Durley Church of England Controlled Primary School

Parkside Playgroup (St Stephens) Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 116283 Inspection date 06/06/2011 Inspector Christopher McKinnon

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Setting address Parkside Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 2BD

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Telephone number 07908 900438 Email anita_adela@hotmail.com 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

Parkside Playgroup has been in existence for over 40 years serving a large multi- cultural community in the heart of Hounslow town. It operates from St. Stephen's church Hall. Children have access to the hall and an enclosed garden area for outdoor activities. The setting is open term time only, for five days a week from 09.00am to12 noon and in the afternoons from 12.15pm to 3.30pm.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the childcare register. Children aged between 2 and 8 years may attend, with no more than 26 in the early years age group. There are currently 80 children on roll, and all are in the early years age group. The setting receives funding for children aged 2 years, and for children aged 3 to 5 years. The setting is able to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who have English as an additional language. All the staff have appropriate early years qualifications.

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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

The playgroup is well organised, with trained and experienced staff that successfully promote individual children's development. Children have access to a well resourced play environment, and a highly organised programme of planned activities ensures children make excellent progress with their learning. The quality of the staff skills with teaching, and the organisation of children's assessment is exemplary. Staff also work effectively with parents and other carers, and the setting is currently developing the wider use of self-evaluation to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop self-evaluation to more fully identify and record areas for improvement

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the early years provision

The setting is long established pre-school provision, with an experienced and well organised staff team. The staff as a team are all involved in the day-to-day management of the setting and presentation of an effective play and learning programme. The staff work confidently together to provide a key carer system, that successfully supports individual children's learning. Safeguarding is This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 successfully supported within the provision. Staff have a good awareness of child protection procedures and well organised security procedures and policy guidance documents are in place. Since the last inspection, the setting has successfully made improvements, by established an enclosed outdoor play area, and a range of learning initiatives relating to the provision of more sounds based activities and singing, to support children's speech and literacy.

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the early years provision

The setting has a well organised play environment that uses a spacious church hall, with a range of different play areas presented for children. The range of play zones offers a stimulating and challenging variety of activities, with many opportunities for role play, dressing-up and physical games. The setting provides children with a good range of resources, to support learning, and the plentiful space within the hall, allows children to make good use of free-flow between all the play zones; including access to the outdoor area. The setting provides opportunities for art mark making and painting, small world play and there is also a well presented selection of manipulative toys and assembly play items. A strong element of the play environment is the use of visual learning materials, with many examples provided to support learning about letters, shapes and numbers. The setting's outdoor area provides many good opportunities to present larger

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the early years provision

scale resources, such as mega-dominoes and large shape puzzles. Once again, some good visual display material is provided outdoors, and children also have access to a growing area with plant-pots, which contributes to their learning about the world and awareness of nature.

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the early years provision

The successful promotion of inclusion within the setting, is a notable feature, with a key carer system well organised to provide close and consistent support for individual children. Staff show a consistent knowledge of their key group, and take care to promote individual development, through focused learning groups and one- to-one play sessions. The setting has a strong multi-cultural ethos and staff take care to ensure the local community is reflected and positively promoted within the play environment, and play programme. The staff have experience in providing support for children with disabilities, and also show a strong consistency in working as a team to promote the inclusion of children, and the sharing of play and learning together.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with other setting is well maintained and supported and the setting has close link to the local children's centre. Staff are also in contact with a nearby local nursery setting, where playgroup children often move onto as they get older. The setting also has links with other local pre-schools, and regular contact with the district early years advisor. Links with parents are successfully promoted, principally through the setting's consistent key person working, and an 'open door' policy organising contact between parents and their children's allocated key carer. Parents also benefit from clear information about the setting, with a well presented guidance booklet provided. Parents can also have CDs of prepared photographs of their children, which forms part of setting's well organised assessment system; and also helps to promote parent's involvement in the play programme.

