Avening Playgroup

Avening Playgroup Sunground, Avening, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8NW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/10/2014 01/04/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 are motivated learners and progress well as a result of the good quality teaching given by the staff.  The friendly, caring environment gives children a sense of security and allows them the freedom to explore the play areas inside and outdoors.  Staff are creating strong and useful links in the community in order to enhance the experiences of children and to promote their understanding of the world.  Staff support children to develop independence in their health and self-care. They exercise regularly and learn the importance of good hygiene and good nutrition.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Sometimes the learning environment is not as rich and varied as possible because children do not have a variety of materials and resources available to choose from for their own, self-guided learning and imaginative play.  Staff do not fully embrace every opportunity to develop further children's awareness of their own personal safety.

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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 activities and staff interactions with children in the playroom, outside and on a visit to the local school.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked the evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including children's learning and development records, safeguarding and policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff, children, parents and chairperson of the playgroup committee.

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Information about the setting

Avening Playgroup opened in 1972 and operates from a purpose-built building in the village of Avening. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The playgroup is situated in a rural location near the town of Stroud in Gloucestershire. The group opens daily in during term time between 9:15am and 12:15pm. The playgroup is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 15 children from two years to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The playgroup supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. There are four members of staff, of whom two hold recognised early years qualifications at level 3, and one member of staff has achieved Early Years Professional Status at level 6.

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

 enhance children's learning with a richer variety of play experiences by providing different materials and resources, so there is more choice for children's self-guided learning and stimulate imaginative play

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

 maximise every opportunity for staff to provide greater explanations and guidance for children to promote their awareness of their personal safety.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good because the play leader and her staff fully understand how children learn. Staff complete baseline assessments when children begin attending the playgroup. These clearly identify children's skills and abilities so that staff can monitor their progress from the outset. Staff understand their role in ensuring that every child's learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs and to seek to engage and support parents in guiding their child's development at home. Parents contribute to their children's starting points and learning by completing detailed current interest sheets about their children. Staff use children's interests to plan activities, which lead to their next steps in learning. For example, staff provided magnifying glasses when children showed an interest in mini-beasts. Then staff ordered a cocoon for them to watch the transformation into a butterfly. This means that staff are meeting children's individual interests well.

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who attend

Staff make effective, written observations on their key children and others in the playgroup. They take photographs, annotate children's work and enter this information into children's individual profiles. This ensures that staff capture all children's achievements and these are shared with both parents and children. Staff summarise observations and achievements termly and identify clear next steps in learning. This enables staff to track children's progress so that any gaps in learning are quickly identified. Staff understand that all children are individuals and learn as they play and explore in their own ways. Therefore, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive support, which is specific to the way they learn. This sensitive support from staff and external agencies enables families and children to feel secure and supports parents to help their child's learning at home consistently.

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who attend

The educational programmes have depth and breadth across the seven areas of learning. Staff provide interesting and challenging experiences that meet the needs of children. Adult-led activities and routines consider children's skills and are developmentally appropriate. Children play with an impressive range of resources, the majority of which are available for them to reach independently and are clearly labelled. Children confidently transport toys to the areas they want to play, including a wide variety of mark-making tools. Staff organise space thoughtfully to create interesting areas, which effectively engage children's interest. For example, children make good use of the cosy book corner and the use of display. However, sometimes children do not have a wide variety of rich and varied materials and resources available to explore themselves, to encourage imaginative skills, natural curiosity and active learning.

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who attend

Staffs interaction with the children is enthusiastic and they use effective teaching techniques. They use skilful questioning techniques and allow time for children to think and respond. Children enjoy cuddles as they listen to a story and smile as staff give a running commentary about what is happening around them, widening children's vocabulary. Children join in enthusiastically during a physical activity, singing along and following actions to familiar songs. All these activities help them to develop good speaking and listening skills. Meal times are social occasions as children happily chat with other children and staff about what interests and excites them. As a result, children are developing very good communication and language skills and increasing their confidence as speakers.

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who attend

There are excellent arrangements to prepare children for their move to school. These include meeting with the teachers and taking children on visits to the schools they will be attending. For example, on the day of the inspection, children sat enthralled at the local school's Harvest Festival assembly. Staff keep parents well informed of their children's progress through termly summative assessment sheets and regular discussion with key staff. Parents take their children's profiles home regularly. Staff have a good knowledge of the progress check for two-year-old children and share this with parents. As a result, children have the key skills needed for the next steps in their learning and they are progressing well towards the early learning goals. Parents feel very welcome in the playgroup and know their child's key person very well. This means that parents are fully and effectively involved in their children's learning. As a result, all children are acquiring

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who attend

the skills, attitudes and dispositions they need to be ready for school.

