Playdays Pre-school

Playdays Pre-school Methodist Church Hall, Fore Street, Chard, Somerset, TA20 1QA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/12/2013 28/09/2011

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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

 Children are developing warm and trusting relationships with staff, which helps them settle in well and explore freely.  Staff engage children well in the creative activities in which children use their imaginations and design skills effectively.  Staff provide children with regular outdoor play to promote their health and physical development, and to allow children to play with energy in the fresh air.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not consistently make good use of the observations and assessments to promote children's next steps in learning effectively.  Staff do not always provide sufficient opportunities and encouragement for quieter children to engage in conversation. As a result, not all children are making good progress with their speech and language.  Staff do not all provide every child with consistent messages regarding their behaviour and the consequences of their actions. As a result, some children are not learning about what is expected of them and on occasions distract others in their play.  The self-evaluation systems are not fully effective. As a result, management has not identified all weaknesses in children's learning and inconsistencies in children's behaviour management.

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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 activities and the quality of teaching in the hall and outdoor play area.  The inspector sampled children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the Manager to assess suitability and qualifications of staff and management's knowledge and understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements.  The inspector took account of the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

Playdays Pre-school registered in 1992 and is managed by a committee that includes parents of children attending. It operates from the Methodist church hall in Chard, Somerset. Children have access to an outdoor area. Children attend from the local surrounding areas.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 20 children on roll in the early years age group. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. The pre-school supports children who learn English as an additional language, and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school is open during school term time on Mondays, Tuesday and Fridays from 9am to 12noon and on Wednesdays from 9am to 3pm, including a lunch club.

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Information about the setting

There are five staff members employed to work directly with the children; of these, most hold relevant early years qualifications.

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must:

 improve the use of assessments and planned activities to promote children's next steps of learning more effectively; this especially applies to promoting children's speech and language

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must:

 improve the educational programmes and staff practice to provide every child with more consistent messages regarding their behaviour and the consequences of their actions.

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who attend

Staff plan and assess children's learning individually from the start to monitor children's progress and identify next steps in their learning. Staff closely monitor children's interests and provide activities in all areas of learning to link with these interests in order to support children's enjoyment of learning. However, staff do not consistently use these activities to promote children's next steps in learning effectively. Consequently, a few children are not making good progress in some aspects of their learning in relation to their starting points. Staff keep parents informed about their child's progress through open sessions, day-to- day communication and the required progress check for two-year-old children. Some parents contribute information about their child's learning at home to promote continuity in children's learning between the home and the pre-school.

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who attend

Staff successfully settle children in well at the start of the day with a warm and personal welcome and a range of interesting activities. As a result, children arrive excited and keen to seek out their friends and to start playing. Most children show clear interests and confidence in their abilities. They choose freely for themselves and clap at their achievements. Staff interact in children's play with interest and enthusiasm. They provide most children with challenge to encourage them to think critically. For example, children create large crepe paper paintings and Christmas decorations. Staff ask children about the feel of the paper, colour of the paints, what they are making and how they will transport them home. As a result, children maintain attention well in these chosen activities which capture their interest. This helps to promote children's future learning skills.

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who attend

Staff promote most children's communication and language skills appropriately. Staff talk to younger children in their play about what they are doing and they ask children questions to recollect past events and things they have learnt. Staff identify weaknesses in children's speech and language skills and plan activities to promote this area of learning. However, not all staff support speech and language development consistently well: there are some periods of time in the session when staff do not initiate conversation with those children who are quieter than others. As a result, these children are not making good progress in their spoken language development. Staff organise regular group storytelling activities, in which children sit and listen well and join in with discussion and props. Staff introduce older children to the sounds and letters of their names to promote their literacy skills further. However, children do not always engage well in storytelling in the book

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who attend

corner because the room becomes noisy when more active children run into the area and distract those who are trying to listen or to read on their own.

