Ash Field School

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Plymtree Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 106012 Inspection date 22/10/2008 Inspector Joyce Bowler

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Setting address Plymtree Village Hall, Cullompton, Devon, EX15 2JE

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Telephone number MOB 07779063177 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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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.

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Introduction

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration whichever is the later, which require Ofsted or the provider to take action in Annex C.

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Introduction

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). This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Plymtree Playgroup registered in 1988 and has been running for over 20 years. It operates from the village hall in Plymtree, near Cullompton. The premises provide a large hall with smaller ante-room, kitchen and toilet facilities. Children have access to the adjoining tennis court for outdoor play and also visit the local park. The playgroup is managed by a committee of parent volunteers. The Playgroup is registered on the Early years Register and a maximum of 14 children aged from two to five years may attend the playgroup at any one time. Currently, there are 13 children on roll. The playgroup is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during school term times only. On Mondays and Wednesdays they are open from 09.15 to 15.15 with a lunch club from 11:45 to 12:30. On Fridays the group is open from 09.15 to 11.45. The playgroup is closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are four members of staff, two of whom hold an early years qualification.

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Description of the setting

Other staff are working towards Level 3 qualifications. The playgroup is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's individual learning needs and overall welfare are promoted well at Plymtree playgroup. There is an inclusive approach which is evident in the good partnership with parents and effective links with support agencies, advisory services, the toddler group, the parish hall committee and the village primary school. The playgroup committee and staff demonstrate good teamwork and a commitment to continuous improvement via regular effective self evaluation. They are successful in resolving most issues routinely although some weaknesses regarding the safe use of the premises remain to be addressed.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 continue to develop the assessment system in order to ensure that written plans take account of children's individual needs and interests  improve safety measures to prevent unsupervised access to the kitchen by children

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 review the security of the premises to ensure children's safety when moving between the indoor and outdoor areas 24/11/2008

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provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The staff team and committee appraise their own practice regularly and produce intelligent assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of the playgroup provision. They know their children well and use their evaluations to devise action plans which will benefit them. Following the last inspection actions taken have resulted in marked improvements to the overall provision. Currently all policies and procedures are being reviewed in the light of the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The committee members are aware of the roles and responsibilities they hold regarding correct employment procedures and the appraisals and vetting of staff. All procedures are carried out in line with their charitable status and regulatory requirements. The play leader and her team are effective in taking responsibility for the day to day running of the group and the

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provision

planning and assessment of children's progress.

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provision

Parents play a key role in the playgroup both as committee members and during sessions as volunteer helpers. They receive good quality and up to date information about the provision in the form of welcome packs, a prospectus, written information on notice boards, in newsletters and verbally at drop off and collection time. Contact books are shared so that parents who do not come to the group are able to learn about what their children have achieved at sessions. There are plans to introduce parents afternoon or evening open sessions in order to share written assessments and to discuss their children's needs with their key person.

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provision

Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and the play leader has attended training. Other staff are in line for training in 2009. The Local Safeguarding Children's Board flowchart is displayed, the policy is correct and includes procedures to follow in the case of an allegation against a member of staff.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Plymtree Playgroup has a strong ethos of learning through play. Staff make good use of a variety of resources and equipment to give children well rounded experiences which help them to develop and progress. The six areas of learning are integrated well into everyday routines and activities. For example, staff use short periods before snack to practice phonics with the whole group of children who eagerly volunteer suggestions for words beginning with the letter sound F, such as 'fun'. Staff have attended the Letters and Sounds training which underpins their good practice. Children are asked to solve simple number problems when finding enough chairs for mealtimes and they count together at register time. They are learning about their immediate surroundings and the world around them from themes and topics which enable them to find out and explore by going on walks, making observational art and craft work and 3d models such as the mud and straw

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

cob houses. Staff make good use of discussion to help children to learn and support work with picture books as research sources. Staff include adult directed activities in sessions to promote identified learning outcomes. Children's attention spans are taken into account and this results in a harmonious atmosphere and good behaviour. Children at the group are absorbed in their play and are occupied in worthwhile tasks and games. Written plans concentrate on meeting the needs of the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 whole age group at the moment with limited evidence of meeting the needs of specific children. The assessment system is made up of four main sources of information, comprising contact books, the learning journey, observational notes and children's folders of work. It is not yet possible to see how these are used to inform the daily planning and to tailor it to the needs of the individual child. The

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

playgroup self evaluation form shows that consideration is being given to establishing more personalised planning. Current practice is worth reinforcing and developing.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children with additional learning or physical needs are welcomed into the playgroup and catered for well. A special educational needs coordinator or SENCO is appointed and additional one to one support is arranged for children as necessary. Staff attend relevant training such as the I-Can course for speech and language development.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children's health and well being are promoted well by staff who follow effective routines which minimise the risk of cross infection, such as wearing disposable gloves when changing nappies. Children are learning why they should wash their hands before eating and after messy play or using the toilet. Snacks are healthy and staff adhere to children's dietary requirements. Staff are trained in the use of an Epi-pen for emergency treatment. All lunch box items requiring chilling are stored correctly in the fridge. Children are learning to take responsibility for their own safety by using road safety codes when walking to the school on Monday afternoons and being taught about the reasons behind the fire drills. Risk assessment at the playgroup is effective generally. Daily checks are made to the premises before sessions begin and these are recorded. Action has been taken to improve overall security at the hall. As part of their self evaluation staff have identified problems

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

when children move between the indoor and the outdoor areas but action has not yet been taken to address it. Poor organisation of these routines has resulted in children's safety being compromised on occasions when staff are not supervising the whole group well. During indoor sessions children are sometimes able to access the kitchen from the ante-room without adult supervision which also compromises safety. The operational plan, which includes all policies and procedures is currently under review with specific policies being re-written to reflect the Early Years Foundation Stage. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

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

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of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 2 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

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Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 2

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 3 How well are children helped to be healthy? 2 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 2 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex C: complaint/s made to Ofsted

This section of the report includes details of any complaint/s made to Ofsted when:  we took action for the provider to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register; or  we asked the provider to take action in order to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register; or  the provider had already taken any necessary action to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register.

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Annex C: complaint/s made to Ofsted

We will not report on any complaint where the provider met the requirements of the Early Years Register or did not require any action by Ofsted or the registered provider.

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Detail of the complaint/s

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action.

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Detail of the complaint/s

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.

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