Carlton Playgroup Limited

Carlton Playgroup St Mary's RC Presbytery, High Street, Carlton, GOOLE, East Yorkshire, DN14 9LY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/02/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are provided with a good range of activities that capture their interest and imagination. They have fun in their learning and consequently make good progress in their development.  Children are made to feel very welcome and develop close and trusting relationships with the staff who care for them. As a result, they confidently leave their parents and carers on arrival and quickly decide where they want to play.  Children have good opportunities to develop their independence, particularly at snack time, which means they become confident in their ability to do things for themselves and develop high levels of self-esteem.  Children are cared for by a very friendly, approachable and dedicated team of staff who give high priority to providing a safe and exciting environment for them to play and learn.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not have consistently rich opportunities to observe and use words and numbers in the outdoor area in order to support their understanding of how to use them in different contexts.  Partnerships with some early years settings are not sufficiently well established to ensure continuity of experiences between all providers so that children are supported effectively.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises and observed children playing in the two ground floor playrooms and the outdoor area.  The inspector met with the manager and nominated person from the committee.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and discussed the provider's improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's learning records, planning documents, policies and children's records.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Carlton Playgroup Ltd has been operating since 2000 and re-registered in 2012 as a result of a change of premises. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register and is situated in the village of Carlton in East Yorkshire. The playgroup is managed by a committee of volunteers and serves the local area. It operates from St Mary's Presbytery. Pre-school children are cared for in two rooms on the ground floor and school age children in two rooms on the first floor. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The playgroup employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one at level 2. The playgroup opens Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9.15am until 3.15pm for pre-school children, with before and after school care offered from 7.30am to 9pm and from 3.30pm to 6pm for school age children. There are currently 44 children attending, of whom 37 are in the early years age group. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children and supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The playgroup is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and receives support from the local authority.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 develop the educational programme for mathematics and literacy further by: increasing opportunities for children to see and use words and numbers in the outdoor environment, such as providing number labels or signs and posters in print for children to use in their play

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance the ongoing sharing of information with all providers of other early years settings where children attend to ensure continuity of children's learning is fully promoted.

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who attend

All staff have a good understanding of how children develop and skilfully provide activities that link to their interests. This means they become fully engaged in their learning and make good progress, which prepares them fully for the transition to school. For example, when one child shared his experience of visiting the local museum staff seized the opportunity to enable him, and a number of other children, to learn about knights. Displays show how they made a model suit of armour and designed their own shields and swords. This effectively supports children's creativity and knowledge of the world, while extending their learning. Staff observe and keep detailed records of children's development which parents have access to at all times. This means staff have a good understanding of children's abilities and parents are kept fully informed of the progress their children are making. Parents are actively encouraged to be involved in their children's

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who attend

learning. For example, children write letters at the setting and parents were encouraged to help them buy a stamp and post it in the post box. Parents took photographs, which were included in the children's learning record.

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who attend

Staff make good use of every learning opportunity that arises. For example, at snack time they place a number in front of each bowl of food to indicate how many items children can have, such as two crackers. This means children regularly use counting and simple calculation in meaningful ways. Staff provide very good opportunities for children to learn through exploration and to use natural resources in open-ended ways. For example, children delight in pretending to make 'chocolate pie' as they mix sand, water and straw together. They show immense concentration as they arrange wooden clothes pegs in a pattern and use these to make a model of an aeroplane. Staff encourage children's curiosity very well. For example, they enable them to explore the properties of a mix of cornflour and water and raise their awareness of their shadow on a sunny day.

