recommendations for improvement

• Staff should improve the use of space and review the pace and balance of the day to provide children with more opportunity to make choices and to become more absorbed in their play.
• Staff should provide more experiences for the youngest children to experiment and explore in their play.
• The committee and staff should review written policies and procedures regarding child protection, complaints and the taking and display of children’s photographs.

Care Commission Officers and HM Inspectors have asked the pre-school centre and education authority to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report. Where requirements are made, the action plan should include timescales to deal with these. The plan will be available to parents and carers. In liaison with the pre-school centre and education authority, Care Commission Officers and HM Inspectors will monitor progress to ensure improvements are in line with the main findings of the report.