Long Whatton PlaygroupOfsted inspection, 1 Dec 2009

Long Whatton Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY393868 Inspection date 01/12/2009 Inspector Alexandra Brouder

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Setting address Long Whatton Methodist Church, Main Street, Long Whatton, LOUGHBOROUGH, Leicestershire, LE12 5DG Telephone number 07906204011 Email lwpg@btinternet.com Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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 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).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Long Whatton Playgroup opened in 1973 and moved to new premises in 2009. It is a committee run provision which operates from the Methodist Church in Long Whatton, Leicestershire. The playgroup has the use of all areas which includes an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The playgroup is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 18 children may attend the setting at any one time. Children attend from the age of two years and come from the local and surrounding rural areas. The playgroup has experience of supporting children who speak English as an additional language and has systems in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The playgroup is open each week day, except Thursday, during school term-time from 9am until 12.30pm on a Monday and Friday, 9am until 1pm on a Tuesday and 9am until 3pm on a Wednesday.

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Description of the setting

Four staff work at the setting. Three staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. The playgroup receives support from the Local Authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

A welcoming environment is offered in which children’s welfare is appropriately supported and protected through generally sound procedures and practices. In the main, the setting works well with parents to ensure that they are verbally informed of their child’s progress within the setting, and as a consequence, meets children's individual needs well. Links with other settings, such as nurseries, are developing, but this is not yet secure to ensure that children’s learning and development is fully enhanced. Methods for assessing and planning for children’s learning is developing appropriately, although it is not always clear how this information is used to plan effectively for children’s next steps. The management and staff have a positive attitude for making improvements to the setting and children’s learning. Methods for self-evaluation are developing but do not always address some aspects that require further improvement to enhance and improve the outcomes for children for

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

example aspects of health and behaviour.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that children's behaviour is managed appropriately for their age and stage of development. 15/12/2009

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  review the methods for assessing, planning and observing children's learning to ensure that children are supported appropriately to reach their identified next steps in all areas of learning, particularly in their ability to access resources that promote thier skills within problem solving, reasoning and numeracy  develop the systems for maintaining a regular two-way flow of information between providers of other settings that children attend to ensure coherence of learning and development  develop further the systems to monitor and evaluate the provision and use these as a basis of on-going review to identify the setting's strengths and priorities for development that will improve the quality of provision for all children  minimise hazards to children by ensuring the risk assessment covers anything

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further?

with which a child may come into contact with, in particular the radiators in accessible areas  ensure that rooms are maintained at a temperature which ensures the comfort of the children and staff

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the early years provision

The setting appropriately supports children’s welfare as all staff are secure in their understanding of recognising possible indicators of abuse and know how to make a referral in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) policies and procedures. Sound recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff working with children, or who have access to them, are suitable to do so. Staff are vigilant in their supervision of children and risk assessments are completed to further reduce the likelihood of accidents, both indoors, outdoors and on outings. However, staff have not yet risk assessed children’s access to radiators within the setting, which pose as a potential risk to them. The staff team hold sufficient knowledge of the setting's policies and procedures, however, staff do not always adhere to the behaviour management procedure effectively to ensure that the management of challenging behaviour is dealt with appropriately, which at times

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the early years provision

leads to disruption within the setting. Most staff are qualified in childcare and are encouraged to attend regular training, in which new staff do so with enthusiasm. This results in staff having a sound awareness in child development enabling them to provide well for children’s individual needs.

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the early years provision

The manager acts as a good role-model to staff and communicates clear ideas and aims for improvement within the setting. Although a formal self-evaluation has not been completed, a development plan identifies areas in which the manager and staff feel needs to be addressed. However, this does not yet identify all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and therefore there are some weaknesses that have not been addressed as yet. All staff work together to review and discuss what has gone well each day at the setting and are beginning to evaluate this formally to ensure that children’s needs have been met within the resources and activities that are offered. However, this is not yet robust to ensure that children’s individual needs and next steps are identified effectively. Sound This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 systems are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or

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the early years provision

disabilities. The systems of observing and assessing the children help staff to identify any special needs and seek any necessary support at an early stage.

