Hadleigh Parkside Pre-school

Hadleigh Community Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY415733 Inspection date 20/07/2011 Inspector Sarah Johnson

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Setting address Pykenham Way, Hadleigh, IPSWICH, IP7 5ER

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Telephone number 01473 827702 Email hadleighcommunityplaygroup@googlemail.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

Hadleigh Community Playgroup was established in 2006 and registered in new premises in 2010. It is managed by a voluntary committee made up of parents of some of the children who attend the playgroup. It operates from a purpose built premises in Hadleigh, Suffolk. Children also have access to an enclosed outdoor area. The playgroup opens each weekday from 9am to 3pm, during school term times only. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 26 children may attend the playgroup at any one time. There are currently 44 children aged from two to five years on roll, some in part-time places. The playgroup is currently supporting a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and has strategies in place to support children who have English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are six members of staff, including a part-time administrator. Three staff hold relevant early years qualifications to at least level three, with the manager holding a level four qualification. One member of staff is working towards a relevant qualification. The nursery 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children experience very good levels of support to meet their individual needs. They benefit from a very richly resourced and child-friendly environment which helps them to make strong progress in all areas of their learning and development. Children feel extremely safe and settled and are fully protected due to excellent safeguarding procedures. Partnerships with parents and carers are valued by the staff, whereas liaison with other early years settings is less purposeful at this stage. There are good systems in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision, and staff are beginning to explore ways to include parents in this process.

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further?

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

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further?

 create further opportunities to share information with the other early years settings that children attend in order to fully promote continuity in children's care, learning and development  develop systems for gathering parents' views on the care and education provided and ensure these are used to identify the setting's strengths and priorities for development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's safety and well-being are given unquestionable priority. The staff are fully committed to their responsibilities in safeguarding the children in their care. Each member of staff has attended a safeguarding training course which means that they all have expert understanding of what they must do if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. Highly effective procedures for recruitment ensure that all staff have completed the required checks to confirm their suitability to be in regular contact with children. All potential hazards to children's safety are quickly identified and addressed through robust daily risk assessments and the staff work well as a team to ensure children are constantly well supervised. As a result, children remain extremely safe and secure during their time at the playgroup. The provision is very welcoming and inclusive to all children. The use of space and furniture in the new playgroup building has been very carefully planned

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the early years provision

to ensure children benefit from very well-defined areas of different types of play. Children's learning is also significantly enhanced by the wide range of high quality and stimulating resources provided.

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the early years provision

The setting fosters strong partnerships with parents and carers. Freely accessible learning-journey records, regular newsletters and daily discussions help to keep parents well informed of their children's progress and care routines. There are also good initiatives to support parents to promote their children's learning, including opportunities for children to take books home to share with their parents and an open invitation for parents to volunteer as part of the parent rota. The staff demonstrate commitment to identifying any child's need for additional support, sharing information with parents and outside professionals. As a result, children with special educational needs receive the tailored support they need to be fully included in all aspects of the provision and to make good progress. The setting encourages links with local schools as the manager attends regular cluster meetings to discuss the needs of the children who are due to move onto full-time

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the early years provision

school. However, there are limited arrangements for sharing ongoing information about children's learning and development with the practitioners who support children in other early years settings. This means that opportunities to promote progression and continuity for children across different settings are not yet fully maximised.

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the early years provision

The manager and staff have a clear vision for continuous improvement which ensures that outcomes for children are positively promoted. Morale is high amongst the well-qualified and experienced staff team, as they feel their contributions to the setting's self-evaluation process are valued. Although in discussion parents express high satisfaction with the quality of the care and education provided for their children, there are few systems in place to gather their views more formally. As a result, their thoughts and suggestions are not being used as well as they could be to ensure the setting's priorities for development are truly matched to the needs of children and their families. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from a very welcoming and superbly organised learning environment. There is a vibrant yet calm atmosphere, where children respond to new experiences and challenges with enthusiasm. For example, they eagerly seek out the staff to show them the ladybird that has landed on their arm. Staff respond with interest and encourage children to count the number of spots on the ladybird and to consider its natural habitat. Children enjoy the freedom to move from indoors to outdoors throughout the day and the organisation of resources and furniture maximises their ability to be independent and make choices in their play. For example, they help themselves to various craft materials from the well-labelled boxes and have their own tray for the safe storage of their finished creative work. Children show strong interest in learning about sounds and letters as they listen attentively at story time and keenly join in with phonic rhymes. They are

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and outcomes for children

encouraged to recognise their own names as they self-register at the beginning of the session and attempt to write their names on the chalkboards. A good range of resources and props are available in the inviting role play area, where children enjoy playing along the same themes and dressing up as police officers. The large outdoor sandpit is particularly popular with the children. Here they enjoy feeling the 'soft and warm' sand with their bare feet, and exploring capacity as they fill different containers. Younger children are keen to learn to manage tasks for themselves as they persevere with putting on their socks and shoes, encouraged by the staff's gentle praise.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a very good understanding of children's individual needs as they observe and record information about their learning on a daily basis. Observations are evaluated regularly and used effectively to inform future planning for individual children. This means that each child is supported to move on in their learning and that the provision continues to reflect their individual interests. Children's behaviour is consistently positive, as they are supported to share and take turns in their play. For example, older children are good role models for the younger children in the group as they kindly offer them a chair at the table. Staff provide children with a good range of resources that are representative of diversity and introduce them to different cultures and beliefs. For example, children sample noodles and make traditional lanterns to mark Chinese New Year and share some books featuring print written in different languages.

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and outcomes for children

Children are actively learning how to keep themselves safe. For example, they regularly practice the emergency evacuation procedures and learn about fire safety during a visit to the local fire station. Tools such as hammers, tacks and scissors are used very safely by the children as they understand that these need to be used in a careful manner. Children demonstrate a growing awareness of their own health and hygiene needs. Many are independent with toileting routines and are very aware of washing their hands after using the toilet and before snacks. Children's understanding of the importance of hand washing is further supported through the use of pictorial prompts above the sinks and good role modelling by the staff. Children also develop a good understanding of healthy eating, for example, during lunch time they enter into discussion with staff about which of the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

foods in their lunch boxes are good for them. This understanding is promoted further as they have opportunities to grow their own vegetables at the playgroup. 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 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 2 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 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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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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