Hopton School House

Hopton School House Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY239574 Inspection date 02/11/2011 Inspector Jenny Read

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Setting address 18 Hopton Road, Cam, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 5PB

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Telephone number 01453 542489 Email Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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 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

Hopton School House Playgroup is a community run playgroup, managed by a voluntary committee of parents. It is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The playgroup has been operating since the 1990's and re-registered on moving into Hopton School House in 2002. The playgroup is situated in a semi-rural location on the outskirts of Cam. It serves the communities of both Cam and Dursley, in Gloucestershire. The playgroup and out-of-school group operate from the converted school house. Facilities include two activity rooms, a kitchen, and toilet facilities on the ground floor and one activity room and office on the first floor. Outside, the playgroup has use of the enclosed garden to the front of the property, the enclosed activity garden to the side of the house and the adjacent school playground. The out-of-school group use the school grounds and playground when

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Description of the setting

they operate. The playgroup and out-of-school group support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning to speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The setting may care for a maximum of 40 children under eight years, of these 24 may be in the early years age group at any one time. There are currently 38 children on roll aged between two and five years attending the playgroup. The playgroup receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It is open each weekday between 9am and 2.45pm, during school term times. Wednesday's are open for the rising-five children only. There are currently 65 children on roll aged between three and eight years attending the out-of-school club. It operates each weekday between 7.30am and 8.40am and 3pm and 6pm during school term times. They operate Monday to Thursday during some school holiday periods between 8am and 6pm.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs a team of 13 staff to work directly with the children. Of these, eight staff, including the managers and deputies of the playgroup and out-of - school group, hold early years qualifications to level 3 and one at level 2; one staff member has achieved Early Years Professional Status.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are happy, have fun and make generally good progress in their learning. Staff use outdoor spaces and resources well to promote children's learning, but indoor resources and routines are as effectively organised. Individual planning for children is thorough and general activity planning for the whole group is improving. Safeguarding arrangements are good and effective arrangements exist to ensure children's safety. Partnerships with parents and other providers supporting children are positive, but not all information is sought about children's needs to further support continuity in their care and learning. Those in charge are motivated to drive and secure continuous improvement and have sound understanding of the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 strengths and weaknesses of the provision, while steps to improve them are developing well.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 obtain necessary information from parents, including information about who has legal contact with the child and who has parental responsibility for the child. (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 16/11/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 develop innovative ways to work in partnership with other settings to provide high levels of support and continuity for children  consider different ways to weave different aspects of learning and children's engagement in meal time routines to help them develop different skills and learning  develop the learning environment inside to provide very rich and stimulating learning opportunities.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from enthusiastic, experienced and dedicated staff who work hard to promote their wellbeing. Strong emphasis is given to safeguarding and ensuring that the environment and children are safe. Staff are vigilant and safety-aware because security measures are thorough and risk assessments include all aspects of the premises that children use, inside and out. Rigorous recruitment, vetting and induction procedures help to ensure staff are suitable. Detailed, well-written policies and procedures, are fully understood and implemented successfully by staff. As a result, knowledge of safeguarding issues and the procedures to follow with any child welfare concerns helps to ensure prompt action is taken. Staff provide a warm, welcoming environment. Activities and resources available in the activity garden are used well to support and achieve the planned goals in learning. However, use of rooms and areas of learning inside are not defined, resulting in

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the early years provision

goals and access to all aspects of learning not being achieved consistently enough.

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the early years provision

Children feel secure and develop a strong identity through activities that encourage them to talk about their family, their interests, and people's similarities and differences. Books, posters and resources that depict positive images of culture and disability and a broad range of activities, help children learn about the wider world and their own and other cultures. Leaders take a very active part in the group providing good support to help stimulate the enthusiasm of staff. Leaders, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 managers and the staff team are committed to drive and secure improvements. There is some improvement in the areas where the setting has targeted its actions. They have successfully tackled some issues identified from the last inspection and are currently up-dating the self-evaluation to analyse and identify strengths and areas for improvement. They seek and take account of the views of parents about

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the early years provision

important issues regarding the setting and their children's care. Opportunities to actively gain children's views and suggestions, involve them in helping to plan and devise the rules and boundaries, have not yet been fully explored.

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the early years provision

Generally positive relationships with parents are well established. Monthly newsletters, notice board articles and a useful parent pack, help keep parents informed and up to date about the setting. Termly parent meetings and coffee mornings inform parents about their children's progress and learning. There are some general strategies to help parents support their children's learning, such as introducing the book library. Records and documentation to support children's welfare are mostly complete, ensuring they are cared for according to their parents' wishes. However, information about who has legal contact and who has parental responsibility for the child is not in place. This breaches a specific legal requirement. Staff work closely with other agencies supporting individual children and partnerships are well-established. Communication and information sharing to promote consistency and support for children attending other settings is in its

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and outcomes for children

Children adopt healthy habits, following appropriate personal hygiene routines, although sometimes need prompting by staff. Occasional planned activities and discussions help children begin to learn about a healthy lifestyle. However, meal times are not used effectively to weave different aspects of learning and actively encourage children's involvement to support further learning. They enjoy opportunities to engage in physical activities and regular exercise. Children are developing a sense of how to stay safe within the setting through regular practise of the escape plan. Clear explanations for safe play are given most of the time. Some children use their initiative and take responsibility for their own safety. They negotiate obstacles in the garden and helpfully line up when moving around the setting, helping staff to count and regularly monitor the number of children present.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, settled and generally display confidence and self-esteem. They feel safe to express their feelings or needs during play and daily routines. They are beginning to form positive relationships with both their friends and staff and respond positively to purposeful interaction and regular praise. Children's individual needs are met because staff have sound knowledge of their key children's backgrounds, interests and specific learning needs. Observations are used well to inform assessment and evaluate the success of activities. Individual planning across all six areas of learning for each child is securely based on their interests to help engage and motivate their learning. These plans are regularly updated with This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 parents to identify, monitor and begin to close any gaps in their achievement. This promotes good outcomes in children's learning. Weekly planning for the whole

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and outcomes for children

group is evolving to ensure spaces and the six areas of learning are being planned for equally inside as they are outside.

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and outcomes for children

Children achieve and enjoy and develop good habits as active and creative learners outside. They laugh and have fun together on the trikes and play co-operatively in the sand. They show curiosity and interest in the paint, eagerly talking about what they see and the different patterns they make with a potato. They extend the activity independently, investigating the paint using their senses, confidently talking about how it feels on their hands and how the colours change.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from daily opportunities to give meaning to marks and develop language, literacy and numeracy skills well. They self-register each morning helping them begin to recognise initial letters for their names. Some children are confident speakers and eagerly share their news at circle times. Children regular count during some daily routines, encouraging them to say and use number names in order, in familiar contexts. With adult support children begin to access different media and materials to design and make. 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 3 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 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 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 3 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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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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