St Paul's Playgroup

St Paul's Playgroup Church Hall, Mill Road, Northumberland Heath, Erith, Kent, DA8 1HN

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/10/2014 21/11/2013

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 Children's communication and language skills develop well because staff interact with them and encourage progress in line with their individual stage of development.  The playgroup continually reviews their practice through effective self-evaluation systems to ensure positive outcomes for all children.  Staff plan effectively for children's individual needs through assessing the stage they are at and planning interesting, challenging activities to support their progress and development  Children are cared for in a safe, secure environment where comprehensive risk assessments identify and minimise any potential hazards.  Partnerships with other professionals are effective in meeting children's needs.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always plan sufficient time for children to explore resources to promote their information and technology skills and understanding.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed safeguarding processes and checked evidence of safer recruitment, self-evaluation systems and the ongoing professional development of staff.  The inspector spoke to staff, children and parents during the inspection.  The inspector observed children enjoying child-initiated and small group activities.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation such as the attendance register, planning documents, children's records and staff records including suitability checks.  The inspector invited the manager to carry out a joint inspection.

p.2

Information about the setting

St Paul's Playgroup registered in 1992 and operates from St Paul's Church Hall in Erith in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a committee-run group supported by church members. The playgoup is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary Childcare Register. Children use the main hall and an adjacent hall. There is an enclosed outdoor play area. The playgroup is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm, and from 12.30pm to 3pm. Children attend for morning or afternoon session times. There is no afternoon session at the playgroup on the second Tuesday of every month.

p.3

Information about the setting

There are currently 29 children on roll in the early years age range. The playgroup provides funded early education for two, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who learn English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The playgroup employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one holds appropriate early years qualifications at level 4.

p.3

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

 extend opportunities for children to develop their information and technology skills by engaging them in activities to explore this area further.

p.3

who attend

The staff team demonstrate a good knowledge of the learning and development requirements. Staff's clear understanding of how young children learn and develop means that children are making good progress in relation to their individual starting points. Staff know the children in their care well and use this knowledge effectively to enhance each child's learning in line with their current skills, abilities and interests. Interaction between children and staff is good and effectively extends their learning as they play.

p.3

who attend

There is a wide range of stimulating activities and resources that support the seven areas of learning and these available for children to select independently. Children's ideas are supported enthusiastically by staff. For example, children want to add paint to the corn flour mixture to put some colour in it. A member of staff finds the children an alternative idea for changing the colour and they enjoy adding food colouring to the mixture, delighting in the colour change that occurs. This encourages and supports children to make decisions from an early age and develop their own ideas. Children have access to a range of resources which enable them to learn and explore information and technology. However, staff do not always provide enough time or support for children to be able to fully understand their use in everyday life.

p.3

who attend

The staff team support children's communication and language development well. They use a variety of different strategies to maximise opportunities for children to develop their early language skills. For example, staff support and enhance younger children's language development during play activities by introduce new vocabulary and modelling single words and short sentences. The use of questions and the introduction of more complex vocabulary supports the language development of older, more able children. For example, during a role-play activity, some children are using different medical equipment and a member of staff introduces the names of the different equipment and uses vocabulary such as 'examination, blood pressure' and 'pumping'. As a result, children's language is constantly supported. The playgroup has a very positive attitude towards supporting children who learn English as an additional language and children who speak dual

p.4

who attend

languages. Staff have devised visual prompt cards with pictures to encourage language development for younger children and children with English as an additional language. This helps children to relate words in their home language with their English equivalent.

p.4

who attend

The playgroup provides lots of opportunities for children to see print in meaningful contexts to enhance their understanding of letters and support their early reading skills. For example, children's names have now been added to their photographs for self- registration time. Toy boxes and trays now have photographs of the toy or activity and lower case labels to encourage children's recognition of letters and words. Children's understanding of the world around them is supported thorough outings in the local area and regular visits from members of the community. For example, the vicar comes in and reads with the children each week and children enthusiastically join in with song sessions with two members of the church.

p.4

who attend

Comprehensive observation and assessment systems enable staff to plan effectively for children's individual developmental needs. Each child is assigned a key person who is responsible for completing regular observations on each child in their key group. These observations are used to inform next step learning objectives for the weekly planning for each child to support their ongoing progress. Comprehensive tracking systems monitor children's progress across the areas of learning and help staff to identify any gaps or concerns about their learning. The playgroup uses appropriate development guidance documents to gauge where children are. This helps to support children in reaching expected levels of development. The robust observation and assessment systems include thorough progress checks for children aged two years, which are shared with parents. Recently staff have decided to divide the children into two different base rooms dependent

p.4

who attend

on their age to meet their differing needs. A rising fives activity supports the older and more able children in their preparation for school. Staff plan appropriate activities that develop their listening skills, their hand and eye coordination and early reading and mathematical skills.

p.4

who attend

The playgroup has established positive relationships with parents and carers and keeps them well informed about their child. A medium term planning board is now set up in the foyer with information on the areas of learning and how parents can support their children's development at home. Regular newsletters keep parents informed about forthcoming events. This enables them to be fully involved in contributing to their children's learning.

