Rainbow Playgroup

Rainbow Playgroup Grove Primary School, Campkin Road, CAMBRIDGE, CB4 2NB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/06/2014 09/03/2010

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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

 Children's safety is promoted well by a vigilant staff team who have a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures.  The excellent outdoor environment enables children to explore all of their senses and use their imaginations in highly innovative and entertaining ways.  Skilled staff use their strong teaching skills to provide children with challenging and exciting experiences that enable them to become active, inquisitive learners. As a result, children are well-prepared for school.  Knowledgeable support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities enables them to thoroughly enjoy their learning and make good progress, given their starting points.  Leadership and management of the playgroup is strong. There is a clear focus on professional development for all staff to promote the best learning outcomes for all children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, staff do not think widely about creative solutions that encourage harder to reach parents to share information about their children's achievements at home, to optimise their learning.  Opportunities to help children to value and learn about their home languages and those of others are not always maximised.

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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 the children at play indoors and outside throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager about staff recruitment and monitoring, training programmes and the playgroup's self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 A range of documentation was examined, including staff suitability checks, qualifications, children's learning records and policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The views of parents were taken into account through discussion on the day of the inspection and the parent survey.  A joint observation was conducted with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Rainbow Playgroup has been operating from the Grove Primary School in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire since 2009. It is registered on the Early Years Register. The playgroup is a registered charity managed by a committee of parents. Children have use of a classroom within the school and an enclosed outdoor play area. There are 29 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. A small number of children have special educational needs and/or disabilities and some speak English as an additional language. Opening times are 9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday during school term times. The playgroup receives funding for eligible two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are eight members of staff, including the manager. Four of these hold early years qualifications at level 3. Two members of staff are working towards a qualification at level 3. The playgroup is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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

 extend the already good communication with parents to include more diverse ways to support parents in sharing information about their children's experiences at home

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

 enhance children's opportunities to learn about and value their own home languages and those of others by, for example, increasing labelling and visual displays.

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who attend

Children develop into keen and motivated learners because staff know them well and plan effectively for their individual learning needs. Children's progress is carefully assessed and frequently tracked to ensure they all make good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff provide parents with plentiful information about children's achievements. This includes a written summary of the progress check carried out when children are aged between two and three years. Parents are able to borrow teaching resources, such as story sacks, to continue their children's learning at home. Almost all parents engage with staff well and keep them informed about what children enjoy and do at home. However, opportunities for staff to gather information from a few parents who are harder to reach are less well exploited. Teaching skills are very good and sometimes outstanding. As a result, all children enjoy their learning and make good progress. Staff support the children

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who attend

well during their play, enabling them to extend their own learning through timely interactions. They skilfully question the children, giving them time to think and respond. As a result, children become good problem solvers and tackle new experiences with confidence. This prepares them well for their future learning experiences.

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who attend

Children's learning outdoors is particularly well-supported. Skilled staff have created a rich learning environment that thoroughly supports all areas of learning. They are well aware some children have limited access to outdoor spaces and ensure there are ample opportunities to explore the natural world. Children benefit from continuous access to sand and water and enjoy playing among sweet smelling plants. A large scale simulated builder's yard provides children with unique experiences, for example, as they move large quantities of gravel around in toy dumper trucks. Children build walls with mock boulders and develop their understanding of mathematics as staff talk to them about size, weight and shape. Children develop their communication skills effectively through purposeful conversations with staff and each other. They join in exciting active story times, where they help staff to retell traditional tales, such as a popular children's tale about a boy and

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who attend

a giant beanstalk. They tip toe around the sleeping giant, and shout 'fe-fi-fo-fum' loudly together when the giant awakes. Staff support children's language development well by speaking to children clearly and repeating new words. Staff provide good opportunities for early writing throughout the setting to enable children spontaneously make marks. Older children recognise their names as they register on arrival and many write their names using recognisable characters. All of this prepares them very well for school.

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who attend

Staff effectively meet the needs of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Knowledgeable one-to-one helpers provide strong support and adapt activities expertly to ensure these children take an active part in the playgroup routines. The key persons work well with other professionals to deliver individual learning plans that help all children to make good progress. There are numerous books and resources that support children's understanding of other lifestyles, religions and cultures. However, staff do not always make the most of opportunities to help children value their home languages and learn about the languages of their peers. For example, displays and labels showing children's varied home languages are not plentiful.

