Spilsby Playgroup

Spilsby Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 253749 Inspection date 11/02/2011 Inspector Fiona M Robinson

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Setting address Spilsby Primary School, Woodlands Avenue, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, PE23 5EP Telephone number 0771 4554533 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

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

Spilsby Playgroup has been established for over thirty years and is privately owned. It was registered in November 2002 and operates from a mobile classroom unit located in the grounds of Spilsby Primary School, Spilsby, Lincolnshire. The accommodation consists of two main rooms, one of which is used for physical play. There is direct access to a fully enclosed, outdoor play area and the playgroup also has the use of the extended school grounds. There is ramped disability access to the building. The playgroup serves the local town and surrounding villages. It is able to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. It is registered with Ofsted on the Early Years Register.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 24 children from two to the end of the early years age group may attend at any one time. There are currently 53 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age group. The playgroup is in receipt of funding for early education places. It opens between 8.45am and 3.45pm five days a week, during school term times. Children attend for a variety of the sessions on offer. There are nine staff working with the children on both a full and part-time basis, all of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications. The playgroup receives support from a children's centre teacher and the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are very well behaved and are fully included in a range of indoor and outdoor activities. Partnerships with parents and carers, the host school and the Children's Centre are outstanding, and information is shared very effectively. Children's safety is given high priority by a well-qualified staff team. Staff know the children well and value their individual needs and interests. The manager and staff clearly identify where their strengths and areas for development lie, and demonstrate a good commitment to continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend opportunities for children to explore and investigate the natural environment.

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the early years provision

Staff safeguard and promote children's welfare well. Comprehensive policies, procedures and documentation are in place to promote children's safety, which are reviewed regularly. Risk assessments are conducted regularly and staff take action This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 to keep children safe in their indoor and outdoor environments. Staff are deployed effectively to ensure children are fully supervised throughout the sessions. Staff are fully aware of safeguarding and child protection procedures and their individual responsibilities. There is a high level of security at the main door and robust collection procedures are in place. The outdoor environment is fully enclosed and maintained well. There are rigorous systems in place for staff recruitment and vetting. A clear fire evacuation plan is practised regularly to familiarise staff and children with the routine.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. Parents consider that staff have created a very happy, purposeful environment, to which their children enjoy coming. Parents are kept well informed of special events and activities, such as sports day and trips to the post office and local shops. Excellent communication levels between staff, parents and outside agencies promote continuity of care for the children. Parents are kept very well informed through newsletters and the parents' notice board. A very positive approach and good relationships with families and children are achieved through the key person system. Staff share the children's learning records with parents on a regular basis. Parents and carers find the consultation meetings very informative and say they welcome the opportunities to discuss children's achievement and progress. Partnerships with the host school are excellent, and the playgroup benefits from the use of the outdoor environment.

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the early years provision

There are excellent links with staff to ensure children have a smooth transition into full-time education. Outstanding, well-established links with outside agencies support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very well, and their parents are provided with good advice. The playgroup benefits from an excellent partnership with the Children's Centre staff, who willingly share their expertise and resources.

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the early years provision

The playgroup is well-led and managed. There are good self-evaluation systems in place. Staff have a clear idea of areas for development and have improved the layout, organisation and resources for the indoor and outdoor environments. They have identified the need to extend the opportunities for children to explore and investigate their natural environment. In particular, the wooded area in the school field is not currently utilised fully to allow children to investigate wildlife and insects. Staff are also working hard to incorporate more information communication technology, such as the digital camera, into play. Staff regularly attend meetings to discuss planning and assessment. They attend training to enrich and enhance their qualifications. Regular appraisals of staff are carried out and good practice is shared effectively. Efficient use is made of resources to meet the children's needs through regular planning sessions. The views of parents and

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the early years provision

children are valued and taken into consideration when the manager and staff plan for improvement. Staff promote equality and diversity to an outstanding level to ensure children are fully integrated into an interesting range of well-organised activities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy the well-organised activities provided for them in both the indoor and outdoor areas. Staff value children's ideas and use them in the planning and organisation of games. Planning is evaluated carefully, and staff use this information to help children build on their existing skills. All children achieve well and make good progress across all areas of learning. Extra care and sensitivity is shown towards children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who are full included in the playgroup's routines, and who are very well supported by a range of excellent resources and support links. Opportunities for children to investigate the natural environment of the wooded area are infrequent, although children do enjoy problem-solving experiences in their immediate outdoor area.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave very well and are encouraged to be independent in their activities. They respond very well to reminders to care for resources and each other. Staff have high expectations of behaviour and are skilled at encouraging children to share, cooperate and show kindness to each other. Children share their toys sensibly and take turns on the computer, making an excellent contribution to the playgroup's life. Staff and parents help them to appreciate their own and other cultures through festivals such as harvest, Diwali and Christmas. Activities such as storytelling, food tasting and practising Chinese writing enrich their understanding of the Chinese New Year.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a good knowledge of keeping healthy and safe. They learn about the importance of taking exercise and make healthy choices at snack time. They talk positively about how eating fresh fruit and vegetables and drinking milk and water makes them healthy. Children make their own soup and use the outdoor garden to grow their own vegetables, such as potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, green beans and lettuce. They enjoy running and playing physical team games. They carefully balance on apparatus and crawl through tunnels in their indoor physical play area. Throughout the sessions, children are encouraged to make safe decisions about their play and learning. They use equipment safely as they cut out material for collages and make models. Talks on road safety from the police service, and on fire safety from the fire service give children a good understanding of avoiding hazards in their environment.

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and outcomes for children

Children are keen to learn through topics, such as people who help us, ourselves and the building site. They enjoy talking to the builder about how to build houses and are keen to know about keeping safe and making risk assessments. Most children can write their names by the time they leave and have good opportunities to write and make marks in sand and shaving foam. They enjoy listening to stories about bears and are keen to answer questions based on what has been read to them. Most children can count up to fifteen and beyond, and they confidently sing number rhymes, such as 'Five little hippos playing in the mud'. They enjoy looking for mini-beasts in their outdoor area. Creative skills are developed well as children make pictures out of shapes and paint self-portraits for their gallery. They enjoy visiting the local post office and using chop sticks to taste food in their role play This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Chinese restaurant. Overall, children are prepared well for future learning experiences at the host school and life outside school. 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 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 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 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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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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