Corby Glen Preschool

Corby Glen Playgroup Ron Dawson Memorial Hall, Swinstead Road, CORBY GLEN, Nr Grantham, Lincs, NG33 4NU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/06/2014 16/05/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 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 very good knowledge of how to safeguard children. The children's emotional and physical well-being is a priority for staff.  The manager and staff team are passionate and enthusiastic about individualising and personalising all children's learning. The high quality of teaching has a very positive effect on children's care and education.  Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are provided with good levels of information about their child's progress and are invited to be active participants in their child's playgroup experiences.  Monitoring of the quality of the provision for the children is effective. Staff evaluate and improve their personal development through training and qualifications to bring about positive outcomes for the children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to adapt routines further to ensure children's play is not unnecessarily disrupted.

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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 main play room and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the playgroup'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 and interacted with children throughout the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Corby Glen Playgroup was registered in 1994 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the Memorial Hall and the staff have to set out the equipment and pack it all away again at the end of the session. The playgroup serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a main hall and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The playgroup employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualifications at level 5, three at level 3 and one at level 2. The playgroup opens Monday to Friday school term time only, with the exception of Bank Holidays. Sessions are from 8am to 3pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 25 children attending who are in the early years age group. The playgroup provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a

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Information about the setting

number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 review the constraints of routines on children's opportunities to have time and space to follow particular lines of enquiry and engaging play experiences.

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who attend

Children benefit from good teaching. The staff team are consistently good at joining in with children's play to enhance their learning. Staff enable them to use their interests freely during play and follow the children's lead. Each child's personality is respected and they are valued as individuals. The key person system is highly effective as staff always keep their own children 'in mind'. Therefore, the children have a strong sense of belonging to their key person and within the playgroup. Observations and assessments are detailed and are effectively used to plan activities the children will enjoy. They link to their specific next steps for each child making their learning journeys highly personalised. Staff take into account what children already know and can do from their initial assessments and discussions with parents when children first start to attend. They make good use of this information to plan starting points for each child's next stage in learning. As a result,

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who attend

children make very good progress towards the early learning goals, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, ensuring this is carried out at an appropriate time and shared with parents.

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who attend

Children settle easily into the group and are actively involved in all aspects of the playgroup. For example, they are asked for ideas for future planning and for activities they would like to do in the welcome time routine. Play is led by the children and staff are skilled at asking open questions that prompt further ideas and discussions. For example, some girls want to make a princess castle and a member of staff suggests that they make one outside. She asks what they could use and they find large bricks for the castle and tall tins for the towers. A group of boys become involved and the castle evolves into a home for them all. The staff member suggests the towers could have something on the top and this leads to a session on turret making. The children are asked how they can be made from beginning to end and make a turret each. They learn new mathematical names for shapes and new language in the process. Furniture made from paper is added inside.

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who attend

The children are keen to explain how the pieces of paper represent a sofa, cushions and a television. The development of the castle continues as the children add dinosaur artwork and a spider to the inside. Outside they add flags and decorate the turrets. This activity engaged a large group of children for most of the day. They negotiate a doorway between them, accept each other's new additions and copy each other's ideas. All seven areas of learning are included as children draw, write their names, design and create, work together, discuss and learn new language and learn about castle structures. The staff show genuine interest, clarify ideas and ask open questions. This extends children's thinking and helps them to make connections in learning.

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who attend

In other activities, children are similarly empowered to think and reason for themselves. Staff skilfully put problems back to children asking 'I don't know, how do you think we could make it lighter?' Lots of humour is used and staff are very jovial and interactive with the children. Therefore, the atmosphere is light, fun and productive. Nothing is too much trouble for staff and the children are becoming good problem solvers. They are therefore confident in expressing their ideas and are keen to test them out. During the session, the circle time routine disrupted the flow of children's play. Although the activity had value, it was an unnecessary interruption at the point in the session it was undertaken. The setting is very inclusive with all children of all age groups being able to access resources and opportunities freely. Individual learning plans are in place and the staff work with varying agencies to provide children with specific care to meet their individual needs.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents and carers are good. Parents are able to see the learning journeys and comment on children's next steps. Daily discussions take place regarding how children are progressing and this is proving to be an effective way for staff to communicate with them regarding their children's learning and development. This means that learning and development is continued at home.