p.4

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

Children's health and safety is given a high priority and is underpinned by comprehensive policies and procedures. Settling-in procedures are effective and are tailored around the individual needs of children, in full consultation with their parents. Staff are extremely flexible regarding the settling-in period. For example, they suggest that children who are finding separation from parents difficult are collected slightly earlier in their first few weeks to support their move into playgroup. Staff liaise closely with parents at the start of their child's placement to find out all about the child's individual care needs, daily routines, current stage of development and interests. 'Getting to know you' forms are completed with parents; this information helps to form the initial plans for children's learning and development.

p.5

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

Low-level storage throughout the playgroup enables children to see what is available and independently select what they wish to play with from the range available. The playgroup encourages children to develop independence skills to prepare for their move onto school. Children serve themselves at snack times, and choose and pour their own drinks. Staff support younger children in this activity, while older children are encouraged to help to cut up their own fruit under supervision. Staff use these activities effectively to reinforce key skills such as sharing and turn taking and to introduce important health and safety messages involving hygiene and using tools safely.

p.5

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

Children are cared for in a safe, secure environment where comprehensive risk assessments identify and minimise any potential hazards. Daily checks are conducted by staff prior to children's arrival which supports their ongoing health and safety. On the day of the inspection, staff risk assessed that use of the outdoor area should be continually reviewed due to high winds. As a result, staff limited the time children spent outside and did not follow their normal free flow policy. This ensured that children's safety was fully promoted.

p.5

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

The playgroup has good hygiene routines in place to protect children from cross infection and to support them to develop independent hygiene practices. Children are learning the importance of good personal hygiene through effective daily routines, such as washing their hands before snack time and after going to the toilet. They are supported well by staff to develop independent hygiene practices that promote their health and well-being. When children sneeze, they are gently reminded by staff to go and wash their hands as this will stop their germs from spreading at playgroup. Posters are displayed in the bathroom area as a visual prompt to encourage children to wash their hands thoroughly. These self-help skills support children to gain important skills for the future.

p.5

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

Children are generally well behaved in the playgroup. They learn about boundaries in the playgroup as effective, consistent strategies are in place for managing unwanted behaviour.

p.5

provision

Safeguarding is given a high priority. The staff team are secure about their roles and responsibilities to protect all children in their care. The safeguarding policy and procedures have recently been reviewed and updated to include use of mobile phones and the use of social media with regards to photos of children. There is a designated person responsible for safeguarding issues who liaises with the local safeguarding team and external agencies regarding any safeguarding concerns. All staff have completed an on-line child protection course and most of the staff have recently updated their safeguarding training. As a result, staff demonstrate a secure understanding of child protection issues and the procedure to follow if they have cause for concern.

p.6

provision

Effective deployment of staff in the playgroup ensures children's on-going safety and well- being. For example, staff ensure that the indoor and outdoor areas are suitably supervised. All visitors show their identification, sign into the visitor's book and are fully supervised while at the setting, which safeguards the children attending. Good collection procedures are in place to ensure that children are only released to authorised adults. Parents are asked to inform staff of any changes regarding collection, and to record this information in the 'Who's collecting who' book. This ensures that children's safety and well-being is fully promoted. The staff team ensures that children are able to play in a safe and secure environment.

p.6

provision

There are robust recruitment process in place. The management team check staff suitability to work with children and their qualifications and skills to promote children's welfare and learning. An effective system for the supervision, appraisal and continual training of staff is in operation. The staff team have completed a wide range of different training courses to enhance their individual areas of interest and designated roles. Most of the staff team hold a valid paediatric first aid qualification, ensuring that they can provide prompt first aid in the event of a child becoming unwell or having an accident.

p.6

provision

Weekly evaluation meetings review planning and activities to ensure that the individual needs of all children are consistently met. Staff evaluate what activities have gone well and identify if they require any support to meet children's individual needs. Staff take into account the views of the children by observing them during play activities to ensure that they are interested, engaged and challenged in the resources and activities available. Staff are well supported in their continuous professional development through regular team meetings, staff supervision and appraisals and attending outside training. The playgroup has clearly documented action planning and uses self-evaluation and reflective practice effectively to identify areas for future development. Since the previous inspection, all actions and recommendations have been addressed. Improvements have been made how the playgroup supports literacy and independent hygiene routines. Parents and staff are

p.6

provision

fully involved in the self-evaluation process, which means that the views of all those who use and work in the playgroup are taken account of. The playgroup encourages partnership with parents by involving them in their children's learning. Staff share lots of information with them, through verbal discussions, parent questionnaires, newsletters, parent notice boards and at review meetings. Parents are positive in their feedback about the playgroup and feel that their children are happy and progressing well. Partnerships with other professionals are a key strength and mean that children benefit from and receive the support they need. The playgroup has established effective links with local schools to support children moving onto the next stage in their learning. For example, a playgroup bear, Boris has visited local schools with staff and individual books have been made showing children the different aspects of school life to

p.6

provision

prepare their move onto their new schools.

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number 115376 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 962621 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 29 Name of provider Parochial Church Council of St Paul’s Church Date of previous inspection 21/11/2013 Telephone number 07889 429 727 or 01322 336505

p.9

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

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,

p.10

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’.

p.11

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.11