Uplowman Church of England Primary School

Auntie Ro's Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 113369 Inspection date 17/05/2011 Inspector Lynn Reeves

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Setting address Red Cross Centre, Lewis Road, Selsey, West Sussex, PO20 0RQ Telephone number 07833106749 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

Auntie Ro's Playgroup has been registered, under its current management of a committee of parents and volunteers, since 1992. A playgroup was originally established at this venue by the W.R.V.S. in 1970. The group operates from a hall at the Red Cross Centre in Selsey, West Sussex and serves children from the local community. A maximum of 24 children under eight years of age may attend the group at any one time; of these none may be aged under two years. There is a secure garden area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The playgroup is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 60 children on roll aged from two to under five years who attend various sessions. Of these, 54 children are in receipt of funding for early education. It is the group's practice to offer places to children in the school term in which they become three years of age. Sessions operate during term-time each weekday from 9.00am until 12.00 noon and 1.30pm until 3.30pm. There are systems in place to support children with special educational needs and/or physical disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The playgroup employs eight staff to work with the children, all of whom hold relevant early years qualifications.

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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

Children are making excellent progress in their learning and development as they are provided with a vast array of experiences and activities that cover all areas of learning. The setting strongly recognises the uniqueness of each child and meets their developmental needs in partnership with parents and carers. Children are safe and secure: their welfare needs are met exceptionally well. Most policies and procedure are implemented effectively. All children are fully supported by enthusiastic and dedicated staff. Children show high levels of confidence, imagination and independence in this supportive and welcoming environment. All staff work together closely to identify and address any areas for development, continuously driving improvement for the benefit of the children.

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further?

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

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further?

 reviewing the groupings of children after 'tidy-up tim'e to ensure every child receives an enjoyable and challenging learning and development experience  developing further the procedure for recording the accurate times of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 attendance of staff on duty

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is promoted by the high standard of record-keeping. Policies and procedures clearly set out how the provision operates and what safeguards are in place to ensure children's well-being. Staff have all completed 'safeguarding children' training and there is a robust system in place for ensuring all adults at the setting are vetted. This is updated and reviewed annually. High priority is given to keeping children safe indoors, outdoors and during outings with the completion of comprehensive risk assessments. Safety and security are given good consideration, whilst children still have freedom to explore and use all areas of the setting with hazards minimised. Additionally, staff gently remind children about moving sensibly, whilst thinking about their own and others safety. Most required documentation is in place and kept confidential, however, the registers do not always reflect the exact times the staff are on duty.

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the early years provision

The staff are all highly dedicated to providing an excellent and continually improving standard of care and education to all the children. Staff demonstrate very good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and continually update their knowledge through further training. Information from courses attended is cascaded so that all staff follow a common approach to ensure continuity and consistency for the children.

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the early years provision

The management and staff meet regularly to discuss ideas and to identify areas for improvement. They continually evaluate all aspects of the setting to drive improvement. For example, staff have introduced new systems to monitor and assess children's learning, a diary system to help build relationships with parents, and time has been set aside to allow staff non-contact time to keep children's written records up to date. The management has indicated an understanding of the strengths of the provision and have worked exceptionally hard since the last inspection, not only to address the previous recommendations but to further develop their knowledge and planning of the sessions to benefit the children.

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the early years provision

Daily routines, staff performance and training are continually being evaluated to ensure they meet the needs of the children. Staff deployment is very good, ensuring all children are fully supervised and receive support and encouragement throughout the day. The staff highly value every child as a unique individual and a very strong feature of the care is the knowledge of each child's stage of development and what they need to do next to help them progress. The staff share this knowledge with parents and others carers, ensuring that all support services are utilised to benefit the children.

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the early years provision

Staff have a very good understanding of equality and diversity, enabling them to provide a service which is inclusive for all. Children develop their understanding of the wider through planned topics and themes. These cover festivals from around the world, food-tasting activities, dressing up in various costumes and seeing a range of different visitors. The setting is welcoming to all; positive images of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 ethnicity, gender and disability are displayed around the playgroup. Children's creations adorn the walls, developing their sense of belonging and achievement. The equipment is displayed at low level and clearly labelled; this enables children to access the resources independently, promoting their freedom of choice and decision making skills effectively. Children benefit greatly from the outdoor free flow system.

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the early years provision

The setting communicates very well with all parents, enabling them to work together in partnership. Parents are provided with information displayed on a notice board and through consultation, emails, sharing of daily diaries and learning journals. Regular newsletters and questionnaires are used to share and gather information and volunteer parent helpers are encouraged to work alongside the children. Key workers make themselves available to talk to parents and additional information is shared at handover time.

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the early years provision

Excellent transitional procedures are in place to ensure the children feel comfortable to move onto primary school. For example, teachers from the local primary school visit the playgroup to see the children in their own play environment and the children are invited to attend the school prior to them starting so they feel at ease when the time comes for them to move on. The setting has set up links with other early years providers that the children attend and also outside professionals to ensure consistency of care and learning for all the children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very well supported by the staff and build positive relationships with staff and other children. Staff listen to the children as they talk and ask them about what they are doing or trying to achieve, to encourage them to think for themselves. For example, when playing with the drain pipes, staff ask the children what they might need to do to help the water flow? The children work out they must lift one end up to allow the water to flow through and come out the end.

