Painswick PlaygroupOfsted inspection, 12 Jul 2010

Painswick Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 101673 Inspection date 12/07/2010 Inspector Fiona Robinson

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Setting address c/o Croft Primary School, Churchill Way, Painswick, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 6RQ Telephone number 01452 813316 Email 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 0300 123 1231, 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: 0300 123 1231 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

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

Painswick Playgroup opened in 1990 and is run by a voluntary management committee. It operates from a self-contained building within the grounds of The Croft School, surrounded by over four acres of grounds. It is located in the small town of Painswick near Stroud in Gloucestershire. Children who attend live mainly within Painswick or surrounding villages. The indoor accommodation comprises of a large play room, kitchen, cloakroom and toilet facilities. There is ramped disability access to the building. The setting has a secure outside grassed area with a climbing structure, and also has the use of the school playground and grounds. It is open Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 12.00pm and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. There is a lunch club which runs from 12.00pm to 12.30pm.

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Description of the setting

The playgroup is registered to accept up to 24 children aged from two years to under five years. There are currently 45 children on roll, of whom there are 32 funded three and four-year-olds. There is provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. There are six staff, five of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications, and one is working towards this. Parents of the children who attend also help out at the playgroup on a rota basis. The playgroup is a member of the local Parent and Toddler Association and receives teacher support from Gloucestershire's Early Years and Childcare Service.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The provision at Painswick Playgroup is outstanding. Activities are interesting and very well-organised and children are fully included in these and achieve well. Partnerships with parents and the host school are excellent and information is shared very effectively. Children enjoy coming to playgroup because staff take into account their individual needs and interests. Play leaders and staff have a very clear idea of the pre-school's strengths and areas for development, and there is an outstanding record of continued improvement.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 develop technology in the setting and the recording of children's achievements This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Safeguarding is outstanding, because staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. Risk assessments are carried out regularly to ensure children's safety. Staff are deployed very effectively to ensure children play safely indoors and outdoors. The setting is very secure and parents follow robust collection procedures when collecting their children. There are rigorous staff recruitment and vetting systems in place, to ensure that all adults working with or having contact with the children are suitable. Fire evacuation practises are held regularly so that children become familiar with the routine.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. Relationships with parents are very positive and friendly. They say that staff are very pleasant and caring and that there is always something interesting and enjoyable for the children to do. Their views are valued by staff and they are kept very well-informed of special activities and events through regular newsletters, the parents' notice board and the website. Key staff carefully record the children's individual learning journeys, achievement and progress and share the information regularly with parents and carers. There is a strong sense of community spirit and parents are very supportive of events such as the Cotswold Farm Park trip and the Teddy Bears picnic. Fundraising events such as the Toddle Waddle and the sponsored bicycle ride for dads are also very well-supported. Links with the host school are excellent and information is shared very effectively to ensure a smooth transition to full-time

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the early years provision

education. There are excellent links with the local community and outside agencies. There is a lot of local support at fundraising events and the school fête. Staff care especially well for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and liaise very well with parents and outside agencies. The playgroup is very well-led and managed. Staff meet regularly to share planning and assessment and to discuss special topics, events and activities. They have a very clear understanding of their strengths and areas for development. Currently, they have identified the need to develop technology in the setting including the interactive whiteboard, computer and digital camera. Staff very effectively and actively promote equality and diversity in activities and there is no discrimination. Children are fully included in activities and benefitted from learning about the Chinese New Year and China, from a parent who has recently visited the

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the early years provision

country. Excellent progress has been made in addressing the recommendations of the previous inspection. In particular, the outdoor area has been transformed with a garden area, a cottage playhouse and a well-resourced play area. There is also excellent free flow indoor and outdoor play. Staff regularly access training opportunities to enrich their experiences and qualifications. There are excellent self-evaluation systems in place and staff value the views of parents and children. The staff work very well together as a team and have an excellent capacity for improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from very well-planned indoor and outdoor pay and achieve very well in their activities. Topics such as Me and My Family and Nature and Creepy Crawlies enrich their experiences. Staff value their views and incorporate these in their planning and choice of activities in the setting. As a result, children achieve very well across the areas of learning. Key staff make full use of planning and daily evaluation sheets and use these very effectively to plan the next steps in learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children have excellent relationships with staff and their peers. They relate very well to each other and quickly settle at chosen activities. They behave very well because staff are excellent role models with very clear expectations. Children's achievements are recognised with praise and rewards to increase their self- esteem. They learn to show respect for others and share their play resources.

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and outcomes for children

Children have developed an excellent understanding of keeping healthy and safe. They ride their bicycles and pedalled vehicles with control and dancing and movement activities are enjoyed by the children. The children take turns to go down the slide and balance well on apparatus. Children have healthy snacks and enjoy their mealtimes together. They enjoy growing vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, lettuces, strawberries and courgettes and learn about making healthy choices. They learn to use equipment safely as they prepare healthy fruit salads and soups and choose healthy toppings for their pizzas. They benefit from talks on sun safety, fire safety and road safety. They especially enjoyed exploring the fire engine, when firemen recently visited the setting. Children are very keen to come to the playschool and respond very well to the excellent care and support they are given. They learn about the environment and

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and outcomes for children

enjoy searching for insects. They listen very carefully to stories such as 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' and suggest where the bear might be hiding. They are encouraged to talk about the weather and have made their own weather chart. They take turns to walk along the balance trail and share resources sensibly as they pour water down the guttering. Their creative skills are developed well as they make colourful collages and paint pictures of themselves. As part of their topic on Gardens they have designed and made their own secret gardens on paper plates. Most children can write their own names and count to twenty and beyond. They enjoy singing counting songs such as 'Ten fat sausages sizzling in the pan' to practise their counting skills and can identify two-dimensional shapes. The children enjoy using the computer; however staff have identified the need to extend the use of technology in activities. Festivals such as Harvest, Diwali, the Chinese New

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and outcomes for children

Year and Easter bring enrichment to the children's experiences. They especially enjoy dressing up in saris for Diwali, dancing, listening to stories and food tasting. Overall, their independent skills are developed very well. They are very well- prepared for their next stage in learning in this bright, stimulating and inclusive setting. 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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