Morgans Playgroup

Morgans Playgroup Morgans Jmi School, Morgans Road, HERTFORD, SG13 8DR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/06/2013 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

 The manager and staff team work well together and are friendly and approachable. They are motivated to bring about changes that will have a positive impact on the children.  Children are happy, keen to learn and rapidly growing in self-assurance because of the warm relationships quickly established with staff.  The leadership and management of the setting is very effective and the high quality of their organisation ensures children are safe and well cared for.  Children are safeguarded because staff have undertaken the necessary training and know what to do if they should have a child protection concern.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to increase the very good opportunities for children in the pre-school room to explore technology, by more regularly providing equipment, such as computers, torches, cameras and programmable toys, for them to play with.  Staff do not always consistently maximise opportunities for children to develop their rapidly developing independence.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities, both indoors and in the outdoor learning environment, held discussions with members of staff and interacted with children attending.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the pre-school and key persons working with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting, and a range of other relevant documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Morgans Playgroup opened in 1992 and was re-registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register. It operates from an annex building in the grounds of Morgans Jmi School in Hertford. The pre-school serves the local and wider area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The playgroup employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, and one who has level 2. The manager is currently working towards a degree.

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Information about the setting

The playgroup opens Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am to 11.45am, with an optional lunch club from 11.45am to 12.55pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 37 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 review and further improve children's opportunities to explore and operate information and communication technology equipment, such as computers, torches, cameras and programmable toys, in order to consistently develop their understanding about age-appropriate equipment and computer software

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

 provide further chances for children to develop independence skills, for example, helping themselves to food and pouring their own drinks at snack time.

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who attend

Staff use a wide range of teaching methods which effectively support children's progress in learning. This demonstrates their very good understanding of how to promote young children's development through play and exploration. Each child is allocated a key person, who ensures that they undertake regular detailed observations. These are effectively assessed and then used to ensure that planning reflects the individual needs of each child. In addition, staff make good use of information about children's interests and preferences. This effectively supports children's participation in activities which interest them. Consequently, children build strong foundations which help them to develop skills needed for future learning. Parents are kept well informed about their child's achievements through effective information sharing. This ensures that they are provided with details about how they can support their child's learning at home.

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who attend

Children in the playgroup show high levels of confidence as they move between the indoor and outdoor learning environments. They show sustained interest as they take part in a wide range of stimulating activities which capture their interest. Overall, children are actively encouraged to develop independence, for example, they put their own shoes on when accessing the outdoor area and consistently choose what they would like to do next. However, at snack time, staff do not always maximise all opportunities which present themselves to fully extend children's greater independence regarding self-help skills. For example, children are supported to pour their own drinks, but staff do not always actively encourage them to do this for themselves, so that they benefit from learning through trial and error.

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who attend

Staff provide good opportunities to help children develop physical skills in the extremely well-resourced outdoor learning environment. For example, they develop good coordination and balance as they learn how to walk across a row of large construction bricks. Children have fun as they demonstrate good control over their movements while successfully making marks with chalk on the ground. Children enjoy learning mathematical skills, such as counting, and discover during creative play that they can make patterns with glue as they skim it across the paper. Language development is promoted very well by staff, who support children's participation and engagement in conversation. They ask open-ended questions and show a genuine interest in what children have to say, using intonation in their voice to portray this. Children respond well to this stimuli, sharing their thoughts and feelings with the group as they excitedly tell them 'I went to the circus with

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who attend

my aunty'. Children enjoy exploring information and communication technology. However, opportunities to build on this and further promote learning are not always maximised. This is because, although there are a selection of resources, such as programmable toys and calculators, these are not regularly made available for children to play with. Children's interest in literacy is effectively encouraged by staff. This is supported well by an indoor and outdoor environment which is rich in text, teaching children that information can be communicated through print. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are effectively supported through input from other professionals and planning which is specific to their needs.