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the early years provision

The staff team are confident in their use of reflective practice, and show confidence in their ability to adapt and vary the play activities and play environment. Staff take note of children's interests as part of their panning for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 learning and many of the planned play themes reflect child led play initiatives. The setting also takes part in a local area reflective practice initiative, which acts as form of quality assurance and acts to re-enforce and appraise the consistency of key carer working with the provision. The staff team have commenced the use of a written self-evaluation document, but is currently incomplete. Several recent developments and improvements have been put in place within the setting, but the use of self-evaluation to record and identify areas for further improvement, is not yet consistently established.

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and outcomes for children

The setting's planning for learning and promotion of children's enjoying and achieving is excellent. Staff have established a highly organised and consistent planning system, that successfully combines play themes, with children's individual learning needs; plus the effective use of the play environment and resources. Staff have all recently attended planning training, which has significantly benefitted the setting's key carer system. Staff are now fully involved in the planning of their time with children, which is a consistently strong and outstanding aspect of the setting's play programme. It provides set times where staff can present one-to-one learning opportunities and small group learning sessions with the children in their key groups.

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and outcomes for children

The setting has an excellent assessment system. Each child has a tracker document that records for all of the progress through the early learning goals. This provides a clear review of each child's achievement, as well as their eventual 'transit' to school. The setting also highly detailed and well prepared observation folders for each child that shows their periodic assessments, which make excellent use of photographs combined with detailed accounts of their day-to-day attainment across all the six areas of learning. Children's individual 'next-steps' in learning are also successfully identified, and effectively used in the planning of activities, and information provided for parents.

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and outcomes for children

A significantly strong aspect of the provision is the outstanding nature of staff skills with teaching and extending children's learning. Staff show a high level of confidence during their work with children, and an excellent awareness of the need to encourage free-flowing child led activities, as well as providing consistent support for their learning. For example, staff interact highly effectively with challenging questions, and good use of prompts and reminders to support children's co-operative and shared play. Staff also consistently help to enrich children's learning by the introduction of numbers and counting, and the exploration of expressive and creative elements within their play.

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and outcomes for children

Children are successfully helped to feel safe within the setting. New children and those who are settling are closely supported, with parents involved and fully included. A well organised set of safety procedures and detailed risk assessments are also in place to ensure all aspects of the children's activities have a full safety appraisal. Children's health is consistently promoted, with a well organised self- This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 service style snack bar provided where children have a wide range of learning opportunities. For example, they can help themselves to drinks, and also choose their snacks and learn to pour and use cups and plates confidently. Children are also successfully encouraged to engage in a wide rage of active games and physical play. Opportunities for climbing and developing skills with balance are effectively included, and children show good ability with manipulating play

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and outcomes for children

materials and using a range tools and technology items.

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and outcomes for children

A highly organised and notable feature of the setting is the care that is taken to provide children with opportunities to feel included, and able to make a positive contribution to the setting. The setting also has daily helpers, which encourages children's independence. Children can also become designated daily helpers, which encourage their independence. Staff make excellent use of circle time to establish sharing and co-operation during play. For example, staff help children to learn each others names, and develop friendships. Staff also lead effectively by being effective exemplars with their behaviour. Their calm co-operation and warmth, greatly enhances the children's own understanding of sharing and playing together.

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and outcomes for children

The highly successful organisation of planning, and staff skills with teaching ensures the promotion of children's skills for future learning is also highly effective and is also outstanding. To promote their communication language and literacy, children have a designated mark making area, or learning zone, where they can engage with pencils, crayons and chalks, and explore writing and letter forming with staff. Children also enjoy singing sessions and have frequent story-times with books and enjoy exploring activities based on sounds. Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy features significantly, and children make effective use of technology toys, cameras and optical devices. A current learning project within the setting also includes the identification of 'numbers' we see on buses, cars and signs outdoors. Children's creative development is highly featured, with many child led imaginative games, as children role play princesses and monsters, for example. Children also

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and outcomes for children

show a strong ability to be inventive and are able to adapt resources and play materials. For example, using sticky play foam to make animals, and then using it to make funny noses for each other. Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is consistently included, through a wide range of activities that touch on the weather, travel and distances. Children also learn the names for plants, and get involved with 'people who help us' events, and projects that involve learning about their local area. 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 2 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 1 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 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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