Tolleshunt Knights Cooperative Playgroup

Tolleshunt Knights Co- operative Playgroup Tolleshunt Knights Village Hall, Top Road,Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon, Essex, CM9 8ET

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 February 2015 25 May 2010

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Staff know children well and have a clear knowledge of how children learn best. They are fully aware of children's preferences and interests and use these well to support children in their progress.  Children benefit from a well-resourced and stimulating environment, both inside and outside. This encourages children to make independent choices and to explore and experiment within their play.  Children develop high levels of confidence and independence because they feel safe and secure due to the close attachments they have with staff.  The whole staff team show dedication and commitment to driving improvement. Good procedures are in place to support staff in their ongoing training and development to provide support for individual children's needs.  Staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe. They know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child in their care and provide a safe

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This provision is good

and secure environment due to rigorous checks.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Some large group times do not always focus on the additional support that individual children may require.  When circumstances change from the normal routine, children sometimes receive less attentive support due to the deployment of staff.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 review the impact of large group time activities on children's learning to consistently provide them with challenges, support and experiences, according to their individual levels of ability  extend the already well-established monitoring and evaluation system to sharply focus on, and continually identify, the impact of changes in the daily routine on the deployment of staff and their consistent support of children's learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities from outside as well as inside the play environment.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held meetings with the manager of the setting.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector took into account the views of the parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting and the range of documentation, including policies and procedures.

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who attend. This is good

The setting provides a wide range of experiences to stimulate children's interests and learning throughout the seven areas of learning. Children are well prepared for school as staff carefully track their progress and plan for their next steps for learning, with particular regard for identified gaps in their development. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring and experimenting with natural materials. The effect of the weather intrigues them. They show great interest in ice that has frozen overnight and melts when brought inside. Staff support children's understanding of mathematical concepts well. Numbers, comparisons, size and shape are constantly referred to in all activities to support the idea that mathematics is part of everyday life. Children show a creative flair. They choose what to make by planning and then choosing resources from a well-equipped creative station. In the main, the quality of teaching is consistently good. However, during some large group

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who attend. This is good

activities, some less confident children's learning needs are not as effectively promoted.

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good

Children's understanding of healthy lifestyles is promoted well. They play outside deciding the clothes to put on, suitable for the weather. They decide when to have snacks and drinks. Staff support healthy choices of food by talking about what is in their lunch boxes. Children learn to keep their environment clean and hygienic by washing up at snack time. This supports their physical well-being. Children develop high levels of self-confidence and settle quickly due to sensitive attention received from staff. Staff use information from parents well to support their introduction to play, promoting their emotional well-being. Staff promote children's behaviour positively. They use effective strategies to support children's understanding of appropriate behaviour. Therefore, children learn to share and cooperate. Children learn to keep themselves safe. Staff remind them to use 'walking feet' and explain what might happen if they run inside.

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provision is good

Staff have a secure knowledge of their responsibilities towards the learning and development requirements and how to keep children safe. A successful staff development programme has a positive impact on children's progress and enhances strategies staff use to support their individual needs. Staff are enthusiastic about attending training and identify this with management. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language make particular good progress. This is due to careful planning and consistent practices. Self-evaluation is mainly effective. Staff make changes and gain advice when identifying weaknesses. However, when unforeseen circumstances occur, staff do not always recognise that their deployment has less effect on children's learning. Partnerships with parents and other professionals positively support children's ongoing learning and care. Parents make positive comments

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provision is good

about children's progress and the information received to support learning at home. Staff work with specialists to effectively support children with delayed communication skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 650159 Local authority Essex Inspection number 877290

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Tolleshunt Knights Co-operative Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 25 May 2010 Telephone number 01621 816771

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Type of provision

The Tolleshunt Knights Co-operative Playgroup was registered in 1971. The playgroup employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and four at level 2. The playgroup opens from Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 1.25pm, Monday and Thursday. Younger children leave the session at 12pm. Sessions are from 9am until 4pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. On a Friday, the session is from 9am until 1pm. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Type of provision

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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Type of provision

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

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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