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

Children are respected for who they are, their personalities are accepted and enjoyed which fosters mutual respect. Children's personal, social and emotional development is strongly fostered by very caring and sensitive staff. Getting to know the children as individuals is a priority and this effectively supports children's emotional security and sense of belonging. Children's confidence is developed as staff enable them to lead their own play, make their own games and offer their own ideas. Children's self-esteem is enhanced by very positive staff. Praise is used constantly in context and children are encouraged to try things for themselves. In turn, the children tolerate each other well and play inclusively. They have a good ownership of the group and are encouraged to be independent, though sensitively supported when required. The staff work closely with parents and gain good information about children's needs, which ensures they offer

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

personalised support. Staff are inclusive of all children and their families/carers and offer a welcoming environment. The playgroup is in the heart of the community. They use these links effectively to support the children's emotional well-being with transitions to and from the playgroup.

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

There is a strong emphasis on helping the children to be healthy. Everyday outdoor play is available to them and the children are able to choose from a range of interesting activities. The outdoor area is not large, so generally once a week, just the physical equipment is put out in the playgroup hall for the children to develop their large physical skills. The large field is used regularly to offer more space to run around freely. It is also used imaginatively as the children talk about 'going on a bear hunt' and like to 'explore where the monster lives'. The children help to keep themselves safe as they adhere to the distance boundaries set by staff when in the larger area. Many of the older children can take care of their personal needs and wash their hands before eating and after toileting. Staff help younger children, while encouraging them to do what they can for themselves. Hot meals and snacks are made available to the children, though the hot meal is an option

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

with some parents preferring to provide packed lunches. Children make their own healthy choice at snack time, choosing the fruits they would like to eat.

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

The playgroup has a strong commitment towards including involvement from the local community. For instance, a parent has helped to decorate the role-play area with a homely fireplace. The staff team work well together and support each other constantly across the group. Children are very well supported with the transition from playgroup to school. Teachers regularly visit the playgroup and the children visit the school. Therefore, children and adults become familiar with one another. In the last term the older children have uniforms from the local school to use to familiarise them with the clothing they will be required to wear. This enables a smooth transition which supports children's learning well.

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provision

Safeguarding at the playgroup is given the utmost priority. The designated staff member for safeguarding has undertaken recent and relevant training, which has been disseminated and discussed in depth with all staff. Staff maintain close supervision of children at all times and continue to complete mandatory training, which includes first aid and safeguarding. The playgroup works closely with local schools, agencies and the children's families to ensure their well-being at all times. Robust recruitment and selection processes ensure that all staff working with children are safe and suitable to do so. Risk assessments are completed ensuring the environment is safe and secure. A comprehensive set of policies supports practice and all required documentation and procedures are in place.

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provision

The staff work very closely and effectively together. They have identified their strengths and use these to their best effect. They have recently attended a great deal of training that has led to improved personal development. In turn, the provision for children has greatly improved and the impact on children's learning is positive. The manager has included all staff and the committee in the self-evaluation and improvement plan. They have been supported by the local authority and have made great strides in improving the organisation of the group. The management team is focused on continued improvement and supporting staff development.

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provision

There is excellent partnership working with parents, whose contribution is highly valued, and other agencies and local schools. The playgroup works very closely with other local early years settings to support a consistency of care for children using dual settings. Parents spoken to comment that their children have made good progress since starting and say that the community links support the children's sense of belonging. They also value the way each child is an individual and the warm relationships the children develop with their key person and how much the children enjoy coming to playgroup.

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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 260015 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 876614

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 25 Name of provider Corby Glen Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 16/05/2011 Telephone number 07951918138

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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

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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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