Holy Trinity Pre-school

Holy Trinity Playgroup Holy Trinity Community Centre, London Road, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 1LQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/11/2014 06/01/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staff plan and provide a good variety of learning opportunities, utilising their teaching skills to support children of all abilities. Consequently, children are engaged and motivated learners, who make good progress and are well prepared for their next stage in learning, such as school.  Children are safe and secure as staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and implement effective policies and procedures to support this.  Leadership and management are good. Managers effectively evaluate and monitor all areas of the provision, taking account of the views of parents, children, staff and external agencies. This informs decision making, in order to promote continuous improvement.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals are well established. This ensures that each child's unique care and learning needs are well promoted by all those involved.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children are not able to freely access a range of creative resources, to support their further development in expressive arts and design.  Opportunities for staff to learn from each other, for example, through peer observations, are not fully embedded, so that the good practice is further developed.

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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 and interactions between staff and children in the two playrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the playgroup, a member of the management committee and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff working with children, the provider's self-evaluation and improvement plans.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in the playgroup's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Holy Trinity Playgroup was registered in 1970 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the community centre attached to Holy Trinity Church in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. It is managed by a voluntary management committee made up of parents and members of the local community. The playgroup serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from two first floor rooms, accessible via stairs or a lift. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The playgroup employs eight members of childcare staff. Of whom, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 to level 6, including the manager, who has a degree in early years. The playgroup opens Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 8am until 4pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 22 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The

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Information about the setting

playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children, who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance the creative area, to enable children to freely select a wider range of resources, to support their good development in expressive arts and design further still

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

 extend the programme of peer observations to enable staff to review and reflect on the quality of their own and other's practice, to enhance and extend the existing good standard of teaching.

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who attend

Children are well supported in making good progress in all areas of their learning and development. This is because staff observe them during their play to identify their current skills and interests. This information is then used to plan a wide range of activities and opportunities, which support children's identified next steps in learning. Planning includes a good balance between self-chosen activities and those led by adults. Children, therefore, have opportunities to develop their own ideas and interests through the resources and activities available. Staff involve parents in contributing information from home about their children's interests, when they first start in the playgroup. They incorporate these within the planning and encourage parents to share their child's achievements from home each term. Teaching is good as staff are knowledgeable about the children's skills and how to develop their learning effectively. For example, during a creative activity, they talk about

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who attend

the shape of the bauble that they are decorating for the advent calendar. They encourage children to identify the number on their bauble and name the different colours of glitter that they choose. Consequently, children make good progress in their learning, which enables them to be well prepared for the next stage of their lives and in preparation for school.

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who attend

Children's literacy skills are very well promoted by staff throughout the sessions. Staff encourage children to recognise their own names on their coat pegs and at snack and mealtimes through their name cards, which are placed on the tables. They plan regular letters and sounds activities and children are developing an understanding of letter sounds, such as those of their names. A writing table is available throughout the sessions for children to use a range of resources to develop their skills in making marks and writing. Staff read stories and sing songs with children everyday. They ask children lots of questions, such as 'Do you think the owl is happy or scared?' Staff follow this through by asking children what makes them scared. This encourages children's communication and language skills and enables them to express their feelings and emotions. Children engage happily with songs and action rhymes, selecting props for different songs from the song

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who attend

bag. For example, they select five currant buns, which children 'buy' during the song. Staff reinforce children's mathematical understanding during the activity through asking them what number is on their currant bun and counting in reverse from five to zero. Language is modelled well by staff, who speak clearly, listen to children's responses and repeat words to support further language development. Children, who speak English as an additional language, are well supported as staff obtain key words from parents in their home language, to support initial communication. The playgroup is a print rich environment where resources and displays are labelled with pictures and words. This supports children's understanding that print has meaning, in readiness for reading in the next stage of their learning, such as school. However, opportunities for children to be spontaneously creative are not fully supported, to enable them to freely select a wider

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who attend

range of resources. This is in order to support their good development in expressive arts and design further still.

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who attend

Partnerships between parents and staff are well established. Parents feel that they are well informed about their children's care and learning. They share detailed information about their child's likes and dislikes, skills and development on entry to the playgroup. This enables the key person to meet the needs of the child from the outset and supports them in making a more accurate assessment of children's starting points. Parents are actively encouraged to review their child's learning journal at anytime and to contribute observations about their child's learning at home. The required progress check for children between the ages of two and three years are in place, to complete with parents at the appropriate time. This ensures that children's needs are continually assessed and planned for and that children, who require additional support, receive this at the earliest opportunity. A weekly 'homework' book is sent home with children, to support parents in

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who attend

enhancing their learning at home. Staff share daily verbal information with parents, alongside a daily activity sheet about what their child has enjoyed doing. Parents have access to a range of leaflets and other information to support them in their parenting role. In addition, parents are invited to attend meetings with their child's key person, to receive updates on their progress.

