Birdwell Playgroup

Birdwell Playgroup Birdwell J&I School, Sheffield Road, Birdwell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 5XB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/04/2014 08/06/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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

 Staff have a good knowledge of the safeguarding policy and practice. As a result, children are well protected and safeguarded at all times.  Teaching and learning is good as staff have a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff plan purposeful activities that support children's individual development needs. Consequently, children make good progress.  The provider and manager are focused on securing an excellent quality provision. They set high standards, monitor effectiveness and encourage staff development through training, which demonstrates a drive for quality improvement.  Children are excited and motivated to learn because they play in a vibrant, stimulating play environment, which is rich in high-quality resources. Children receive support and guidance from an enthusiastic staff team.  Caring and sensitive staff provide a nurturing environment. This gives children a strong

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This provision is good

sense of belonging and promotes their well-being.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are occasions when some staff miss opportunities to extend children's communication and language development by asking open-questions during activities.  The current arrangements for snack times do not provide children with sufficient opportunities to be independent.

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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 and children interacting during activities in the main play area and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at various documents, including policies and procedures, children's records, evidence of the suitability of staff and safeguarding procedures.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and talked to the staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a sample of the children's development records and carried out a joint inspection with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of a number of parents from written testimonials provided on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Birdwell Playgroup was registered in 1993 on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and managed. The playgroup operates from rooms within Birdwell Junior and Infant School in Birdwell, Barnsley. The playgroup serves the immediate locality and the surrounding areas.

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Information about the setting

The playgroup opens five days a week during school term time only. Sessions are from 9am to 12 noon, Monday to Friday. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 55 children aged from two to four years on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group.

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Information about the setting

The playgroup employs seven members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The playgroup receives support from the local authority and has strong links with the host school.

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

 enhance opportunities for children to extend their communication and language development by asking more open-questions during activities

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

 review the snack time procedures to provide children with more opportunities to practise their independence and self-care skills, for example, by encouraging them to prepare their own food and serve their own drinks.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and provide well-planned activities based on children's interests and developmental stage. Educational programmes cover the seven areas of learning and offer a wealth of learning opportunities. As a result, children gain the necessary skills in readiness for school. Observations are purposeful and clearly identify children's next steps in their learning. Regular observations are undertaken on children as they play, which means that staff are knowledgeable about children's developmental stage. Planning is flexible and responds to children's needs and interests, offering challenges for children, so that they progress in their learning. For example, on a foggy day, children are excited that they cannot see well outside. The members of staff spontaneously ask the children if they would like to investigate the fog. Children excitedly put on their coats and shoes to go

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who attend

outdoors. A member of staff asks open-questions, such as 'what do you think it is like outside?' Some of the children say they are not sure how well they will be able to see. The member of staff encourages the children to find magnifying glasses and torches that they can use in the fog. Children then go outside and explored all areas of the secure play area looking for clues. They are very excited by this and enjoy the spontaneity of choosing their own way of expressing themselves. As a result, children are supported in their creativity and in their personal, social and emotional development as their ideas are listened to and valued, meaning that children of all ages and abilities make good progress in their learning.

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who attend

All adults are deployed very well to support children's learning and their care needs. One- to-one interaction, small group activities and an effective key person system result in staff knowing the children well and planning a varied range of experiences to meet their individual needs. As a result, children demonstrate the characteristics of effective learners and make consistently good progress. Teaching and learning is good. Children are very settled in the setting and are well supported by staff who follow their interests. They are confident learners and are consistently encouraged to ask questions by the playgroup staff. For example, when a group of children look at some hatching chickens, one child asks, 'why do the chickens have feathers?' The member of staff explains that the chicken had feathers to keep themselves warm. She then expands the reply by explaining that the feathers are like the child's skin and how it feels when they are wrapped up in a warm

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who attend

coat. Throughout the activity, the member of staff praises the children's achievements and uses noticeable body language, such as smiles, shrugs and giggles, to demonstrate her pleasure and encourage the children to explore further. This type of interaction demonstrates the good quality of the teaching provided by the playgroup, which is effective and ensures children's individual interests and preferences are catered for. Consequently, children are enthusiastic to learn and make good progress.

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who attend

Children use a wide range of activities and experiences across all the areas of learning. They benefit from a selection of good-quality resources, which stimulate the children's imagination and promote their confidence in exploring and making choices. Children enjoy their experiences and play eagerly. In particular, they enjoy using the outdoor environment and delight in experiencing a wide range of resources to support their learning. Here, they dig, rake and explore the natural environment as they learn to handle small tools and develop their physical skills. The quality of teaching is good with staff planning for children to increase their skills in writing and early literacy skills across the setting, including the outdoor environment. For example, the younger children learn to think critically and support one another to form pictures using materials, such as chalks. This supports children's hand-eye coordination and small muscle skills. The older children

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who attend

happily sit at tables and are encouraged to make stickers by drawing pictures, which are more detailed and include letters, numbers, and colours. Children use the resources, such as scissors confidently. As a result, children enjoy being creative. Children are, therefore, ready for school when the time comes because they have a wide range of skills, to support their future education, as well as a very positive attitude towards learning. Staff verbally interact with children throughout the day, asking questions, posing tasks and providing challenges for children. This promotes early language skills and sustained thinking. However, at times, some staff do not ask open-questions and can be too eager to answer their own question, which does not leave enough time for children to consider and verbalise their own response.

