The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster

Tate House Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 119621 Inspection date 08/11/2011 Inspector Jennifer Liverpool

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Setting address Mace Street, Cranbrook Estate, Roman Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 0RA Telephone number 020 8981 2402 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

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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

Tate House Playgroup first opened in 1968. The setting is run by a management committee that is made up of parents. It operates from a converted ground floor building in Bethnal Green in the London borough of Tower Hamlets. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The setting is open each weekday from 8am to 11.30am and 12.30pm to 3.30pm during term times.

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Description of the setting

The playgroup is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 12 children may attend the setting at any one time. There are currently 22 children from two to five years on roll. Of these, 17 receive funding for early education. The setting cares for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also children learning to speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are three members of staff, all of whom hold early years qualifications to at least level 3. The playgroup receives support from the local early years services.

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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's individual needs are met well because staff encourage and support all of them equally. Overall, children are making good progress in their learning and development because staff provide a wide range of purposeful activities and make generally good use of resources. Children's welfare is promoted well and most necessary records are kept and available for inspection. Overall, staff work effectively with parents to fully promote a shared approach to children's care and learning. The playgroup has a good understanding of its strengths and has put in place plans to continue to improve the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure records are easily accessible and available for inspection by Ofsted (Documentation) 15/11/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further systems to involve all parents as part of the ongoing observation and assessment process for their child  provide more dual language books to raise awareness of different scripts and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 display more marks, signs, symbols and words in the environment that reflect a cultural spread.

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the early years provision

Staff are knowledgeable about child protection issues and know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child in their care. This helps them to safeguard children. There are effective procedures in place for recruiting staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Staff make effective risk assessments and use safety checklists to identify and minimise any hazards. Most required documentation required for the efficient management of the setting is in place. However, all first aid certificates for staff and the written risk assessment for an outing to the local pond were not available for inspection. This is a breach of requirement but has little impact on children.

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the early years provision

Overall, staff deploy resources well. They make good use of the space available taking account of the limitations of the building. For example, they set up a range of resources and activities outdoors that includes mark making opportunities, construction blocks, sand play and digging activities each day. As a result, children can move freely within the environment, accessing resources safely and independently. There is a wide range of play and learning resources that promote children's development and positively reflect their cultural identity and experiences. However, the range of dual language books to support children who are learning English as an additional language is limited. Staff work with parents and outside agencies to monitor and review individual assessments for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This ensures that their care, learning and development are well planned for and met. The staff team promotes equality and

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the early years provision

diversity well. Staff ensure that they know about each child's needs with regards to culture and religion and liaise with parents about celebrations and festivals.

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the early years provision

Partnership with parents is strong. Staff communicate daily with parents about their child's general wellbeing and the progress they are making. They show lots of interests in children's experiences from home and use this information to inform planning. Parents are invited to look at their child's observation records but not all are fully involved in their child's ongoing observation and assessment process as yet. Parents state that the staff team is friendly and supportive and that they provide their children with a range of experiences that enable them to develop confidence. The playgroup has close links with the local authority, early years providers and schools. This helps to ensure a shared approach to children's care and learning. The manager and staff regularly review their practice and have a good understanding of their strengths and areas to develop. For example, the manager is currently in the process of reviewing the systems for observation,

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the early years provision

assessment and planning. The recommendations set at the last inspection have been met which shows a good capacity for continuous improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children arrive happily at the setting and separate from their parents well. They are keen to learn as they promptly remove their coats and sit at the activity tables. They confidently help themselves to books and small world equipment that is not already set out. All children are developing good relationships with one another and with adults. Older children play and cooperate well in both small and large group situations and staff support younger children in sharing and taking turns. Overall, children behave well and they benefit from lots of praise and encouragement.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. They observe children during free play and planned activities and assess children's knowledge and skills consistently for all areas of learning. They use this information to identify the next steps in children's development in order to challenge and extend their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children's spoken language is developing well. They talk openly about themselves and their families and discuss what fruits they like during snack time. Most children are able to identify the letters of the alphabet and older children are learning to link letters to sounds. Children are encouraged to recognise their own names and some older children show interest in writing. Resources are clearly labelled which helps children to recognise that words carry meaning. However there are limited opportunities for children to recognise symbols, marks and words in languages other than English. The range of dual language books is also limited. However, on the whole staff provide good support for children that are learning to speak English as an additional language. They find out key words of the child's home language to help them communicate, speak clearly and plan activities that will help them develop their grasp of the English language.

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and outcomes for children

Children use appropriate mathematical language to describe the shape, size and length of the cardboard bridge and masking tape. Staff use good questioning techniques that help children to develop problem solving skills. For example, children are asked what they need to make the cardboard bridge stand up. Children develop their knowledge and understanding of the world as they learn about tadpoles and frogs, discover different types of sea creatures and take part in planting and growing fruit and vegetables. They learn about how and why things work when they practise using a camera and video recorder.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing an increasing awareness of how to stay safe. They know how to use scissors safely and take responsibility for keeping safe as they help to put equipment away at the end of each session. They enjoy a good range of activities which help them adopt healthy lifestyles. For example, topics about hand washing help them understand the need for good personal hygiene. They take part in a good range of physical activities, such as riding trikes and playing ball games. They choose from a range of healthy snacks that encourages them to develop healthy eating habits. They show that they are thinking about their personal needs This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 when they help themselves to a drink from the water fountain. 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 2 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 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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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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