St Mawes & St Just Under Fives

St Mawes & St Just Under Fives St Mawes Recreation Ground, St. Mawes, TRURO, Cornwall, TR2 5AR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/09/2014 17/02/2011

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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

 It is a well-established group where children have fun and make good progress, so it is highly valued by the community.  Staff demonstrate effective teaching skills and provide plenty of activities to suit the ages and abilities of all children.  Staff make good use of the local facilities and outdoor play areas to offer children exciting learning opportunities.  Staff and parents work closely together to support children's individual development and to prepare them for their next stage.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff seek information from parents when children first attend so they know about children's individual needs, although this does not cover each specific area of learning and development fully.  Although staff provide some activities for older children to do at home with their families, they do not always extend this to all children.

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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 children in their indoor and outside play activities.  The inspector had discussions with committee members, staff and parents.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the nominated person.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector read a sample of records and documentation, including children's development folders.  The inspector checked safety of the premises.

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Information about the setting

St. Mawes and St. Just Under Fives Group is managed by a voluntary parent committee. It opened in 1981 and operates from an accessible building situated at St. Mawes Recreation Ground, in the village of St. Mawes, Cornwall. The group is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am until 1pm during term time only. Children aged under two years attend the community group session on a Tuesday, accompanied by their parents. All children share access to a secure enclosed play area. The group is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 10 children on roll. The group receives funding to provide free early education places for children aged three and four years. There are three employed members of staff who work with the children, each has an appropriate early years qualification at level 3.

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

 improve the information sought from parents to include more detail on children's language development, to enable a more rigorous assessment of starting points

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

 extend the opportunities to promote shared learning at home, to include all children and enhance their development.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of children's learning and development. They provide interesting activities that children enjoy. Planning takes clear account of the ages and needs of the children and this enables staff to tailor the sessions to offer effective challenges. For example, on two of the days they focus on children over the age of two years, who attend by themselves. These sessions have more structure to help prepare children for school, because they learn to cooperate and concentrate in a group situation. There is a good balance of independent free-play and organised activities. Staff set out attractive activities for children to discover. For instance, children are keen to paint at the creative play table where staff enable the children to print shapes and then express themselves freely. Children talk about colour and texture as they cover their fingers with paint. They join staff readily for a singing session and move around to the music. Staff

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who attend

engage well with children to extend interest and learning. For example, they provide additional resources, such as picture boards outside, to help children identify insects and creatures. Staff help children to make a list of things that they want to find when they go on a nature trail. This activity supports children's literacy development and understanding of the world. Staff plan related activities to build on children's experiences, for example, they are currently creating a wormery for children to observe.

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who attend

Staff effectively reinforce children's learning with interesting themes and topics. For example, they read the story of the three little pigs and then collect sticks, stones and straw together, so that the children can make models to recreate the tale. Children enjoy role-playing to act out stories as they pretend to be a popular character. In the summer term staff introduce the 'Holiday Bear' activity with older children, which is popular with families. Children take the bear away with them and record their adventures. This type of activity is effective for shared learning, although staff do not extend opportunities to all children. Staff and parents organise trips, such as to the beach, castle and aquarium. These outings help children to learn about their environment and places of interest. Suitable observation and assessment procedures are in place to monitor children's progress. Staff ask parents for initial information to enable them to meet children's care

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who attend

needs. They find out about children's physical skills and emotional development. However, there is less detail on their communication and language development, to enable a comprehensive assessment of children's starting points. Staff complete the required progress check for two-year-old children and share this with parents. Staff have good links with the primary school, which enables them to support children as they prepare to move. For example, they take children on visits to the school to help them understand what will change for them.

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

Babies and toddlers attend a session with their parents, so they become familiar with the premises and feel secure. Consequently, when they reach the age of two years they are usually ready to separate from parents and start playgroup. Parents and staff have warm, trusting relationships, which contributes to young children being happy. Children benefit from consistent routines, which provide a structure to the session that they understand. For example, children choose what they want to do on arrival and they respond quickly when staff say it is snack or circle time. Staff are aware of children's individual needs and abilities and provide good support. For instance, they know when children need help or reminders in their personal care. This means that they help children to develop independence skills. Staff promote children's learning throughout the session. For example, children look for their names on the registration board. Staff extend the activity

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

to teach children about letter sounds and shapes and this helps them learn to recognise and write their own names.

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

Children enjoy frequent outdoor play activities where they can practise their physical skills. For example, they ride around on wheeled toys, climb onto the viewing platform and thread ribbons through mesh. Staff organise traditional playground games, so children have fun as they play together. A trip to the local fire station provides a stimulating practical learning experience for children. They talk to the fire fighters, have a go with the hosepipe and see the fire engine at close quarters. This activity reinforces children's understanding of fire safety when they practise the evacuation drill with staff. Suitable arrangements are in place to meet children's dietary needs; staff offer younger children regular drinks and remind older children to help themselves, to prevent thirst. Staff provide a substantial snack, which includes a variety of fruits and savoury options. Children grow vegetables and apples outside, which they harvest and eat. Staff encourage

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

children to use cutlery to cut fruit at snack time, to develop their physical skills. Staff talk with children about portions, sections, colour and texture and this results in children making observations and comments, which demonstrates their knowledge and interest. Children enjoy their time at the group and behave well.

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provision

The committee and staff work together effectively to provide a purposeful community group for families. They demonstrate a good understanding of their responsibilities and securely meet the legal requirements. Support and supervision of children is good due to efficient deployment of adults. For example, parents take an active part in the sessions to help with activities and tasks. Staff check that ratios are met and that children are safe. For instance, they make it clear how many adults need to go outside with the children. Parents help with outings to accompany children and increase the ratios. All staff employed to work with children go through a robust vetting and recruitment procedure. Clear induction and supervision sessions monitor ongoing suitability. Parent helpers have sound guidance on their role and staff advise them of the procedures to safeguard children's welfare. Staff undertake regular safety checks and take action to minimise risks

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provision

to children. They provide a secure environment for children to play and learn.

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provision

Staff reflect on their practice to evaluate their effectiveness on children's learning, for example, they review activities to check that they achieved the learning objectives. They note children's recollections to assess their understanding, for instance, they ask children what they remember about creatures and sounds outside. Staff have regular meetings and consultations with parents. They work together to raise funds for resources, with a current plan to improve the outdoor play facilities. Families take part in special events, such as social occasions and sports day. Parents are very happy with the group and provide positive feedback. Staff attend network meetings and various courses to update their childcare knowledge. They take ideas from training to continue to develop and improve their practice. For example, they have increased the outdoor play opportunities to support boys' learning. They use sand-timers to help children understand timescales so that they

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provision

learn to share. This promotes positive behaviour and provides a visual aid in communication with children. Staff are aware of the services available that provide support to children's development. They make suitable arrangements to work in partnership with others to promote inclusion.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 102868 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 984976 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 10 Name of provider St Mawes & St Just In Roseland Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 17/02/2011 Telephone number 07814 806660 or 01326 270910

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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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