Pucklechurch Playgroup

Pucklechurch Playgroup Community Centre, Abson Road,Pucklechurch, Pucklechurch, South Glos, BS16 9RW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/09/2014 25/11/2008

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early years provision

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

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This provision requires improvement

 The manager and staff understand and implement the policies and procedures well, which promotes children's safety.  Staff are enthusiastic when they play with children and deploy themselves well during free play, which children welcome as they like playing alongside them.  Staff teach children good social and independence skills. As a result, children's behaviour is good, they have friendships, work well in groups and can do things for themselves. This is preparing them for school.  The manager uses self-evaluation to identify areas to improve and has a commitment to developing the service.

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It is not yet good because

 The programme for communication and language is not fully developed. Staff do not use effective interaction or questioning techniques to develop children's language skills and challenge the more able children to help them make good progress.  Staff do not plan activities and experiences across all areas of learning outdoors to effectively capture children's interests and challenge them.

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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 hall and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation including a sample of children's records, planning, and records to check staff suitability to work with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of some children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of the inspection, and of the provider's self-evaluation.  The inspector held meetings with the manager of the playgroup.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager of the playgroup.

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Information about the setting

Pucklechurch Playgroup first opened in 1980. It operates from the community centre in Pucklechurch, a village situated near Bristol in South Gloucestershire. The group is managed by a parent committee and serves the local community. Children have access to the large hall and a fully enclosed, designated outside play area. Access to the large hall is on one level. The group is registered on the Early Years Register and the Compulsory and Voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 19 children attending who are in the early years age group. The group supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The group is open five days a week during school term times. Sessions run from 9.15am to 12.15pm Monday, Thursday and Friday, and on a Tuesday and Wednesday from 9.15am to 3pm. Children may attend a number of sessions. The playgroup employs four members of staff. Two members of staff, including the manager,

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Information about the setting

hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The playgroup receives advice and support from the Local Authority.

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must:

 raise the quality of teaching to a consistently good standard by ensuring that staff use skilled questioning techniques to challenge more able children's thinking and through engaging all children in conversations that broaden their vocabularies, giving them time to respond to questions.

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

 develop the outdoor area so that it is well planned to offer more choice of activities across all areas of learning, so providing interesting and challenging experiences to meet the needs of all children.

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who attend

Overall, staff give children suitable opportunities to access experiences that support their development although outdoor learning is planned for less effectively. This means that children have limited play and learning opportunities in the outdoor area. As a result staff do not develop children's interests and next steps in learning. Staff provide some resources outside that offer children the chance to explore and learn, and they have adequate time in the session's routine for free choice of play outside. However, they are not sufficiently challenged and can get bored and lose interest. For example, when playing in the Den, staff help the children set up their play. However, they then walk away to tend to other duties, and children are not sure how to continue their play, lose interest and wander away. Individual staff take responsibility for the learning of groups of children. They make regular observations and assessments of children; this information informs

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who attend

some of the planning of future activities. Parents receive information about their children's learning and parents give information about their child's development at home, which means children's starting points are clear. There is varied understanding across the staff team about assessing and planning processes for children and as a result, children do not always make the same levels of progress. Staff are not always using their observation and assessments to inform them of what children need to learn next. Some staff promote children's communication and language skills by talking to them about themselves, and asking questions to make them think. For example, during a bug hunting activity, staff asked the children where they thought they may find bugs, and introduced new vocabulary, such as 'Daddy longlegs'. Children became involved in the activity and were eager to use the new words they had learnt and search for and talk about what they had

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who attend

found. However, some staff are not so skilled so teaching is variable. They used too many questions that required single word responses, which are hard for children to understand and did not stretch children's thinking. For example, staff asked questions such as 'What colour is this?', which only require a yes or no reply. Sometimes they did not give children enough time to think and respond either, which defeated the point of asking a question. For example, in the water tray staff ask children a closed question 'Is it full?' and when they respond 'yes' they tell them 'no that's not to the top yet'. This is not effective for developing children language and communication skills and does not encourage opportunities for children to speak, communicate and register what the adult has said. This slows progress in their communication and language development.

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who attend

Staff spend time playing alongside children, observing their interests and giving them some one-to-one attention. However, these interactions are often too short as adults move on to doing something else, so children do not always benefit from the activities or receive challenge. For example, outside a member of staff observed children making water marks on the wall with paintbrushes. The children are encouraged in their play and given some praise however she does not continue the interaction by staying nearby and misses an opportunity to teach the children something new. Therefore, the adult does not offer any extension or challenge to children and this slows learning.

