St Paul's Playgroup

St Paul's Playgroup Church Hall, Mill Road, Northumberland Heath, Erith, Kent, DA8 1HN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/11/2013 04/07/2011

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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 requires improvement

 Staff are skilled at supporting all children's communication and language development. They teach children new words and encourage them to express their thoughts and ideas.  Children arrive at the pre-school excited to start their day. This is because they feel secure, due to the strong bond between them and the staff team.  Staff and parents work positively together to support children at the pre-school and at home. These positive partnerships enhance continuity in children's care and learning.

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It is not yet good because

 There are not enough labels, signs or posters for children to use a point of reference when they are engrossed in their play. This limits opportunities for them to learn that print carries meaning.  Staff do not take opportunities throughout the daily routine to teach children the importance of healthy lifestyles; therefore the support for their physical development is variable.  The systems for evaluating the provision do not fully reflect on the impact of staff practice on children's learning, and management has overlooked a weakness identified at the last inspection.

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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 two halls and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation and held a meeting with the manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Information about the setting

St Paul's Playgroup operates from St Paul's Church Hall in Erith in the London Borough of Bexley. It opened in 1992 and is a committee-run group supported by church members. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. Children use the main hall and an adjacent hall. There is an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The pre- school is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm and from 12.30pm to 3pm. Children attend for morning or afternoon session times. On the second Tuesday of every month, the setting does not operate for that afternoon. There are currently 27 children on roll aged from two to under five years. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4.

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must:

 develop the educational programme for physical development by taking opportunities to teach children how to manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs throughout the daily routine

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must:

 improve the educational programme for literacy by providing letters, signs and labels in all areas, so that children receive good levels of challenge and learn that print carries meaning.

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

 develop the processes for self-evaluation by involving the whole team, and focusing on teaching and how it contributes to all children's progress.

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who attend

Children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development in this welcoming pre-school. Staff seek information about children's starting points in their learning and development from parents during enrolment. They undertake observations during activities and this helps them make their own assessments. Individual children's developmental profiles contain a written summary of development and possible next steps in learning, including comments from parents about their child's learning at home. Subsequently all staff know their key children well, which enables them to plan individualised learning tailored to the needs of each child.

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who attend

Children enjoy puzzles, fit shapes into spaces and use blocks to create their own simple structures. Staff join in with children as they play, talking about what they are doing and encouraging them to think through their ideas and thoughts. As a result, children confidently share their ideas and are inquisitive learners. For example, they enjoy exploring and discussing the capacity of the various containers as they concentrate while playing in the water tray. Staff teach children to use mathematical thinking throughout their play; for example they encourage them to count and compare sizes and shapes as they build and construct with train track and blocks. This provides a firm foundation for them to develop their skills for future learning.

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who attend

Children enjoy making marks, and some older children create recognisable symbols and letters. However, staff do not display a good range of signs, words or labels around the pre-school, which was a recommendation at the previous inspection. Therefore, they do not fully encourage children to learn that print conveys meaning, so the programmes for literacy are variable.

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who attend

The pre-school has taken part in the'Every child a talker' programme to enable staff to develop a good understanding of how to support children's communication and language development. Staff read stories to children in small groups, and quietly when children need one-to-one support. They teach them new words and carefully repeat sentences, so that they hear the correct pronunciation. Staff effectively support children with special educational needs, such as speech and language delay. They work with parents and therapists to provide additional support and enhance communication. Staff also find out useful words to assist children where families speak more than one language. Therefore, all children progress well in their communication and language development, relative to their starting points.

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

All children and parents receive a warm welcome upon arrival at the pre-school. Children excitedly collect their photographs to self-register and enthusiastically run off to play. The successful key person system supports children in forming trusting relationships, which helps them to feel secure. Staff know the individual children very well and are highly perceptive of their needs. For example, they recognise when they are tired and take them to the quiet book area to read stories.

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

Children develop physical skills as they enjoy playing games using a good variety of climbing equipment outdoors and in the smaller side hall. However,staff do not take opportunities throughout the daily routine to teach children about their own personal care needs. For example, they do not teach children to wipe their noses, or dispose of tissues hygienically. Furthermore, they do not take all opportunities to talk to children about the importance of washing their hands and keeping clean. Nevertheless, staff provide healthy snacks and children benefit from fresh air and exercise everyday.

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

Staff support children's independence and well-being by providing a sufficient balance of support, but also enabling children to try things out for themselves. This is effective in developing children's growing sense of confidence and independence. Children manage their coats and clothing as they prepare to play outside and help to prepare the food at snack time. Therefore, they develop useful skills to prepare them for starting school. Staff help children to feel emotionally secure about starting school by inviting teachers to visit the pre-school. They also take photographs of the schools and create books for children to look through and feel positive about the change they will soon experience.

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

The positive staff team work well together; they are supportive and good role models for the children. They give clear guidelines and boundaries to support children's behaviour. As a result, children behave well, collaborate with each other in their play and the pre-school has a calm, yet busy atmosphere.

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provision

Management and staff have a clear understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. They undertake relevant safeguarding training and understand their responsibilities well. Staff check that all areas, toys and resources are clean and safe, before children arrive and throughout the day. The manager keeps staff informed of any changes to procedures through meetings and discussions. There are suitable recruitment and induction procedures in place and staff are clear about their roles. Regular staff appraisals and meetings help support practitioners and identify their training needs. Staff attend a good range of training courses and some have gained new qualifications. This progress helps them develop their skills and improves outcomes for children.

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provision

The manager monitors the levels of planning and assessment to make sure these provide an accurate picture of all children's skills, abilities and progress. She plans for improvement through self-evaluation, but does not fully involve the whole team or sufficiently reflect on teaching and learning. Actions set at the last inspection are in place, but the recommendation relating to literacy has not been successfully addressed. However, the pre-school has an improved outdoor area, which enables children to enjoy a good range of outdoor learning.

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provision

The pre-school staff have very positive partnerships with parents. Parents enjoy informal chats with key persons and meetings to discuss children's progress. This enables them to understand their child's progress and how to support their learning at home. The pre- school has developed successful partnerships with other professionals and agencies. They seek additional support for children when necessary and arrange visits from some local primary school teachers. This approach supports partnership working and continuity for children and families.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 115376 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 813498 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 27 Name of provider Parochial Church Council of St Paul’s Church Date of previous inspection 04/07/2011 Telephone number 07889 429 727 or 01322 336505

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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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