Field Lane Playgroup Limited

Field Lane Playgroup Limited Field Lane Community Centre, Field Lane, ALVASTON, Derby, Derbyshire, DE24 0GW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/10/2014 10/05/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff promote children's safety when they play in the environment as they supervise them at all times and ensure that they have age-appropriate toys and resources.  Staff are friendly and welcoming and provide effective support for children to settle and feel comfortable within the environment.  Staff gather and share useful information with parents and carers, and other settings that children attend, and are effective in agreeing consistent support where there are concerns about their child's development.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not consistently plan activities that provide appropriate challenge or that take into account children's next steps of learning, to help children to make good progress towards the early learning goals.  The provider has not yet thoroughly established how information, including the use of some electronic equipment, will be managed to protect the privacy of children.  Systems to manage staff are not yet rigorous enough to ensure that all staff receive appropriate support, coaching and training to improve their effectiveness, to benefit children's learning and development.  Evaluation of practice does not always specifically identify what needs to be improved or how this will be measured, to ensure that it is having a beneficial impact on the children who attend.

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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 in the hall and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation of two activities with the deputy manager.  The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the staff working with the children and the provider's self-evaluation form.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Field Lane Playgroup Limited opened in 2005 and is registered on the Early Years Register. It operates from Field Lane Community Centre in the Alvaston area of Derby, and is privately owned. The playgroup serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The playgroup employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 4, six at level 3 and one at level 2. The playgroup opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 3pm, which includes a breakfast club between 8am and 9.15am. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 90 children attending who are in the early years age group. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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must:

 plan a challenging experience for each child, taking into account their stage of development, to support them to make good progress towards the early learning goals

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must:

 improve the supervision of staff so that it provides support, coaching and training to improve their personal effectiveness that promotes the interests of children

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must:

 ensure that robust steps are taken with regards to the way that information is handled within the setting, including the use of any electronic equipment, to protect the privacy of children.

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

 develop a clear and useful improvement plan that brings together all of the areas for improvement and identifies clear and measurable targets for success, to support children's achievements over time.

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who attend

Children enjoy themselves as staff promote a welcoming environment. Staff effectively promote children's independence as they encourage them to move around the environment independently. They support children to decide what they want to do for the majority of the session. This includes moving between the indoors and outdoors for a proportion of the session. Staff encourage children to join in and play with others and do not interrupt them unnecessarily when they observe that they are engaged in play. This means that children receive some support for the skills they will need, as they move forward in their learning. However, the quality of teaching requires improvement. Staff generally make an accurate assessment of children's stage of development and where they need support. Although they do not always plan appropriately challenging activities or consistently take into account children's next steps in learning, to help children to make

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who attend

good progress in their learning. For example, when children engage in a craft activity, there is very little differentiation for children to extend their learning or teach them new skills.

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who attend

Children enjoy the role-play area and spend time in imaginative play based on their own experiences. Staff provide suitable interaction as they encourage children to engage with the activity and ask questions, such as to explain what they are making for breakfast. Children develop their skills in reading and writing, as they find their own name when they arrive and at meal times, and staff encourage them to write their name on their artwork. Younger children happily sit at the drawing table and scribble as they develop the control to hold a pencil and show an interest in the marks they have made. Staff encourage children to count during play, for example, the number of bricks they have in a tower, to support their mathematics development. Staff effectively support children to develop their self-care skills at snack times, as they guide them to pour their own drinks, use age- appropriate equipment and serve themselves the fruit.

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who attend

Staff develop a positive relationship with parents and carers. They gather information about children's prior learning so that they can help them to settle. They share appropriate information with parents and carers where there are concerns about their child's development. Parents and carers comment on the usefulness of this information sharing. Staff make effective use of the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, to gather information from other professionals where there are concerns, so that they can implement additional activities if required.

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

Staff are effective in helping children to settle and feel comfortable in the environment. They gather useful information about children's needs and routines so that they know if they need any comforters. Staff ensure that they monitor children who are upset because they are new to the playgroup, and give appropriate support. Staff position themselves around the room as children arrive, so that there is an adult they can go to if they need any support. They lay out the room before children arrive, so that children can immediately start playing. As a result, children enter the playgroup happily and chat to staff. Parents and carers comment that the support staff give to children to help them settle is effective and that they welcome the regular feedback on how their child is settling. Staff provide effective support to help to prepare children emotionally for when they move to school. They read stories to the children about going to school. They take

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

children on visits to the school so that they can get used to the environment and the staff. They provide a written summary of the child's stage of development that they take to school, so that staff at the school can help children to settle more quickly.