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

Children's entry into the playgroup is managed very well because staff understand the importance of strong links with parents. Home visits enable parents and their key person to get to know one another prior to children starting. This helps to create a mutually trusting relationship that contributes positively towards children's sense of security. As a result, children quickly develop close emotional bonds with staff and approach their learning with happy confidence. Children who speak English as an additional language settle readily because staff liaise well with parents to learn key words and phrases. This promotes children's confidence from the outset, enabling them to become competent communicators. Staff plan in advance for children's move into school. They talk to children about their new teachers and explain the different routines. Children look at pictures of their classrooms and compare their uniforms. All this helps to ensure their move into

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

school is a positive experience. Staff support children to learn good behaviour and place a firm emphasis on respectful, caring attitudes. Children show a good understanding of sharing, for example, they use timers to negotiate taking turns independently. They take an active part in practical tasks, such as setting the snack table and tidying away their resources at the end of the session. This gives them useful skills to support their future learning.

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

Children's good health is promoted well through interesting and nutritious snacks. Staff provide a wide range of fresh fruits, cheeses and breads to attract children's interest. Meal times provide lots of opportunities for discussion about size, shape, texture and taste to enhance children's knowledge of healthy foods. Staff help children to grow fresh produce in the garden and they helpfully pick carrots, tomatoes and peas for the snack table. As a result, they have first-hand experience of life cycles to support their understanding of the world. Continuous access to the outdoor area gives children ample opportunities to exercise and develop their physical skills. Both the indoors and the outdoors are extremely well organised. The plentiful resources are stored at children's height, many in transparent containers to make selection easy. This benefits children's choices and enables them to become active, independent learners. Staff remind children about safety issues, such as

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

sweeping up the sand to avoid slipping. They provide clear explanations about road safety and ensure children practise the fire drill frequently. Consequently, children demonstrate a good understanding of risk.

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provision

The manager and her staff team have a clear understanding of the requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They work effectively together to maintain children's health, safety and welfare at a high standard. All staff undertake regular child protection training to strengthen their knowledge of safeguarding procedures. Detailed policies and procedures mean parents have a good understanding of the playgroup's responsibilities to keep children safe. Rigorous ongoing checks of the premises help to ensure children play in a healthy and safe environment. Staff vigilantly supervise the children, effectively supporting their play and learning. Comprehensive recruitment processes successfully ensure all staff are safe and suitable. As a result, children's safety is assured.

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provision

Monitoring of staff performance is strong and secure. The manager motivates her team well and supports them to develop their skills. Each staff member is valued for the individual strengths they bring to the setting. Their teamwork is excellent and they show dedication and enthusiasm. As a result, children thrive in their care. Training is given a high priority and staff attend a wide range of courses. Their learning is shared with others at staff meetings, so all the staff share the same level of knowledge. Courses are well- targeted to provide for the needs of staff and children. For example, workshops about the needs of two-year-olds has enhanced the way they cater for these more vulnerable children. Staff closely track individuals and groups of children to ensure they all make the best progress possible. Self-evaluation is strong and has helped the playgroup to make significant improvements since the last inspection. The views of parents, children and staff

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provision

help to inform an ongoing action plan to provide increasingly good outcomes for all children.

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provision

The partnerships with parents are good. Parents indicate they believe their children are safe and well-cared for. They have a high regard for staff and say they care about their children and are very approachable. Parents get daily information about their children's activities and routines. An informative noticeboard tells them about special events and children's current themes and topics. The setting has a strong relationship with other agencies that support the children, such as the local children's centre. There are regular meetings about the vulnerable children to ensure the team around the child is strong and meets their needs. Staff are very knowledgeable the children they care for who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work effectively with other professionals, such as speech and language specialists, to help children make good progress, given their starting points. Positive relationships with local feeder schools

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provision

promotes children's continuity of care and learning and supports a smooth transition.

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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 EY400382 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 879384

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 29 Name of provider Rainbow Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 09/03/2010 Telephone number 07960 382405

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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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