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who attend

Staff have worked hard to develop strong partnerships with parents. Children have individual learning and development books containing on-entry assessments, examples of their work, observations and photographs as evidence of their learning. Parents have access to this information, which keeps them informed of their child's progress and they are actively encouraged to share information about their child's learning at home. For example, regular opportunities are provided for parents to look at and discuss their child's progress and share the interests and activities they have enjoyed at home. This means there is shared knowledge about children and a complete picture of their learning and development is obtained.

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

Highly effective settling-in procedures are in place and children are very well-supported emotionally when they first begin attending the playgroup. A wealth of good quality information is shared to ensure continuity in children's emotional and physical well-being. This helps children to become familiar with their new key person before coming into the new playgroup environment. Children then make visits with their parents, based on their individual needs, before staying for the whole session on their own. Parents are welcome to stay as long as is required and have use of facilities, such as the parents' room, to talk to staff. Parents' testimonials state how happy they are with the playgroup and talk about how well their children are supported. Children are equally well supported emotionally when they leave the playgroup and move into the attached school. They make a number of visits with playgroup staff to become familiar with their new environment and school

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

teachers. Consideration has been given by both the playgroup and the early years unit in school to ensure children are familiar with routines and the organisation of resources. This further supports children emotionally and physically when they move into school.

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

The indoor and outdoor environments provide stimulation and challenge for the children in the playgroup. Indoor resources are easily accessible, well labelled and encourage children to make independent choices. Children move freely between the indoors and the outdoor area throughout the session. The majority of children thoroughly enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air and choose to do so for large parts of the session. Good routine hygiene practices are in place. Children are reminded to wash their hands at appropriate times and many of them are becoming independent in their self-care. Independence is further promoted when children are encouraged to put on their own coats when going outside. Children effectively learn about their own safety as staff remind them not to run indoors and to sit on the chairs in a safe manner. They learn how to leave the building quickly in an emergency situation as they regularly practise the fire evacuation drill. This consistent

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

approach, along with gentle reminders and positive staff support, ensures children become independent and are able to manage their own health and safety.

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

The playgroup works in partnership with the host school and offers the children an extremely good range of meals and snacks that are healthy and nutritious and meet the requirements of each child. However, during snack time, children do not get the opportunity to help prepare their snack or pour their own drinks. This means there are missed opportunities to promote children's independence further.

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

Staff provide good models of behaviour themselves. They consistently show an interest in children's development and achievements and create a culture of enthusiasm. Children engage in active, safe and stimulating play, demonstrating high levels of independence and motivation. Children cooperate well with each other and know what behaviour is acceptable in the playgroup. This is because a number of good strategies are embedded in practice. For example, children are praised for positive behaviour and spoken to in a sensitive, gentle way, if disagreements arise. Staff have agreed procedures outlining how to manage changes in children's behaviour and the rationale of this is shared with parents, to maintain a joint approach.

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provision

Staff are well informed about child protection procedures and have a good knowledge of effective safeguarding practice. They are aware of the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child's welfare. Staff supervise children well to ensure they are suitably protected. For example, staff open the door to every visitor, use key code entry doors to enter the main playroom and ask to meet all adults who collect children from the setting prior to arrival. Staff complete regular risk assessments and give a high priority to risk management. There are effective procedures in place. For example, a visitors' book is in use, visitor identification is checked and management ensure that all visitors to the building cannot gain access to the main playroom. Children are further protected as the setting keeps thorough records of accidents, administration of medication and daily registers. There are effective processes for selection and safe recruitment of new staff.

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provision

The manager ensures that suitability checks are undertaken, induction processes are in place and references are gained prior to any new staff starting at the playgroup. Staff are further supported through regular appraisals and supervisions. They are well qualified and attend regular training to refresh their knowledge when a need has been identified. This has a positive impact on their knowledge and understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. For example, the manager provided in-house training focusing on early writing to improve the practice and provision for children. The manager constantly evaluates the quality of practice and provision provided. As a result, areas for improvement are consistently identified, taking into account the views of parents, staff and children. The playgroup has effective systems of self-evaluative practice in place and staff are fully committed to constantly improving the setting. The playgroup

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provision

has recently completed a quality assurance scheme, completed audits and developed action plans to address areas that require further development. The provider and manager are fully committed to creating, maintaining and improving the playgroup, so that it meets the highest standards and offers the best experience for children.

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provision

The provider and manager regularly monitor the planning and delivery of the educational programmes to ensure that children are provided with interesting and enjoyable activities and resources, which support them to make progress across all areas. Frequent observations and assessments of children's learning are completed, which enables staff to identify the progress children make and any areas in which they may require further support. Since the last inspection, the areas raised for improvement have been addressed. For example, planning clearly identifies how activities will promote individual children's progress towards the early learning goals and the learning environment has a wide range of signs, symbols and pictures displayed at child-height, which reflect all areas of learning, with particular regard to problem solving, reasoning and numeracy.

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provision

The playgroup has been set up as an extension to existing early years provision within the host school, therefore, partnerships with parents and external agencies are well established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. The notice board in the corridor area provides a wealth of good quality information for parents. This ensures they are kept fully up to date with key events and are effectively signposted to external agencies and services, should they require additional help. Parents are warmly welcomed into the playgroup and make good use of the parents' room to hold informal discussions about their child. The manager and her staff team have been proactive in their approach to sharing information with other providers when children attend other settings and relationships are good. For example, learning and development information is effectively shared.

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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 302823 Local authority Barnsley Inspection number 864750

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider Debra Corson Date of previous inspection 08/06/2010 Telephone number 01226 350790

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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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