Sunnyside Community Playgroup

Sunnyside Community Playgroup Church Hall, Ivy House Lane, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2PP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/03/2013 15/03/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Staff are caring and welcoming. This helps children to build trusting relationships with familiar adults and helps parents to feel reassured about separating from their children.  Children learn to manage their personal care needs because staff encourage them to do things for themselves, such as putting on their coats. This develops important independence skills, which are necessary when children move on to nursery or school.  Parents are given regular information about how activities support children's learning and are encouraged to see and contribute to their child's learning records frequently. As a result, parents are actively involved in supporting children's learning and development.

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It is not yet good because

 Some group activities and adult-led activities are not matched precisely to the needs and stage of development of some of the younger two-year-old children. Children get less value and enjoyment from these.  The manager does not monitor the planning or quality of teaching rigorously enough. Staff do not, therefore, receive the guidance needed to develop their skills.  Resources that encourage children to explore and investigate are not freely available during all sessions. This restricts children's capacity for learning across some aspects of the educational programme.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 observed activities in the main room, the foyer and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager and spoke to staff and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a selection of planning documents and children's learning records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined evidence of staff suitability and sampled some policies and records.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the teacher of an adult-led focused activity.

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Information about the setting

Sunnyside Community Playgroup was registered in 2000 on the Early Years Register and compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. The playgroup serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from one room and the foyer of a church hall in a rural location. Children use a small fenced area around the church entrance for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The playgroup employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The manager holds a qualification at level 4 and one part-time member of staff is a qualified teacher.

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Information about the setting

The playgroup opens on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings during term time. Sessions are from 9.15am to 12.15pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 23 children attending, who are within the early years age group. The playgroup provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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must:

 review the planning and delivery of some adult-led activities and large group activities to ensure they are challenging and enjoyable for each child, with particular consideration for the developmental needs of the younger two-year-old children

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must:

 review continuous provision plans for the environment, so that a wider range of resources are accessible to children in everyday play to support the following educational programmes: technological resources for understanding the world, media and materials for expressive arts and design, and mathematical tools and containers for exploring capacity, volume and measures.

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

 monitor more rigorously the effectiveness of the planning and the delivery of the educational programme to ensure that staff are equipped with the skills to support the progress of all individuals and groups of children.

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who attend

The playgroup provides an educational programme that, over time, is broad enough to provide children with a variety of experiences, which support their steady progress in learning and development. There are some constraints imposed by the owners of the premises that restrict the staff from using resources to their full capacity. This means that opportunities children have are limited at times. For example, when playing outdoors, children enjoy using brushes and water to make marks on the paving stones and then try to experiment with using chalks on the ground. Although, staff offer paper as an alternative, children's enthusiasm and natural curiosity as learners is curtailed. Similarly, sand and water play are not permitted within the building, so children have limited opportunities to explore the texture of wet and dry sand or learn about size, capacity and volume.

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who attend

During fine weather, the staff provide a greater range of outdoor learning experiences by making use of the local environment to help children to understand the world. They take children on nature walks to help them learn about the seasons. Staff use a large grassed area attached to the churchyard where children can be more exuberant in their play and they visit the playgroup's own allotment nearby. This provides valuable opportunities for children to dig the soil and gain first-hand experience of planting and growing.

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who attend

Children are suitably engaged in free play most of the time and motivated to make choices in selecting the resources available to them. They have less frequent opportunities to find out about technology because resources, such as, telephones, cameras, keyboards and torches, are not readily available in children's play. This limits their capacity to investigate and understand how things work. Staff play alongside children to support their thinking and learning. They ask simple questions to support their language and encourage children to count bricks as they build a station for the train track, which develops their awareness of number. Children show their ability to count raisins or pieces of apple on their plate at snack time. A small group of children enjoy being read to by the staff in a relaxed, cosy corner, which helps them all engage in the activity. They learn to listen and respond to staff during group activities, such as identifying the day of the week and date. Overall,

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who attend

therefore, children develop the basic knowledge and skills necessary to support their later learning in school.

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who attend

Staff make frequent observations of children, which they use reasonably well to identify their next steps and to plan activities based on their interests. Parents are kept well informed about children's learning and progress. They are encouraged to view and contribute to their children's learning records. Parents are provided with regular newsletters informing them about current activities and topics, and how these support children's learning. The playgroup has begun to carry out a progress check at age two years, which summarises for parents their children's development and is used to identify if any additional support is needed.

