Grove Hill PlaygroupOfsted inspection, 28 Apr 2014

Grove Hill Playgroup Grove Hill Resource Centre, Bishopton Road, MIDDLESBROUGH, Cleveland, TS4 2RP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/04/2014 27/04/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children who have special educational needs and English as an additional language make sound progress. This is because staff make links with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists.  Relationships with parents and families are positive and they feel valued. Therefore, children settle quickly and information sharing helps staff to fully meet their care needs.

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It is not yet good because

 Procedures for keeping children safe are not robust. Consequently, not all volunteers have suitable checks. For example, Disclosure and Barring Service checks are not obtained for all volunteers.  Observations of children are not consistently used to inform planning. As a result, experiences are not not always focused on children's individual next steps.  There is scope to develop the outdoor environment to maximise children's learning opportunities by enhancing resources to stimulate children's curiosity and interest.

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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 looked at children's learning journey records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked the evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed experiences for children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments in all rooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and spoke to staff throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to a number of parents/carers on the day and their views were taken into account.

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Information about the setting

Grove Hill Playgroup is managed by a committee and was registered in 1992; previously, care has been offered here for 30 years. The facility is registered at Grove Hill Community Hub, close to the local primary schools, shops and other amenities. There are currently 52 children on roll. Children from the local community mainly attend and the playgroup operates two sessions per day during school term times only, with the exception of Friday, when it only operates in the morning. Opening times are between 9.15am and 11.45am and again between 12.30pm until 2.45pm. The provision supports a small number of children with a disability and who speak English as an additional language. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. Four members of staff are employed to work directly with the children, all have appropriate childcare qualifications at level 2 or above. Voluntary staff and students also work at the provision.

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must:

 ensure all volunteers working directly with children are suitably checked and have Disclosure and Barring Service checks

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must:

 support all children to make good progress by using information gathered from observations effectively, in order to plan suitably challenging experiences in relation to their next steps.

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

 extend learning opportunities for children outdoors, for example, by providing a wider range of resources which stimulate their interests, such as magnifying glasses and binoculars to explore wildlife.

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who attend

Children with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs are supported well in this setting. They benefit from staff who respond to their needs and as a result, gaps in learning are narrowing. Most children are working within typical development stages relevant to their age. Staff make links with appropriate external agencies, such as health visitors and speech and language therapists, which ensures children receive the help they need. Children show readiness for their next stage of learning, for example, staff talk to children about their new school and are supported with discussions from other children who already attend. Staff encourage children to develop skills with information and communication technology, they use the computer with support and can manage to operate simple programs with increasing control.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is variable, for example, some staff model language well and ask open questions which encourages children to develop communication skills. They talk about the shapes they can cut out and children are encouraged to use scissors safely as they work through a road safety booklet. Children benefit from being able to move freely between resources which are set up on various tables and places throughout the indoor environment. They are generally occupied and happy. They use a variety of small world resources, such as, dolls houses and emergency services vehicles, to play imaginatively, showing ability to manage turn taking for themselves and engaging in conversations with each other. The majority of staff are able to discuss children's development and make observations. However, this information does not always cascade into the planning. Consequently, children's next steps are not always purposeful and do not always focus on

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who attend

individual areas of interest. This means some experiences lack challenge and do not fully engage all children.

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who attend

Progress checks for all children aged two are completed and some information, regarding children's development, is shared with parents. Communication between staff and families is effective and some home learning experiences are celebrated and extended. For example, learning journeys include photographs and observations of children and some parents contribute to this by adding experiences from home, such as, visiting family and friends. Children's achievements are celebrated and they take home 'Barney' certificates. They are proud of their learning and talk excitedly about this with their families when they are collected. Parents are appreciative of the work and creations children bring home regularly, including special cards for occasions, such as, birthdays and Mother's Day.

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

Children are encouraged to be confident and independent, learn about healthy lifestyles and manage their personal needs for themselves. For example, older children are able to wash their own hands and go to the toilet independently. After snack, they collect their toothbrushes and happily engage in a group song, brushing their teeth to the music. Staff model this very well and incorporate discussions about going to the dentist as part of their oral health promotion. They further extend this in the book area, where a member of staff uses a story to increase children's awareness of healthy choices in regard to food, asking children 'Which vegetables do you think are healthy for the rabbit?' and 'Which vegetables do you like?' Younger children are encouraged to start toilet training and this is done positively with parent's involvement, staff talk to children offering praise and support and as a result, children are willing to persevere and keep trying.

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

Children have access to a large outdoor area where they develop physical skills, such as, running, climbing, kicking and throwing. Some staff are able to extend learning opportunities outdoors, for example, a member of staff finds an egg, which has just hatched and shows this to children, asking them questions about what animal might have come from the egg. However, as resources and access are limited in this environment, opportunities to extend children's curiosity for the natural world are missed and potential learning is not maximised .

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

Behaviour is managed positively, particularly with those children who are more challenging. A consistent reward sticker system is place and as a result, children respond well to the boundaries that are in place and disruption is minimal. Staff model behaviours for the children; for example, they encourage children to share and be kind to each other, thereby providing a calm environment where children can feel safe and valued. Children have a key person with whom they can form secure attachments. However, all staff in the room know children well and engage with families on a daily basis. This means all children benefit from caring staff who are able to respond to their care needs effectively.

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provision

Policies and procedures for keeping children safe are in place and the manager and staff team understand their responsibilities. They conduct risk assessments and daily practice encourages children to learn how to keep themselves safe, for example, staff remind children to take care when they play with sand and explain it will hurt if it gets into their eyes. The indoor and outdoor environment is safe and secure. The manager and staff team are aware of how to protect children from harm and policies for safe guarding children are in place. However, recruitment and vetting procedures are not robust and not all staff have Disclosure and Barring Service checks or their equivalent.

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provision

The manager and staff team show commitment to improve outcomes for children, based on their needs and those in the community. Training is accessed regularly in range of different areas. For example, staff have recently attended an oral health promotion course, which they have cascaded to parents, families and children. Team meetings are held regularly and this is used to monitor children's progress and the environment. Staff have regular supervision where they are able to reflect on their practice and identify areas for development, in relation to the needs of the children who attend. The manager has a self-evaluation procedure in place to which staff and families contribute. They hold regular raffles to raise funds for the setting and have developed a tuck shop to encourage parents to stay after the session and make links to other families.

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provision

Parents talk very positively about the play group. They say staff are 'very supportive and very understanding', they make reference to how the setting has provided their children with good routines and prepared them for school. Links with external agencies and the wider community are also positive, for example, local groups bring leaflets for parents and overcome barriers of communication. This is because the environment is welcoming and friendly, families are able to make secure professional bonds with staff and they feel valued.

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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 508458 Local authority Middlesbrough Inspection number 869356

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 52 Name of provider Grove Hill Youth and Community Management Committee Date of previous inspection 27/04/2009 Telephone number 01642 816384

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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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