St. Peter & St. Paul's Playgroup

St Peter and St Paul Playgroup St Peter & St Paul Church, Parkstone Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2NT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/12/2014 03/03/2011

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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 have an established key-person system in place and good trusting relationships are formed ensuring that children feel safe and secure.  Staff have effective strategies in place to communicate closely with, respect and include all parents, meaning that they develop strong relationships.  Safeguarding is a priority within the setting, which means that all children remain safe.  Staff demonstrate good knowledge and a variety of effective techniques to promote children's communication and language skills.  Staff have established planning and assessment systems in place, providing stimulating and motivating resources and activities to meet the needs of all individual children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not make full use of visual displays to encourage recall and give meaning to children's learning.

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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 viewed the areas of the nursery that children use.  The inspector observed staff interacting with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled written documentation, including children's progress reports, policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to children, gathered parents' views, and spoke in depth with staff.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

St Peter and St Paul's Playgroup is a committee-run provision which opened in 1971 and operates from a room within the church building. It is situated in a residential area of Hastings, East Sussex, close to local shops and schools. All children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The playgroup is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 22 children on roll. The playgroup is able to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as those who speak English as an additional language. The playgroup operates for 38 weeks of the year offering morning sessions from 9am to 12 noon from Monday to Friday and afternoon sessions from 12 noon to 3pm on Monday and Thursday. There are six staff employed to work with the children, of whom five hold appropriate childcare qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. A minimum of three staff are present each session, including two who are

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

 develop further opportunities for children to use recall and give meaning to their learning.

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who attend

Staff support and extend children's learning and development well, through detailed planning and assessment. They are an experienced team and demonstrate a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Dedicated staff offer a variety of open- ended resources and experiences, which are accessible to children in both the indoor and outdoor play areas. For example, children enjoy investigating with the mathematical resources, such as the magnets, develop coordination using pegs and a washing line, and practise large physical skills as they challenge themselves by negotiating space in a variety of movements. Staff organise resources and the environment well and make the activities accessible and inviting to the children. Staff encourage children to make independent choices in their play; this enables children to engage and actively learn. For example, children are included in setting up the session as they choose what they wish to play with

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who attend

Staff plan achievable and challenging next steps in learning for all children, based upon their individual needs and preferences for learning. Staff make daily observations and have regular team meetings to discuss these. Staff clearly record and track children's progress to ensure the prompt identification of any potential gaps in their learning. As a result, all children make good progress. Staff effectively extend children's learning and engagement. For example, children make marks with objects and recognise letters in shaving foam. Staff skilfully adapt the activity to suit each individual child and their abilities.

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who attend

Staff communicate closely with parents to gather and share information regarding new children. They gather this through observations and home visits, which helps to ensure that they meet all children's needs and provide a consistency of care for all children. Staff establish strong relationships with parents and outside professionals. They use effective strategies to maintain continuity of care for all children. For example, parents take home learning journeys in which staff accurately record children's development. This helps to ensure continuity of learning between home and the playgroup. Parents take an active role in their children's development. For example, they attend parents' days and staff invite them in to take part in events and have weekly parent helpers. This enables the staff to maintain strong relationships and share ideas for learning with parents. Parents comment that they are well supported regarding understanding their children's progress.

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who attend

For example, they state, 'I am happy with the setting. I feel included and my concerns and questions are always listened to and well answered. I trust the staff 100%.'

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who attend

Children have good opportunities to use a variety of materials and to experiment with making marks. For example, children use paints, chalks and pens on a daily basis. This develops their imagination and early writing skills, supporting the development of their hand-eye coordination and small muscle control. However, staff do not make full use of displays for children to be visually stimulated to recall and give meaning to their learning. Children use the secure outdoor area daily to enjoy fresh air and exercise. Staff support children to develop control and coordination of their bodies through providing balancing activities and movement activities.

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who attend

Staff constantly offer high levels of good quality interaction with all children. For example, staff consistently use visual prompts, facial expression, tones of voices and appropriate verbal language. This effectively supports all children's communication and language skills, regardless of the children's needs, interests and abilities.

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

The key-person system is well established and, as a result, children develop strong and trusting relationships. Children are settled and happy and demonstrate a sense of belonging, as well as feeling safe and secure. For example, children affectionately offer their hands to hold and give staff hugs. Staff use constant positive interactions to give consistent praise. This means that children demonstrate good behaviour throughout their session at the playgroup.

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

Staff plan activities to help children develop their physical skills. For example, children learn to independently and confidently wash their hands before snack. Staff discuss appropriate clothing for the outdoor weather using open-ended questions to promote critical thinking for example such as ,What do you think we need a scarf for?' Staff encourage children to develop their independence during snack time, for example by pouring their own drinks and selecting their own bowls for their cereal.

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

Staff provide high levels of supervision for the children. They encourage awareness of using equipment safely, such as acting as good role models when using scissors during a present wrapping activity. They sit with the children during activities, such as cutting and snack, and reassure, interact with and also extend learning for the children. During these times, children imitate staff's positive behaviour and language skills. As a result, children have good opportunities to develop language, social skills and demonstrate good behaviour.

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

All staff give high priority to safeguarding. Effective daily and long-term risk assessments of the learning environment and resources are in place and are regularly reviewed and evaluated. This supports staff to ensure that all play areas in both the indoor and outdoor environment are safe and secure. All staff hold a relevant first-aid qualification helping to ensure the safety of all children. Children regularly participate in fire evacuation drills developing their understanding and confidence to keep themselves out of danger in an emergency situation. As a result, children of all abilities develop understanding of identifying and managing risk.

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provision

The management team uses effective systems to ensure the safe recruitment of suitable, knowledgeable and dedicated staff. It provides an in-depth induction process and reviews policies and procedures regularly. As a key part of the induction process, staff cover the safeguarding policies and procedures, and points of contacts. They are required to complete safeguarding training. Staff, therefore, demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of the nursery's policies and procedures, and the importance of adhering to them.

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provision

The management team has good knowledge of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and uses an established tracking process to monitor all children's progress. This enables them to accurately monitor the children's progress and promptly highlight any potential gaps in development. Staff support children on an individual basis, ensuring that they meet all children's needs and preferences well. This means that children feel valued, respected and listened to. The management team observe staff regularly to identify areas of improvement for professional development. Staff participate in regular team meetings and training.

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provision

Management invite all staff and parents to contribute to identifying areas for improvement and ideas for development. They share and listen to others' views and ideas through the use of parents meetings, observations, parent helper days and detailed verbal and written communications. Staff demonstrate that they are dedicated and determined to continue making improvements. For example, management and staff have identified the importance of tracking children's development and sharing these in a clear and friendly way with parents so have recently reviewed and made positive improvements to establish this within their learning journeys. Staff have also developed a rolling snack bar to accommodate the needs of all the children. They allow them to choose when they are ready to have snack so as not to interrupt the learning and play that they become engrossed in.

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provision

Staff establish positive relationships with other professionals, including the local Early Years support team and other local early years providers. Staff have an effective system to share information and strategies, maintaining a consistency of care for all children. Staff use well-embedded strategies to support children with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. For example, they use visual prompts and a variety of resources. They also invite in parents and visitors, attend training and gain advice and support and advice from other professionals. As a result, all children make good progress.

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provision

Staff offer a high level of communication, reassurance and support to all parents and children, resulting in parents speaking fondly of the nursery. Parents make comments such as, 'My child is well supported here, as am I. I am extremely happy with their progress.'

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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 109514 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 816958 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 22 Name of provider St Peter and St Paul Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 03/03/2011 Telephone number 07788603221

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

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

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