Tiny Tots Pre School

Tiny Tots Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 253047 Inspection date 20/01/2011 Inspector Tracey Outram

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Setting address Ogle Street, Hucknall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG15 7FQ Telephone number 0115 9639633 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 assesses 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. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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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

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

Tiny Tots Playgroup opened in 1977. It is situated within the Market Place Children Centre, in the John Godber building, which is close to the main shopping area of Hucknall. The group has access to a self-contained ground floor playroom and adjacent enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The playgroup is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is in receipt of funding to provide free early education for children aged three and four years. There are currently 14 children aged from two to under five on roll. The playgroup is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm for 48 weeks of the year. Children come from the local and surrounding areas. The playgroup employs two members of staff both of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level three. The playgroup is run by a voluntary management committee and receives support from the Nottinghamshire 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

The children attending the setting are happy and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. Members of staff are friendly and keen to engage with parents thereby ensuring children's individual care needs are suitably addressed. Overall, the systems for observation and assessments are satisfactory and result in staff planning appropriate activities. Since the last inspection, the playgroup has made steady progress and they continue to demonstrate a sound capacity for improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve engagement with parents by including them in making plans for the next steps in their children's learning and development  enhance the process of recording children's starting points, and ensure that activities provide ongoing challenge and address children's personal interests and development needs  improve children's free access to the outdoor environment  improve the mathematical potential of the outdoor environment, for example, for children to discover things about shape, distance and measures, through their physical activity  update the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risks for outings and trips. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded because staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the local child protection procedures. They are familiar with the different indicators of child abuse, and they know how to raise a concern and make a referral to the local investigating agencies. All members of the voluntary management committee and staff are vetted to ensure that they are suitable people to have contact with children. The children are cared for in a safe and friendly environment. Risk assessments of the premises have been conducted and effective safety precautions have been put in place to reduce hazards. For example, there are locks on the external doors and the outdoor play area is secure. Members of staff also make a careful examination of the risks associated with outings. However, unlike the risk assessments for the premises, they are not documented.

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the early years provision

The children's play areas are clean and aesthetically pleasing. This is as a result of the effective organisation of space and use of educational posters and children's artwork. Resources and equipment are plentiful and members of staff encourage the children to share responsibility for making decisions, such as choosing which game to play. This helps the children to realise that their contributions are valued. Inclusive practice is appropriately considered. For example, there are some systems in place to support children who are learning English as an additional language and staff are confident to challenge any negative behaviours such as discrimination.

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the early years provision

Positive relationships are formed with parents and carers, which enables staff to meet the children's individual needs. For example, information collected at the start of a placement is effectively used to help children settle and support the transition from home. Members of staff also provide parents with verbal information about the children's time in the setting. However, there are fewer opportunities for parents to work in partnership with the playgroup to support their children's learning.

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the early years provision

The staff team have been successful in making some improvements since the last inspection. In partnership with staff from the local authority they have completed self-evaluation and accurately identified some areas for improvement. This includes making better use of the outdoor play area, observation and assessment. Overall, the well targeted plans are likely to enhance outcomes for the children.

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and outcomes for children

The staff have a satisfactory knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are steadily improving their methods of using information gained from observational assessments to aid planning for children's individual needs. However, they do not have rigorous systems in place to record children's starting points, which makes it difficult to accurately monitor their progress towards the early learning goals. In spite of this, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 it is evident that the children's personal, social and emotional development is good. They are provided with activities and experiences that help them to develop a positive sense of themselves and of others. For example, when children write the first initial of their name or taste fruits which they have previously refused, all children and adults cheerfully celebrate their achievements.

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and outcomes for children

The children have positive attitudes to learning; they are curious and eager to explore the resources and activities available to them. They participate fully in adult-focused activities, such as the 'opposites game' and some of the older boys demonstrate very good concentration skills as they skilfully use scissors to cut string and make models. They are developing good creative skills as staff provide regular opportunities for them to freely explore a wide range of media and materials, such as paint, dough, sand and water. In addition, members of staff consistently talk to the children, read books and engage them in singing songs. This helps the children to become confident to communicate and express themselves. For example, during imaginative play the children introduce storylines to their play as they pretend to be pirates using the climbing frame as their 'ship' and a reading book to represent their 'treasure map'. However, opportunities to

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and outcomes for children

develop children's skills in relation to information and communication technology and numeracy feature less frequently in the early years provision. In addition, the outdoor play space is not used to its full potential thereby maximising learning across all areas of learning.

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and outcomes for children

The children are helped to prepare for school as they increase their independence by taking a lead in personal-care skills, such as toileting, putting on outdoor clothing and accessing drinks from the water dispenser. Similarly, they develop high-quality relationships with their peers. They take turns and help each other complete tasks, such as putting paintings to dry and tidying-away the toys. This fosters a positive learning environment.

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and outcomes for children

Within the playgroup the children learn about keeping themselves safe and healthy. Spontaneous discussions, such as why it is important not to run indoors, helps to prevent accidents and children learn about hygiene through the implementation of rigorous hand washing routines. The children have daily opportunities to exercise and they are starting to learn about healthy food types because fruit is provided at snack times. 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

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