Hart Hill Nursery School

Fairlight Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 109418 Inspection date 23/05/2011 Inspector Sue Taylor

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Setting address Broadway, Fairlight, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 4DA

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Telephone number 01424 814726 Email 01424 813443 (tel) 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

Fairlight Playgroup is a committee-run group and opened in the 1970s. It operates from the hall and committee room of the Fairlight Village Hall. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. It is open Monday to Thursday from 9.15 am to 12.45 pm, during school term times.

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Description of the setting

The playgroup is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 24 children aged from two years may attend at any one time. There are currently 19 children in the early years age group on roll, some in part-time places. There are three members of staff and a volunteer; the staff members hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least National Vocational Qualification at level 2. The playgroup provides funded early education for three and four-year- olds.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is inadequate.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are not receiving a challenging learning and development experience that is tailored to meet their individual needs or supports them to value diversity. Self evaluation is not effective and actions taken to secure improvement have too little impact on children's learning and development. Resources are not used effectively to support children's learning. The staff are very caring and develop positive relationships with the children, parents and others. Most of the legally required documentation and records are in place. Overall, the early years provision requires significant improvement. The registered person is given a Notice to Improve that sets out actions to be carried out.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the early years provision requires significant improvement. The registered person is given a Notice to Improve that sets out actions to be carried out.

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further?

To comply with the requirements of the EYFS the registered person must take the following action by the specified date:

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further?

 plan and organise systems to ensure that every child receives a challenging learning and development experience that is tailored to meet their individual needs and promotes development across each of the six areas of learning (Organisation) 24/06/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  ensure the record of the risk assessment clearly states when a review, at least annually, was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Documentation). 24/06/2011

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further?

 ensure that staffing arrangements are organised to ensure safety and to meet the needs of the children(Suitable People) 24/06/2011

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further?

To improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 improve the environment to provide children with an increased range of resources to support their learning and development  improve children's access to mark making materials and activities enabling them to use their skills in a range of situations and for a range of purposes.

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the early years provision

The playgroup premises are secure and overall children's safety is maintained. The required risk assessment record is available however the quality of the detail varies as to the identification of risk. In addition it breaches a specific legal requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework as it is not clear when it was last reviewed. The staff are aware of their role and responsibilities in safeguarding children. Criminal Records Bureau checks are obtained for all staff to ensure their suitability to work with children. Relevant training is undertaken and appropriate written policies are shared with staff and parents, so all are informed of the playgroup practices.

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the early years provision

The staff team willingly attend training courses to extend their knowledge, welcoming advice and guidance. However, this is not always used to improve the outcomes for children. At the last inspection a number of recommendations were set and in general these have been met. This shows they are keen to develop. However, the strengths and weaknesses of the playgroup are not identified accurately and the action needed to improve outcomes for children is not prioritised effectively. Observations as children play are made and records kept that indicate their progress towards the early learning goals. However, the overall monitoring sheets used by the playgroup are not used effectively to show how well progress is made from a child's starting point. Therefore they cannot be sure that children are progressing sufficiently towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning.

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the early years provision

Planning and use of available resources are undeveloped, resulting in planned goals in learning and development not being achieved consistently enough. The minimum required staffing ratios are met. However, at times this is not sufficient to ensure that children's individual needs are met. For example, snack times can become chaotic as one staff member struggles to respond to the large number of children who choose to have their snack at the same time. They try unsuccessfully to respond to the verbal demands from the group of children. This results in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children becoming disruptive; one child puts their fingers in the butter, another licks their knife and reuses it to obtain more topping for their cracker. This compromises children's health and safety and means that children do not receive adequate support in order to learn about food hygiene practice and how to keep

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the early years provision

themselves safe. The resources provided in a session are not plentiful, such as there being only one puzzle out. This is not supporting children's learning needs or offering variety to meet the differing abilities of the children. The environment and resources do not reflect positive images of the wider world and little is planned to help children to learn to value diversity.

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the early years provision

The staff liaise well with other agencies when necessary to support individual children with special educational needs, ensuring parents are fully involved. The playgroup is aware of the need to communicate with other Early Years Foundation Stage providers involved with the children at the setting. However, this information is not always followed up or used effectively to establish partnership working to fully support children's achievements and well-being. There is a positive relationship with parents and carers, who are happy with the care their children receive. There are regular newsletters, keeping parents up to date about the main events that are taking place. A regular verbal exchange of information with parents and carers provides them with some information on their children's well-being and development.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children are making some progress however the quality of the planning for meeting children's individual learning needs is weak. Although each child has their next steps identified across the six areas of learning, the session planning does not necessarily reflect these. Not all children are receiving a learning and development experience that is tailored to meet their individual needs. Children are not able to secure the skills they need in order to move to the next phase in their learning. As a result, this also affects children's development of the skills they need to support their future learning. For example, an identified next step for a number of children is to develop an awareness of and an interest in cultural and religious differences. However, there are no planned activities or available resources to support this. This also limits all children's awareness of diversity and they do not benefit from

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and outcomes for children

learning to acknowledge and accept differences

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and outcomes for children

In the main children are occupied during a session making use of the available resources. For example, a child spends time at the water tray making 'cups of tea' for adults and two children are very involved in playing with the cars both indoors and outside. However, the activities and resources out daily do not provide adequate experiences for children across the areas of learning. In particular, suitable mark making materials are not available daily enabling children to develop writing skills in a range of situations and for a range of purposes. The book area is comfy but the selection of books is limited, so restricts children's exploration of different topics and stories. Children's imaginative development and ability to act This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 out a range of scenarios is not promoted as although they enjoy the dressing up clothes there is no role play area where they can develop their play. Children settle

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and outcomes for children

well and enjoy their time at the playgroup. They gain confidence as they become familiar with the routines. In the main their behaviour is satisfactory although the deployment of staff means that some incidents are not dealt with quickly. Some children find it more difficult to maintain the skills necessary for working independently, as well as alongside their peers.

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and outcomes for children

Most children are developing a sense of how to stay safe within the playgroup. Shown, for example, as children confidently and with great enjoyment, use the ride on toys on the slopes outside. Some children will use their initiative and take responsibility for their own safety; however others require support from adults. Overall, children develop a positive sense of security and confidence due to the relationships they have with the caring staff. However, at times children's individual abilities for risk taking and independence are not fully encouraged. Children are beginning to gain an understanding about healthy lifestyles. They follow appropriate personal hygiene routines such as hand washing before snack time. Children enjoy opportunities to engage in physical activities, both indoors and out. Drinking water is easily accessed by the children and particularly enjoyed when they playing outside. Overall, their health, physical and dietary needs are

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and outcomes for children

met. 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 4 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 4

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 4 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 4 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 4

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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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