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

The positive, friendly atmosphere and caring interaction of the play leader and staff helps children to develop a strong sense of security. Effective key-person arrangements ensure that the allocated key person fully understands their key children's individual care and learning needs. Staff provide advice and guidance to help children to learn how to keep themselves and others safe when they use simple tools. For example, they teach children how to use knives safely to spread jam..

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

The staff are skilled at recognising and responding to children needs. They skilfully provide an environment that nurtures children's self-esteem and confidence. The close relationships between the staff and the children, contribute to how safe and secure children feel in the setting. The staff provide a nurturing and stimulating environment that encourages children's independence in their play and self-care. Children move happily in the well-organised child-friendly playroom choosing toys and activities they wish to play with. The staff effectively plan a rich outdoor environment; the outdoor covered classroom is an equally exciting learning space all-year round for children to explore and make discoveries while enjoying fresh air.

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

The staff encourage children to manage their personal care and children are able to use the toilet independently. Good staff teaching helps children learn to wash and dry their hands after using the toilet and before eating to help prevent the spread of infection. All staff are very positive role models and give consistent guidelines that support children to play together happily, such as through sharing and taking turns. Overall, children's behaviour is very good and they have extremely positive relationships with the staff and with each other. Staff teach children to learn to take care of their resources and they put them away when they have finished with them. Staff teach children simple precautions to keep themselves and others safe, such as to hold on to the handrail when climbing on the slide in the garden and to pick up books so they do not fall over them. The staff practise fire evacuation procedures with children so that they develop an awareness of how to

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

evacuate the building in the event of an emergency. However, occasionally staff miss further opportunities to teach children about safety. For example, staff did not consistently provide clear explanations to children on road safety during a local outing. Staff did not explain why children needed to put their shoes back on to return to the playgroup so that they did not get splinters or cut their feet. Nevertheless, overall, children are learning useful skills that help prepare them for their move to school.

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

Staff are fully aware of the children's individual dietary needs and prepare healthy nutritious snacks to promote children's knowledge of healthy eating. Therefore, children gain an early understanding of what they require to keep healthy. The staff plan outdoor activities daily. They go out for regular walks in the local community, for example, to the local school and on seasonal walks. The children enthusiastically take part in activities in the garden, which enables them to spend time in the fresh air to boost their physical health. Children are learning to negotiate space successfully when riding bikes and they move with confidence in a range of ways, such as, running, sliding, climbing and balancing. This positive approach helps children to gain a positive attitude to being outside and supports a healthy lifestyle.

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provision

Leadership and management of the playgroup are good and all staff work very effectively together. The play leader takes an active part in directly caring for the children along with her team. Ongoing self-evaluation accurately identifies the strengths of the provision and helps the management team to identify areas for improvement.

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provision

The play leader and the committee chairperson have a clear understanding of the playgroup's responsibility to promote children's learning and development. There are effective processes in place to monitor the success of educational programmes. The play leader holds regular team meetings and termly individual supervision meetings with staff to promote consistent practice. The chairperson oversees and supports the running of the playgroup, and takes responsibility for annual appraisals, which help to identify any training needs and support continuing staff development.

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provision

The playgroup staff have effective precautions in place to safeguard children. These include rigorous recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. All staff have completed child protection training and one member of staff takes the lead in this area. They are very clear about what to do if they have concerns about a child's well-being. The play leader provides written policies for staff and parent helpers detailing the procedures to follow should concerns arise about the welfare of any child. These include specific guidance on the process for responding to an allegation against a member of staff. Staff ensure children are safe and secure through thorough risk assessments that take place daily to identify potential hazards and staff take action to minimise these. This helps to promote children's welfare.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are very positive. Parents praise the dedicated staff for the care and attention, their children receive and are very satisfied with the progress they are making. Staff take time to speak with parents each day and children benefit from observing these friendly exchanges. There are effective arrangements to work with other early years providers where they share the children's care to promote consistency in learning and development. In addition, staff have experience of working successfully with a broad range of professionals to meet children's individual needs.

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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 101752 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 835628 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 15 Name of provider Avening Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 01/04/2009 Telephone number 01453 832695

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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

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’.

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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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