Puddleducks Nursery

Puddleducks Playgroup Chalford Social Club, Haywards Lane, Chalford Hill, Stroud, GL6 8LH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/03/2014 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 quality of teaching is very good. Staff use a variety of ways to engage and motivate children so they make good progress.  Staff accurately monitor children's progress and they involve the parents and children, to get a full picture of children's interests and abilities. They use this information imaginatively to provide activities tailored to each child's needs.  Staff support children's language and early literacy development especially well. They expand children's vocabulary, and encourage them to speak, through a wealth of activities, such as games involving letters and sounds, retelling stories and making books.  There is a strong programme for staff professional development that is sharply focussed on helping staff acquire the knowledge and skills that have particular benefit to the children in their care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not always have sufficiently long periods of uninterrupted self-chosen play.  Although children enjoy good quality outdoor play, they cannot move freely between the indoor and outdoor spaces, which would especially benefit those who learn better outside.

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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 staff interacting with children inside and outdoors and spoke with them throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the chairperson, other members of the committee and the joint play leaders.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager of an adult led activity with four-year-olds.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, including evidence of staff suitability, policies and procedures, children's records and assessments and documents relating to the pre-school's self evaluation of its practice.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers, by speaking to several during the inspection and from written comments in the pre-school's recent parent questionnaire.

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Information about the setting

Puddleducks Playgroup opened in 1969 and moved to its new premises in 2013. It is run by a committee and operates from Chalford Social Club, Chalford Hill, near Stroud, Gloucestershire. The group is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Children have access to the main hall, toilets and an additional side room. Children have access to an enclosed outside play space at the rear of the building. The playgroup opens from 9am to 1.30pm on Mondays and Fridays, and from 9am to 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, during school term times. There are currently 40 children on roll, aged between two years three months, and five years. The playgroup receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The playgroup supports a small number of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are five members of

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Information about the setting

staff who work with the children. All hold appropriate childcare qualifications at level 3. One play leader also holds a management qualification at level 4.

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

 explore ways of allowing children greater freedom to move between the indoor and outdoor play spaces

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

 review the structure of the sessions, to be sure that children have long enough periods of uninterrupted, self-chosen play, to allow them to become deeply involved in activities and finish them to their own satisfaction.

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who attend

Teaching in the pre-school is always good and, on occasions outstanding, so that it supports children's learning and development very well. Staff gather detailed information from parents and carers at the start and then update this regularly, to help them gain an accurate picture of children's progress and development over time. Staff make insightful observations of children and note their interests and achievements. They meet regularly to discuss planning and organise experiences and activities that will benefit individual children. Because of staff's in-depth knowledge of the children, careful planning and high quality teaching, children make very good progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

Staff record children's progress in personal folders that are richly illustrated with photographs and examples of children's work. The folders are kept where children can reach them. They enjoy looking through them, showing them to parents and remembering past events. They often choose pieces of work, or take photographs of their own creations that they would like to include in the journal, and this encourages them to take real pride and ownership of their learning. Parents contribute to the records as well, by adding 'wow' slips that celebrate children's achievements at home. Staff encourage parent's involvement by suggesting activities that will support children's learning at home, such as making up a story together, or visiting a castle.

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who attend

Staff frequently plan interesting activities that are linked to a theme, which enables the children to explore the topic in some depth. Children enjoy revisiting the idea and making links in their knowledge. A current theme of 'stories' is very popular with the children and is helping them develop a love of books. Children make props linked to the book and together, retell the story, using highly descriptive language and a wide vocabulary to express their imagination. Staff make links to the 'Frog prince' by taking the children on a walk to the local school pond to see frog spawn and learn about the lifecycle of a frog. Children remember the importance of the golden ball in the story. Younger children develop coordination as they roll a ball in gold paint, whilst the older children find rhyming words to develop early reading skills. Children enjoy making their own books, such as a wonderfully imaginative superhero story, made by a group of boys who can sometimes be

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who attend

Staff make good use of the second playroom, to split the group into younger children and those who will be soon be going to school. This allows staff to teach smaller groups and provide challenging and exciting activities that stretch children appropriately for their age. It also gives the youngest the chance to play in a less busy environment, so they have more freedom to choose what to play with. Staff provide regular, well planned, adult-led activities such as cooking, planting, measuring and comparing, letters and sounds sessions, ring games and treasure hunts. These are extremely valuable teaching times when children develop excellent listening and attention skills, which prepare them well for school. Children generally join in enthusiastically, demonstrating a very positive attitude to learning. However, occasionally staff interrupt children's valuable free play time too frequently, to introduce a group activity. This means children sometimes do not have the

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who attend

benefit of fully developing their own play to a satisfactory conclusion.