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and outcomes for children

They thoroughly enjoy digging and playing in the mud; they follow simple instructions such as putting on their wellington boots and use the spades and forks with safety, showing awareness of others around them. They show high levels of curiosity as they talk about the treasure they are digging up; finding the stones and shells hidden in the dirt, they add more water to make it easier to dig and then make mud pies, exploring the different textures as it gets wetter and heavier. Others enjoy filling their watering cans to water the flowers and vegetables they have planted and delight in showing off the strawberries that they are growing.

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and outcomes for children

Children clearly love playing outdoors as they choose to play on the see-saw, paint the fences with water or ride their wheeled toys around. Children demonstrate good spatial awareness of others as they wind in and out and know they must wear their helmets if they ride the two wheeled bikes because these are more dangerous. They make up their own role play games, dressing up, pushing around This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 dolls in prams, playing skittles and enjoying hide and seek.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate very high levels of independence; even the youngest follow routines such as washing and drying their hands, using cutlery and serving themselves at snack time, with very little adult help required. Staff plan activities to help the children make individual progress, recording their achievements by meticulous observations which are carefully evaluated to see what the child needs to do next. These in turn contribute to a report which is prepared termly for parents, keeping them well informed about their child's progress and milestones.

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and outcomes for children

Children with additional needs, or who have English as an additional language are well supported both within the setting and by calling upon external professional help when needed. The involvement of parents and carers is highly valued and their views are sought and acted upon where this will benefit children.

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and outcomes for children

Children build very positive attitudes to learning, by enthusiastically engaging with the equipment and resources which they use imaginatively. For example, they enjoy using the range of media to make designs, they use the glue to stick on feathers, tissue paper, lentils and pasta shapes and talk about how the different glitters sparkle. They enjoy making models with the play dough and talk about the texture and how it feels sticky; knowing that if you add more flour it would prevent this.

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and outcomes for children

There are lots of opportunities for children to recognise and form letters, making marks and writing their name on their pictures. They enjoy painting the fence with water, making marks on the chalk boards, colouring with felt tip pens and mixing the paints to explore colour differences. They access resources independently and enjoy opportunities to be creative using the paper, scissors and selloptape dispensers.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy sitting in the book corner with their peers, reading to one another or just to sit quietly and play by themselves. They learn to take care of others as they pretend the cuddly toy is sick; covering him up and feeding him some medicine. They have opportunities to observe, find out about and identify some features of living things, as they talk about the pets they have at home, talk to the visiting vet and handle some of the pets that the staff have brought into playgroup. Children delight in showing off the caterpillars in the bug jar and explain about the life cycles of insects.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning good skills for the future, such as practising letter sounds and recognising their own names as they self-register. They are learning about re- cycling and use a range of materials, such as guttering, pipes, tyres, logs, boxes and tubing. They develop very good self-care skills putting on their aprons, helping themselves to water, putting on their sun hats and wellies and taking themselves to the toilet. Children's language and vocabulary is developed as they interact with staff and one another. All the adults speak very respectfully to the children, explaining clearly and carefully what is required of them, and encouraging politeness and good manners in return. Children sit well during group time, taking an interest in stories and listening to instructions; they put on their 'indoor voices' and enjoy singing the Happy Birthday song to their friends. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Major festivals, both traditional and multicultural, are celebrated with appropriate food, music and artwork throughout the year. Children gain confidence as they sing familiar and favourite songs with their friends.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about their local environment as they go on supervised walks to nearby amenities. They have specimens from nature displayed on an interactive display table to help them understand the seasons and passage of time.

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and outcomes for children

Technology is used effectively, such as the digital camera and programmable toys to support their learning. The children love using the story head phones, choosing what story they want to listen to and demonstrate real confidence using the mouse to select programmes on the computer.

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and outcomes for children

Children are taught the importance of keeping themselves safe and healthy. They know that they must wear appropriate clothing when it is hot or cold outside and put on their aprons during messy play activities. They understand the need to wash their hands after messy play or using the toilet and before eating their snacks. They take and use a tissue when needed. The children practise regular fire drills so that they know what do in an emergency. Staff model behaviour, for example, demonstrating what might happen if they leave their chair out instead of tucking it under the table and making children think about the consequences of their actions. The children learn about keeping themselves safe such as taking part in road safety activities, talking about the safety of matches and how to handle the scissors correctly.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a snack of milk, water and fruit or vegetables each day. They serve themselves, skilfully using safe knives to cut up the fruit, and pouring their own drinks. They enjoy sitting with friends at the snack table, and mealtimes are relaxed and enjoyable when the children happily sit and chat to each other. Children are very well behaved; they share resources and use the sand-timers to know when it is someone else's turn to play with something. They are willing to help tidy up at the end of the session. However, the grouping of children at the end of the morning session is less successful in promoting some children's attentiveness or participation as they can be easily distracted.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time at the playgroup, building warm and friendly relationships with one another as well as the adults around them. They are confident and articulate, able to express their needs and feelings and ask questions. They are able to direct their own learning by experimenting and solving problems as they use the resources and interact with their surroundings.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, this is a very well organised and efficient setting where children are very well cared for by enthusiastic and skilled staff. 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 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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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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