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who attend

Both playrooms have a wealth of colourful displays that include good examples of children's work. Print is used indoors in a variety of ways to show children words have meaning, such as labelling on furniture. Children are encouraged to find their name card on arrival and use this to register their attendance. However, there are few opportunities for children to see and use numbers and words in the outdoor area. This means their understanding of how these can be used in different contexts and in different environments is not supported fully. Children's imaginative play is supported extremely well. For example, the role play area is very inviting, with real pans, menus and note pads. This enables children to enjoy acting out real life experiences, such as having a meal in a restaurant and playing the role of a waitress or customer. High priority is given to promoting children's communication and language development. For example, daily

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who attend

opportunities are provided for them to listen to stories and take part in singing activities. Children are confident to contribute to stories by predicting or discussing what is happening and they join in with rhymes, such as 'wind the bobbin' with gusto, laughing with delight as staff challenge them to sing this faster. As a result children are becoming confident communicators.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Each child's key person has a good knowledge of their starting points, interests and dislikes gained from their initial assessment and information from parents. This effectively supports children's transition into the setting and enables staff to develop close and trusting relationships with them. Children are emotionally secure and look forward to the time they spend in the setting. For example, they leave their parents happily on arrival and readily choose what they want to play with. Children confidently ask staff for help if they need it and readily accept comfort if they hurt themselves. One child described staff as being 'nice and kind'. Children learn to behave very well because staff establish secure routines so they understand what is expected of them. For example, children know to sit at the table until they have finished eating their lunch. Staff actively encourage children to develop their independence and to do things for themselves. As a result, they competently

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

use tongs to pick up food items and pour their own drinks at snack time. Children confidently make decisions in their play. For example, one child stated that he was going back indoors when his hands became cold. Staff acknowledge children's efforts with lots of praise, which raises their self-esteem.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff give high priority to supporting children to adopt a healthy lifestyle. For instance, they ensure children have free access to the outdoor area, which means they benefit from plenty of fresh air. They provide a good variety of resources to support children as they develop their physical skills while learning to take risks in their play. For example, one child skilfully uses a wheeled toy to manoeuvre around a 'traffic roundabout' while another becomes fully immersed as he practises sending balls down a piece of guttering. Staff skilfully help children to understand the effect exercise has on their bodies. For example, they encourage them to feel how fast their heart is beating after they have finished jumping. They explain that this is pumping blood around their body so they get more oxygen. Children have valuable opportunities to take part in learning experiences in the local community. For example, they attend a Christingle service at the local church at

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Christmas and the setting organises the village scarecrow competition. This enables children to interact with other people, to play an active part in the community and develop confidence in handling new experiences.

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provision

The manager and committee work closely together to ensure the safeguarding and welfare, and learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are met successfully. Robust systems are in place for the safe recruitment of staff. Thorough induction processes ensure staff know what is expected of them and how the pre-school operates. All members of the team undertake training in child protection to ensure they have a good understanding of their responsibilities in this area. They have regular appraisals to monitor their work and to identify any concerns or training needs. Regular team meetings are held to discuss the planned activities and how children's interests and next steps can be supported. The manager works alongside staff, which means she is able to monitor their performance on an ongoing basis. Staff are committed to developing their childcare knowledge. They regularly attend further training to improve

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provision

their practice, which promotes good learning opportunities for children. A good range of policies and procedures are in place to support the efficient operation of the setting and these are effectively implemented. For example, daily checks are carried out on the premises to ensure there are no hazards that could compromise children's safety. The staff team is well organised and deployed very efficiently, which means children are supervised effectively and are supported well in their learning. Good attention is given to monitoring the quality of the service and identifying ways that this can be improved. For example, the nominated person from the committee has weekly contact with the manger so any concerns can be addressed promptly. Staff all contribute to the setting's self-evaluation and parents are consulted on a regular basis to ensure their views are included. Staff each have responsibility for an area of the provision, which they

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provision

monitor to ensure it continues to support children's learning and maintains their interest. For example, staff training highlighted the need to improve the range of activities that encourage exploration. As a result, younger children now have a wide range of natural materials to investigate and use in their play.

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provision

Staff have made good links with other early years settings children also attend, and the sharing of information is effective in most cases. However, partnership working with all settings is not fully embedded in order to support children's learning. Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure early intervention when appropriate. This also enables them to provide tailored support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Partnerships with parents are good. They receive a good amount of information about the service through a welcome pack, regular newsletters, a web site and daily discussion. Parents took photographs, which were included in the children's learning record. Parents' comments about the setting are very positive. They praise the staff team for their friendly approach and the welcoming environment they provide for their child.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY427415 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 797018

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 17 Total number of places 23 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider Carlton Playgroup Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01405862545

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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