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who attend

Staff have imaginatively developed the outdoor space, to provide a wide range of interesting things for children to do. They especially enjoy imaginative and messy play in the mud kitchen. Staff plan for children's outdoor learning. For example, children thoroughly enjoy learning and using positional language, such as 'in', 'under' and 'behind', for a game of hide and seek. Staff make good use of the outdoor area but currently, for safety reasons, children have to be escorted in and out. This limits their freedom to move between spaces, which does not benefit those who learn better outside.

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

Staff create a welcoming environment for children and their parents and carers. Staff greet them warmly and children find their own coat pegs and drawers for special items. If any child is feeling insecure, their special member of staff, or key person, takes them under their wing until they are feeling more confident. Staff carefully watch children's involvement and make sure that no one is left out. They encourage children to be kind and aware of how their actions affect others. Because of this sensitive approach, children feel secure, learn to play cooperatively and make friends. These important social skills help children when they move onto primary school.

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

Children generally behave exceptionally well. Staff know the children well and understand why they sometimes find this difficult. Children help devise the pre-school 'Golden rules' so they understand and accept why they are in place. Staff often refer to these with the children and even suggest that a child explains them to her 'misbehaving' teddy. Following some children's great interest in superheroes, staff help them make 'wanted' posters for their imaginary 'baddies'. It helps children understand what acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is.

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

The pre-school has an excellent range of resources, which staff have organised so that children can easily find and choose what they want. This helps the children make choices and become independent learners, which prepares them well for their move into school.

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

Staff supervise children well in all areas of the pre-school. They take note of accidents and review potential hazards to help them create a safe environment, whilst still allowing children to take small risks and develop their awareness of danger. They teach children how to keep themselves safe, such as by wearing helmets on ride-on toys. Staff have marked a road, traffic lights and crossing onto the playground and use this to reinforce road safety messages. Staff promote children's health well. They advise parents of healthy options to include for children's snack and lunch. Children can choose when to eat their snack and help themselves to their water bottles, so they are well fed, hydrated and ready to learn. A doctor visits the group to talk to the children about keeping healthy and visual signs remind them to wash hands. Children spend time playing outside every day, where there are many interesting things to do, so they enjoy being physically active.

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provision

The strong leadership and management of the joint play leaders results in an enthusiastic and dedicated staff team and a vibrant learning environment. Both play leaders role model high quality teaching and the importance of constantly reviewing the provision. They frequently monitor and coach staff. They have encouraged a supportive atmosphere where staff feel confident to carry out peer observations and everyone's comments and ideas are valued. Senior staff monitor the accuracy and consistency of children's assessments. The member of staff who is designated special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) assists colleagues when they have concerns that a child is progressing more slowly. She ensures they receive the support they need.

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provision

Members of staff and the committee take designated roles to help safeguard children. They ensure all adults are informed and procedures and policies reflect best and current practice. A committee member is the 'Child protection champion' to ensure all the management committee are aware of their responsibilities should there be an allegation against a member of staff. All staff have received safeguarding training, which they regularly update. They have a thorough understanding of what they must do if they have concerns for a child's welfare and the procedures are clearly displayed. Safeguarding is given a very high priority and forms the first item on the agenda of the monthly staff meetings. This ensures that children's safety and welfare are foremost in staff members' minds.

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provision

The play leaders and committee have a clear vision for the pre-school and an evident desire to provide the best they can for the children in their care. They have only recently moved to their current premises and are continuing to refine the way they organise the space and time during the sessions. The management committee and staff work together effectively and keep both parties well informed, through regular meetings and daily visits. They welcome advice from external professionals and visit other settings to gain ideas. They capture the views of children and parents, to help them evaluate their own provision. They have a clear improvement plan and take well-targeted action to continually improve.

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provision

Staff attend regular, relevant training, to develop their knowledge and skills so that they are able to meet the needs of all children in the provision. For example, staff have recently attended training aimed at caring for two-year-olds, as they now accept younger children. Staff make use their new knowledge; for example, following a language development course, all staff are trying to identify 'Talking hotspots' in the pre-school, to encourage children's speech.

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provision

The staff have an effective, sensitive and supportive relationship with parents and carers. They work together to manage situations affecting the children, such as changes within the family, and medical problems. Parents say they appreciate the friendly, approachable staff and the caring atmosphere. They are impressed with the progress their children make and how much they enjoy their time at pre-school. The pre-school staff also work closely with local authority advisors and other professionals, to ensure children receive the support they need, for example, by implementing advice from speech and language therapists.

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provision

Overall, the committee and staff team provide a vibrant and friendly pre-school, where children enjoy their time and make good progress. Staff help them become confident, independent learners so they are well prepared for the next stage in their learning at school.

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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 EY467702 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 934831 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 40 Name of provider Puddleducks Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01453883910

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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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