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

The playgroup provides a welcoming environment for all children and their families. Parents comment that they 'really like the friendliness of the place' and that their children are 'really happy here'. Staff liaise closely with parents to plan initial visits to help make sure children settle well. Time is taken to ensure information is gathered from parents with regard to each child's individual needs and care routines. Staff ensure these needs continue to be met when the child starts to attend. The key-person system in place enables children to forge secure emotional attachments and to develop their confidence. Staff give children reassuring smiles, positive comments and cuddles when they need these. This helps children to feel safe and secure and develop a sense of belonging. As a result, children are happy and feel safe to independently explore the environment and make the most of what the playgroup has to offer them.

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

Children display good levels of behaviour and are well mannered and considerate to each other. This is because staff act as good role models and reinforce basic rules, such as being kind to their friends and sharing. Consequently, children learn to respect and tolerate each other as they play. Children's independence skills are well developed as staff give them lots of opportunities to do things for themselves. For example, children pour milk onto their cereal, peel their fruit, pour their drinks and put on their own coats for outdoor play. Children thoroughly enjoy the responsibilities they are given, which supports their developing confidence and self-esteem. Staff encourage good hygiene routines and when using hand gel before snack time, demonstrate how to ensure that all areas of the children's hands and fingers are sanitised. All of these opportunities equip children well to develop the necessary skills in preparation for their move onto school.

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

Children have daily opportunities for outdoor play in an environment that provides a variety of learning opportunities. Staff have running races with children, who excitedly wait for the 'ready, steady, go' before they move. Children become skilful at pedalling tricycles both forwards and backwards and staff model how to use scooters, to develop their balancing skills. In addition, children can climb, play imaginatively in the playhouse and dig in the mud. All of these opportunities promote children's physical development well. Children learn how to keep themselves safe through reminders to use equipment appropriately. They are reminded to hold onto the hand rail when using the stairs and to keep hold of the walking rope from the building to the outdoor play area. Children access good quality resources, making decisions and choices about what they want to do in a well-planned and interesting environment. Children's individual dietary needs are met

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

effectively. They are provided with a variety of healthy morning and afternoon snacks. Parents provide packed lunches for their midday meal and staff provide guidance on healthy foods to include. Mealtimes are sociable occasions as children talk and chat happily with staff. As staff eat with children, this provides opportunities for them to model healthy eating practices.

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provision

The safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are well understood and implemented by management and staff. This includes a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. Staff know who to inform of any concerns and are fully aware of their role and responsibility in protecting children from harm. This includes the safe use of mobile telephones and cameras within the playgroup. Daily risk assessments for indoors and outdoors are in place, to ensure the safety of the environment. Fire evacuations are practised regularly, to enable staff and children to be confident in the procedure to follow in an emergency. All staff have undertaken appropriate paediatric first-aid training, enabling them to be skilled in dealing with any minor injuries or first-aid emergencies. Security to gain entry into the playgroup is stringent. Staff ensure that visitors' identification is checked on entry, that everyone is

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provision

signed in and out of the building and that doors are secured to prevent unauthorised access. This ensures that children are safeguarded and records are accurate in the event of a fire or other emergency. All supporting policies and procedures are in place and reviewed regularly. This means that documentation relating to safeguarding and children's welfare is robust.

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provision

Since the last inspection by Ofsted, the manager and staff have been highly proactive in working with local authority advisors to address the actions and recommendations raised. They have developed their planning system, to meet all areas of learning and to better support individual children's further progress. Staff have received training and support to enable them to consistently implement the behaviour policy, develop their questioning skills with children and extend their mathematical understanding of shapes. In addition, management have developed a system to observe staff practice, as part of a monitoring process to improve the quality of teaching. There is scope, however, to support staff development further still through enabling them to carry out peer observations on colleagues. This is to enhance and extend their existing good standards of teaching and raise children's attainment to the highest levels. Staff receive regular support through

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provision

individual supervision meetings. This provides opportunities to discuss their professional development and any support they need, in order to fulfil their roles. Designated staff are in place for safeguarding, behaviour management and special educational needs and/or disabilities. Training for staff in first aid, safeguarding and food hygiene is updated every three years. In addition, staff attend additional courses through the local authority, to enhance their skills and the provision for the children.

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provision

The staff team have regular meetings, enabling them to work together to evaluate all areas of the provision and implement targeted plans for improvement. The management team have effective methods in place to monitor the quality of the children's learning journals and assessments, providing feedback to staff on how these can be improved. In addition, they monitor every child's progress to ensure that they are being supported in all areas of learning and that any gaps in learning or the provision are identified and swiftly acted upon. Strong relationships are developed with parents, who are very happy with the standard of care their children receive and the progress, which they identify they have made, such as counting and recognising their own names. Good links are established with the local schools that children move onto and staff share appropriate information to support their continuity of learning. Partnerships have also been developed with a wide

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provision

range of professionals and agencies, who sign post parents to the playgroup. Children, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well supported as staff work with professionals, such as speech and language therapists, on targeted plans, to meet their needs.

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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 218163 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 962720

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 22 Name of provider Holy Trinity Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 06/01/2014 Telephone number 01782 616367

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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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