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the early years provision

Staff have good relationships with parents and carers to ensure that the needs of children are identified before they begin to enable staff to plan appropriately for their learning from day one. During the inspection parents spoke positively about the good relationships they have with all staff, know who their child’s key worker is and that they can look at their children’s progress records at any time they wish to. Required records are completed well and are shared with parents; keeping children safe and maintaining their well-being. However, partnerships with other settings that children attend are not yet being used effectively to build on children’s individual learning. All children are included within the setting and staff ensure that their requests are well met. As a result children are happy to attend and feel valued. Various topics and festivals are covered, such as Diwali and Christmas, to

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the early years provision

ensure that children learn about the needs of others in the wider community. In addition to this, children go on regular outings in the village to explore and learn about their locality.

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the early years provision

On the whole, children access a good range of resources and activities during each session. These are planned, in the main, to take account of children’s interests and developmental stage. Children’s opportunities to initiate their own play and ideas are good. For example, children wishing to dress-up as super heroes and have access to swords are supported in doing this as they are provided with appropriate costumes and newspaper to make the swords. Staff are suitably deployed throughout the session to ensure that children can access all areas freely and with adequate supervision.

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and outcomes for children

Staff’s understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is sound. They observe and assess children during their play, recognising their achievements and use daily planning charts and adult-led activities to address the next steps in their learning and development. However, this method is not yet secure in ensuring that children’s next steps are being achieved or if they are making appropriate progress in all six areas of learning equally. As a result there are gaps in children’s achievements, in particular, in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy, which at times, results in children not always being challenged effectively as little differentiation is offered. Irrespective of this, children do enjoy their time at the setting and make sound progress as the environment is organised appropriately to meet their needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children begin to develop skills required for the future, as they handle and use a range of tools in the play dough and when they paint, increasing their hand control to support their early writing skills. They look at a range of books and enjoy story time, listening attentively to staff and predicting what will happen next. Text is used to display children’s names each day, although children are not encouraged to use these on a regular basis and therefore opportunities are missed to increase This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children’s awareness of this. Children engage well in conversations with their peers and staff, and use talk to plan their ideas as they play. For example, a group of children were observed to drive the ‘bus’, establishing who would be the driver and where they would go to. Children’s sense of belonging develops as they have opportunities to view the work they have completed on make shift display boards,

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and outcomes for children

excitedly showing their parents which work they have completed.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have built caring and secure relationships with children; as a result children are happy to attend and are confident in their surroundings. In the main, children’s behaviour is sound, as they take turns and share the range of activities and resources on offer. However, there are times that children who show challenging behaviour are not always dealt with effectively, which can impact on the flow of play and leads to resources being used inappropriately at times. Some children begin to manage their’s and others behaviour well, for example, a group of children were observed to argue about who would ‘light the fire’ in the role-play area; one of the children calmed them down and stated that they would play ‘ee- nee, mee-nee, my-nee, mo’ to decide. As a result, one of the children was chosen and harmony was returned. Children have sound opportunities to develop their independence as they choose from the good range of toys and activities that are

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and outcomes for children

offered each day. In addition to this, most children confidently access the toilet unsupervised and enjoy choosing from the good range of food and drink that the snack bar has to offer each day.

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and outcomes for children

Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world develops as they use a range of battery operated equipment, such as the remote control dinosaur, and speak to each other with ‘walkie talkies’ from one side of the setting to the other. In addition to this, children show wonder and awe as a member of staff switches the lights on the Advent tree and are fascinated by the changing colours. Children use a range of equipment that encourages their physical control and strength and staff take time to encourage children to stretch themselves in this area. For example, a young child was observed to climb up the large climbing frame and told the member of staff that they could not get over the top. The member of staff explained to the child how to do this, directing them where to place their hands, leading to the child successfully climbing over the top. Children begin to explore shape, space and measure as they play with a range of resources, such as play

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and outcomes for children

dough, moulds, sand and water. However, regular opportunities for them to extend their ideas or to be challenged within problem solving, reasoning and numeracy, can be limiting.

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and outcomes for children

Children show a developing awareness of safety issues as they carefully move from area to area and are observed to move chairs from one table to another in safety. They are taken on walks in the locality and begin to discuss road safety. They begin to understand the need for healthy practices, as they independently wash their hands for snack, after using the toilet and when they have engaged in messy play activities. They use the outdoors each day and talk to the staff about needing their coats on to keep them warm. Various and nutritious snacks are offered to children to support their good health. In addition to this, some sessions enable children to stay for a packed lunch, which is provided by the parents. Staff talk to them about how this food helps them to grow, to be strong and to be active. 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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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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Stage

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 B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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