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who attend

Staff provide children with a good range of resources to promote their creativity and imaginations, and encourage children to move these around the setting to extend their ideas. For example, children spend long periods of time moulding glitter dough to make models and 'cakes'. Staff interact to extend the activity, by talking about different types of cakes when children make 'cupcakes' for example. Staff respond to children's lead as they introduce saucepans from the role play area to encourage children to then make 'meals' from the dough. Staff include counting and encourage children to compare the sizes of their models to promote their mathematical development. This promotes different areas of learning in children's favourite activities to help make their learning enjoyable.

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

Staff help children to form warm and trusting relationships with them by spending time comforting and supporting them when they start. This helps children to enjoy new experiences and explore confidently. Staff meet any individual needs and routines as well as helping children to learn the nursery routine. For example, children respond with excitement when they hear the pre-school song alerting them to group time. Children use their own pre-school bags to put their work in to take home. This successfully supports children in the move between their home and the pre-school.

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

Staff help most children to behave generally well and develop positive attitudes towards others. Staff present as good role models who address any issues through gentle voices and simple messages. Staff use picture cards to illustrate to children that they need to 'stop' or that they have observed their behaviour. This helps some children further understand what is expected of them. Staff also acknowledge children's achievements and positive behaviour with praise. However, staff do not all apply these strategies consistently. As a result, a few more active children run around indoors, bump into others and snatch toys. This does not help these children learn about the consequences of their behaviour on others and disrupts some children's play. Otherwise, children enjoy helping others and are forming friendships with peers who they seek out to cuddle and play with.

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

Children benefit from a clean and well-maintained environment in which most move around safely due to safety measures in place and staff supervision. Staff create a welcoming hall in which children enjoy a balance of organised activities and time to choose freely from the labelled toy units. This helps to promote their independent play. Staff promote children's healthy lifestyles appropriately. Children benefit from regular outdoor play in which they use a range of physical play and creative activities, and more active children run around energetically and freely. Staff include activities to help younger children develop their balance and co-ordination and to encourage all children to move in different ways. Staff help children to learn how to use the equipment safely, such as forming a queue to use the slide, coming down feet first. Children enjoy fresh fruit snacks and healthy meals which they bring from home and sit and eat together at sociable meal

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

times. This helps children to form good eating habits.

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provision

Management and staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have a clear knowledge of the correct procedures to follow if they have a concern about the welfare of a child, and their responsibilities to safeguard children's welfare. Staff communicate well with one another as they move around the premises with children to ensure children are supervised in person. Management implement secure vetting procedures to help ensure staff are suitable to work with children. In addition, they implement clear policies and procedures, risk assessments and daily checklists to help keep children safe and secure.

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provision

Management implements adequate systems to evaluate the planning and assessment of children's learning and to monitor the impact of staff's practice on children's care and development. This includes annual appraisals, staff supervision sessions, observing staff interaction and staff discussing the planning as a team. However, these systems are not sufficiently successful in identifying and addressing all weaknesses in some children's learning and the inconsistent management of some children's behaviour. Management and staff demonstrate a commitment and drive to maintain continuous improvement in the quality of care and learning for children. For example, staff contribute to the self-evaluation form and action plans each term. They also work closely with the local authority and attend regular training opportunities and cluster meetings. As a result, staff have made several changes since the last inspection which children have directly

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provision

benefited from. These include providing a safer environment and more resources to promote outdoor play and information and communications technology.

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provision

Staff establish suitable partnerships with parents who they provide with clear information about all aspects of the provision. This includes details of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff keep parents informed through displays, open sessions and time to exchange information face-to-face. Parents contribute their views of the pre-school. They state their children have made lots of friends and enjoy attending, staff are friendly and keep parents informed well. Staff establish appropriate communication with the other early years settings children also attend. This helps to promote children's needs adequately.

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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 142945 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 814038 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 20 Name of provider Chard Methodist Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 28/09/2011 Telephone number 07836672729 or 01460 67855

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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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