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

Children behave well in the playgroup. Staff are good role models who are calm and friendly. Children have a positive relationship with staff and other children and enjoy their company and interaction. On the occasion that children do fall out over a toy, staff manage this well. They get down to children's level and explain the expectations about sharing and taking turns. Staff effectively set the expectations for the routine of the session. As a result, children listen and follow instructions, for example, lining up to go and wash their hands. The effective layout of the indoor and outdoor space means that children can move around comfortably and engage in play in an area without interruption. When staff provide access to the outdoor area, during the session, children move between the indoors and the outdoors without fuss. There is a suitable range of toys and resources available, both indoors and outdoors, to promote children's learning within the seven

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

areas of learning. For example, children plant and grow flowers in the garden to develop their understanding of the world. They use large-scale construction blocks outdoors to build towers, which supports their learning in mathematics.

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

Staff effectively teach children an understanding of how to stay safe. For example, when children rock backwards on a chair, staff explain that they need to sit on all four legs otherwise they may fall over. They encourage them to recall past events, so that it gives some meaning to their explanations. Children move carefully around the environment which demonstrates that they understand how to stay safe, for example, they walk indoors. Staff sometimes provide activities on aspects of safety, for example, 'stranger danger' and the role of people in the community, such as the road crossing person. Staff adequately support children to develop an understanding of a healthy lifestyle. They remind children why they are washing their hands and model how to rub the soap all over to get them clean. The playgroup provides healthy meals, for example, fruit with milk or water at snack time. Staff sometimes remind parents and carers that the expectation is

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

that they provide a healthy lunch box, if children do not have their lunch provided by the playgroup.

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provision

Staff demonstrate a suitable understanding of child protection issues and what to do if they have any concerns. They are able to recognise an appropriate range of signs and indicators of abuse and neglect. As a result, children are protected in this regard. There are suitable procedures in place to establish the suitability of staff to work with children. Staff effectively supervise children throughout the session to ensure their safety. They spread themselves around the main hall, as well as the outdoor area, so that they can observe children during play. There are age-appropriate toys and resources and staff lay out mats around certain pieces of equipment outdoors, so that children can play safely. There are some suitable procedures in place to ensure the safety of information and the use of electronic equipment. For example, staff do not use their mobile phones on the premises. However, this has not been fully extended to cover all eventualities, such as the

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provision

use of mobile telephones by parents or carers or the storage of information on the laptop. However, the risk to children is minimised, as staff always supervise children as they are dropped off or collected and therefore, observe what parents and carers are doing. Staff maintain a clean and hygienic environment to promote children's health. The playgroup has received a five star food hygiene rating for practice when preparing and serving food.

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provision

All staff have a childcare qualification and demonstrate a suitable knowledge of how to support children's learning and development. There is an appropriate induction so that staff are familiar with their roles during the session and the policies and procedures. There are some procedures in place to manage the performance of staff, although they are not yet thorough. Staff have a regular one-to-one session with the manager to discuss their performance and identify where they feel they need support. This does not yet include thorough feedback from the management team on their performance, or appropriate mentoring, coaching or specific training to improve their effectiveness. Staff do sometimes reflect on training they attend to identify how this is benefiting the children who attend. For example, following recent training in speech and language, staff are more confident and proactive in identifying early concerns about children's communication skills. The

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provision

recent implementation of a useful individual tracker helps staff to quickly and easily identify any gaps in children's learning and development. The playgroup makes effective use of planning documents to ensure there is a varied and balanced curriculum. The staff team evaluate the effectiveness of the playgroup and some relevant areas for improvement. However, they are not always specific in what needs to be improved and how, so that they can measure the success of these improvements and how they benefit the children who attend. They do take on board feedback from external agencies, such as the local authority and implement improvements. For example, they have adjusted the layout and resources within the main hall, which means children move around comfortably, can play uninterrupted and enjoy a range of activities.

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provision

Staff develop effective partnerships with parents and carers so that they can consistently support children's needs. Parents and carers are very positive about the playgroup, how approachable the staff are and the daily feedback they receive on what their child has been doing. The playgroup provides a useful induction meeting with parents and carers so that they know the routine of the session, the activities and the policies and procedures. This ensures that parents and carers are informed of information that affects the care of their child. The manager prepares a regular newsletter that keeps parents and carers up to date with information about forthcoming activities. Also reminders about aspects, such as sending appropriate clothing for children to wear outdoors and that they can see their child's learning record at any time. Staff demonstrate a suitable understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities when necessary. They

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provision

discuss concerns with parents and carers as well as relevant professionals, implementing additional activities where appropriate, to ensure children get the correct support. Staff work well with parents and carers of children who speak English as an additional language. They gather words in the child's home language, that reflect the routine of the session, for example, snack so that they include and support the child. They also encourage parents and carers to reinforce these words at home. Staff take a proactive approach to working in partnership with other settings that children attend. They establish what information they will share and gather, and update this on a regular basis, to complement the support provided in the other setting.

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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 EY307423 Local authority Derby, City of Inspection number 975202

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 90 Name of provider Field Lane Playgroup Limited Date of previous inspection 10/05/2011 Telephone number 01332 571699

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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

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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