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who attend

Inside, staff provide children with a range of play activities covering different aspects of learning. For example, children were taught about shapes and colour as they explore and play with dough. Staff named the shapes and when children made eyes, staff extended this by asking them to make ears, a nose and a mouth. Children practised their writing skills, using whiteboards and pens to make marks. Children exercised as they ran around and climbed through pop up tunnels. The children enjoy regular opportunities to engage with imaginative play for example, they pretend play in groups in the home area and developed their ideas with their friends.

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

The system of having key adults allocated to a child works efficiently so children make secure attachments with the staff. Staff invite children to visit the playgroup before they start and use this time to collect initial information about their learning and development. The regular two-way exchange of information between parents and staff helps the staff to meet children's needs and helps them settle in the playgroup. The children have learning diaries in which staff and parents record information about the children's interests and achievements. Parents take learning diaries home to share with their families. This helps them become involved in their children's learning at home.

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

Staff teach children to behave well and the atmosphere is calm. Staff teach children about the needs of others, and staff and children enjoy being together. For instance, staff have fun with children, they tell each other jokes and they take turns in conversation. This promotes good relationships with children. This means that they are learning some of the social skills that they need to be ready for school.

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

Children enjoy nutritious snacks and staff encourage them to make healthy food choices. Staff invite children to eat together at the table and they are observed to be sociable with one another. This arrangement helps children develop not only their social skills but their self-care and physical skills too. Staff teach children good hygiene skills as they provide them with antibacterial gel to rub into their hands. Staff ensure children have opportunities at these times to develop their independence and physical skills as they pour their milk from a jug and cut their fruit. This benefits children's development as they build an understanding of being healthy and doing things for themselves. Staff ensure that children have opportunities to play outside in the fresh air as children can choose where they would like to play. This helps them to get regular exercise and promotes healthy lifestyles.

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

Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. Staff liaise with parents and other professionals and have used additional resources to meet children's needs, such as picture timetables to help children follow the playgroup routine. Staff know which children are present daily and carry out daily checks of the indoor and outdoor areas used by children to provide a safe and secure environment for them to play and learn.

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

Staff have links with the other settings that children attend and work with them to help prepare children for their move in to school. For example, staff have made children communication books which go to and from home and the other settings children attend to share information about their current needs and interests. This helps promote a consistent approach towards children's care and learning needs between settings.

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provision

The manager has a sufficient understanding of her role and responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She implements appropriate policies and procedures to keep children safe. Staff show an understanding of the signs and symptoms that a child may be at risk of harm and understand the importance of safeguarding children in their care. Staff deal with safeguarding concerns, such as accidents and injuries that occur suitably. Staff are consistent in their approaches when dealing with safeguarding situations and the playgroup records are well maintained. This helps the manager to monitor them suitably ensuring all children are adequately cared for.

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provision

The manager has a suitable knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Overall, the educational programme covers all of the areas of learning and helps children make some progress. The organisation of staff appraisals and supervisions is developing. These provide opportunities for the staff to discuss their professional development and identify any training needs. This means that staff are given some opportunities to develop their teaching skills to support children's learning and development. However, the manager has not effectively identified all of the weaknesses in teaching or steps needed to improve the overall outcomes for children. As a result, teaching is variable and children are not making consistent progress.

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provision

The provider's recruitment systems help ensure staff are suitable to work with children. All required information is maintained to support children's safety and welfare. Records are stored securely to maintain confidentiality.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are sound. The management has introduced parent questionnaires and uses parent meetings to seek parents' views. This enables the manager to review the service and prioritise improvements to benefit children. Self- evaluation identifies most areas for development. For example, improving the use of the outdoor area and developing the learning opportunities for children outdoors. This shows that the manager and staff reflect on their practice in order to drive improvement. Parents receive sufficient information about the playgroup through paperwork when they start, a parents' information board and regular letters. Parents report that they feel staff tell them how their children are when they are at playgroup and receive daily verbal feedback. This keeps them informed of their children's day.

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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. 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 136060 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 842983 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 19 Name of provider Pucklechurch Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 25/11/2008 Telephone number 0779 068 3311 or 077367 13730

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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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