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who attend

Staff consistently support children to take turns and work in cooperation with their peers. This helps them to develop a good range of social skills. Children have lots of fun exploring media, such as paint, material and wool. They proudly show staff their work, describing the picture they have created. Children show pleasure at the consistent praise and encouragement provided by staff and, as a result, they demonstrate very high levels of self-esteem.

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

The manager and staff show a good understanding with regard to ensuring that risks to children in the indoor and outdoor environment are identified and minimised. Each child's key person develops a good working relationship with parents. This includes gathering important personal information about each child's care needs. Parents are encouraged to contribute towards how their child's settling-in visits are organised. This helps towards making sure each child is well supported during their introduction to staff, and the transition to the playgroup environment. Children develop strong bonds with their key person and other staff working in the playgroup. This is demonstrated through children's good sense of belonging and security in an environment which is warm and welcoming to all children. Staff act as good role models, providing children with age-appropriate guidance about what is acceptable behaviour. As a consequence, children's behaviour is

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

good. For example, they show care and consideration towards others, inviting others to join in their games or take turns in speaking during activities. This reflects their clear understanding about respecting and tolerating each other's differences.

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

Children develop their understanding about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is promoted through free-flow access to outdoor play, daily routines, age-appropriate discussion and activities. Children develop good self-care skills as they learn about the importance of addressing their own care and hygiene needs. For example, they competently take themselves to the toilet and wash their hands 'to get the germs off'. Children take part in activities which teach them how to take appropriate risks, for example, they enjoy learning how to balance during physical play activities outdoors.

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

The good organisation of indoor and outdoor learning environments inspires children's participation, which helps them to play an active part in their own learning and development. For example, the outdoor play area provides an abundance of extremely interesting and stimulating play opportunities. Staff are very well deployed, ensuring that children's needs are effectively met. There is no bias in staff practice, which makes certain that all children are treated with equal concern in relation to gender, race or disability. Children have lots of fun as they learn about the world around them, and their backgrounds are reflected within activities and resources provided.

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provision

The leadership and management of the setting is very effective. There are clear written safeguarding policies and procedures in place, which are known and understood by staff. All staff have undertaken appropriate training, which effectively ensures that they know how to make a child protection referral should they have a concern. Positive relationships are actively supported with other professionals, which fosters a multi-agency approach to supporting children and their families. Regular risk assessments are undertaken of the environment, along with daily safety checks. This effectively ensures that staff can minimise potential risks to children's safety, both inside and outside of the playgroup. Effective recruitment and induction procedures ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. The professional development of staff is effectively supported by the manager, who regularly monitors their practice. This ensures that training opportunities are well

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provision

chosen and effectively enhance the care and learning of children attending. All staff have a current paediatric first aid and food hygiene qualification. This means that that appropriate care is provided should a child have an accident, and that food is stored and prepared safely. The wide range of well maintained and relevant policies and procedures are made accessible to parents.

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provision

Children's progress is monitored well and ensures that swift action is taken to ensure any identified gaps in learning are addressed. Partnerships with other providers of care and education are good because the playgroup demonstrate a proactive approach to communication. This helps to effectively support continuity of care and learning. In addition, the manager and her staff ensure additional support for children and their families is actively sought from outside agencies. Partnerships with parents are very good. They speak very highly about staff, who they feel are easy to approach. Parents also report that they are provided with lots of useful information and enjoy meeting other parents at events organised by the playgroup. Parents express their trust and confidence in staff and state that they have recommended the playgroup to other parents.

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provision

The manager of the playgroup ensures that self-evaluation is active and ongoing. It effectively identifies strengths and those areas which need further improvement. For example, the outdoor environment has recently been improved. Self-evaluation is organised to take account of the views and opinions of a wide range of sources, including staff, the local authority development officer, children and their parents. This ensures that a broad range of ideas and opinions contribute towards the further development of the provision, helping to meet user needs effectively. This effective self-evaluation demonstrates the manager's and committee's commitment to improving the service provided for children and their families.

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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 EY456573 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 900802 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 37 Name of provider Morgans Playgroup Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01992 582162

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Setting details

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

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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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