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who attend

The planning of some activities and routines is not consistently effective because a few adult-led activities and large group activities are less suited to the needs of the very young children. For example, an adult-led activity to grow cress seeds in pots was carried out in line with pre-set adult ideas and learning intentions and did not allow children enough time or opportunity to explore the resources or how they could be used. This limits children's capacity for finding out, exploring and thinking critically, meaning that they are less well engaged. Most children enjoy and join in with large group activities. A member of staff uses a quiet, whispering voice to capture children's attention at the beginning of the activity as they all creep quietly to the singing area. Most children are motivated to sing and join in with action rhymes, which helps their listening, attention and communication. However, a few children are less engaged because they are too young or too tired to sit

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who attend

still on large chairs for over 15 minutes at the end of a busy morning. Consequently, this regular group activity is less enjoyable for some children because it is not matched to their precise needs or stage of development.

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

Parents report that children settle well when they start attending because arrangements are flexible to suit the children's needs and key persons are kind and caring. This enables children to separate from their parents and begin to make secure emotional attachments with familiar adults. The playgroup also works well with local schools and nurseries to support children's transitions as they prepare to move on. Teachers are invited to visit children in the playgroup, so that all parties can begin to make relationships beforehand and they have some familiarity with new surroundings.

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

Children show growing confidence and independence as they arrive in the morning. They find their named basket and together with their parent or carer, leave their outdoor footwear and coats there before selecting their name card as part of the self-registration process. Staff provide further opportunities for children to do things for themselves. As children prepare to go outdoors, staff show them easy ways to put on their coats that encourage them to have a go by themselves. Children behave appropriately and show regard for expectations. For example, a group of children are beginning to share resources and play cooperatively with the train track because staff work with them and gently remind them that there are enough resources for everyone. Others begin to help with tidying up at the end of free play. Staff help children to develop an awareness of their own safety as they follow well-practised procedures for keeping them safe on outings and

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

Children take exercise each day. They use an indoor climbing frame to experiment with moving their body in different ways. Children are keen to use outdoor equipment, such as wheeled toys and balls, but the confined outside space means that there is limited capacity to practise this skill effectively. Staff help children to throw and catch soft balls by demonstrating that they need to hold their arms out and watch the ball. Children focus on the task and show great delight when they manage to catch it. This encouragement and praise from staff gives children the confidence to keep trying. They are reminded to be careful when throwing balls, so that they gain simple awareness or their own safety and the safety of others. Staff use outings to the allotment to enable children to explore their local environment and promote their health awareness. They talk about the importance of eating five portions of fruit or vegetables each day and reinforce this message by

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

providing a variety of fresh and dried fruit, vegetables and sugar-free cereals for snack. Children develop hand-to-eye coordination as they manipulate spoons to eat cereal and confidently pour their own drinks because the jug is small enough for them to manage independently.

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

Staff work closely with parents to manage children's personal care. They take seriously their responsibilities in managing children, who have food allergies, including undertaking specific medical training where the need arises. There is regular discussion with parents about issues, such as toilet training, to ensure that there is a consistent approach in helping children to manage their own personal care and hygiene.

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provision

Since the last inspection, the manager and her team have developed self-evaluation as a means of continuing to develop the provision. The views of all the staff, parents and children are considered and as a result, there have been some changes that have a positive impact on the children. A rolling snack and self-registration by children on arrival means that they gain greater confidence, independence and become familiar with recognising their name. More regular staff meetings provide staff with opportunities to discuss any important issues and to monitor the progress children make. Self-evaluation takes account of the local authority audits and is a generally accurate assessment of what they do well and what they need to improve. A qualified early years teacher has been employed for one session a week to help with planning and to model quality interactions with children for other staff.

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provision

The manager carries out some monitoring of planning and assessment systems. She ensures that key persons complete observations of children and these are used to inform the planning. However, monitoring is not rigorous enough to recognise that sometimes there is too much focus on using detailed written plans and not enough on developing staff skills and knowledge to support and extend children's learning through unplanned opportunities. Consequently, there is some inconsistency in the quality of the experiences children receive, resulting in some activities that have less value.

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provision

The playgroup staff and management committee understand their responsibilities and duties in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Their knowledge of safeguarding children is sound and they demonstrate that their procedures are followed accurately in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance. This means that children's well-being is protected. Policies and procedures are reviewed when appropriate and made available to all parents and staff, so that they are understood. The staff, committee members and other persons connected with the provision are suitably vetted and most staff are qualified. Staff are supported through termly supervision meetings and annual appraisals. These provide opportunities for any concerns to be discussed and training needs are identified as part of their ongoing professional development. There are well-established partnerships with parents and other early years providers.

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provision

Information about individual children is shared with other carers, including pre-schools, childminders and schools, in order for their needs to be understood. The playgroup has appropriate systems in place to use when seeking additional support for children with special needs and/or disabilities. Staff attend training and network meetings to keep up- to-date with procedures. This contributes to children receiving appropriate support when it is needed.

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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 action. 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 129394 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 876165

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 23 Name of provider Sunnyside Community Playgroup Date of previous inspection 15/03/2011 Telephone number 07935492504

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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