Linden Playgroup

Linden Playgroup St Cuthberts Church, Linden Road, Birkby, Huddersfield, West yorkshire, HD2 2TP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 February 2015 5 March 2010

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

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Children are not kept fully safe from the risk of harm as robust systems are not in place to ensure the suitability of all committee members has been checked. Furthermore, Ofsted have not been informed of all changes to the committee within the correct timescale. This is a breach of regulation.  The manager's supervision systems do not currently include a sharp focus on teaching practice in order to continually develop and strengthen the quality of children's learning experiences.  Staff occasionally miss opportunities to encourage children to use critical thinking skills.  Staff do not use every opportunity to enhance children's independence in preparation for school, as they do not always encourage children to carry out manageable tasks.

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It has the following strengths

 Children make good progress in their learning and development because staff provide a wide range of interesting and challenging play activities for children to enjoy.  Children benefit from the effective key-person system, which helps them feel settled, safe and secure. Furthermore, children with English as an additional language are well supported due to the bi-lingual staff team. As a result, all children are forming good attachments with staff who know them well.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals are positive and make a good contribution to meeting every child's needs.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 develop robust systems to ensure all committee members are vetted for their suitability to be involved with young children, including gaining checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service in order to keep children safe.

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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

 develop the supervision process to include a sharp focus on staff's teaching practice so that there is a continual improvement in the the quality of children's learning experiences.  strengthen the staff's use of questioning in order to encourage and promote children's critical thinking skills, by posing a range of thoughtful questions and allowing children time to answer  provide opportunities for children to carry out manageable tasks to further promote their self-care and independence, for example, by enabling them to take a more active role in the preparation of snacks.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 inform Ofsted of the name, date of birth, address and telephone number of any partner, director, senior officer or other member of the governing body (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  have effective systems to ensure that the all members of the committee are suitable to work with children which, must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  have effective systems to ensure that the all members of the committee are suitable to work with children which, must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed a variety of teaching and learning activities and spoke to children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector checked evidence of staff and committee members' suitability, training and qualifications, and a selection of other documents.  The inspector looked at planning documentation and children's learning and assessment records.  The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information in the setting's own parent surveys.

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who attend. This is good

The quality of the teaching is good. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and develop, and they provide a stimulating range of activities which build on what children know and can do. Staff extend children's thinking and language skills by sharing books with children, asking them open-ended questions about what they can see. However, this practice isn't always effective as some staff are sometimes too quick to answer for the children. Older children are challenged through fun activities. They learn simple subtraction through a game where beads are taken away and they have to find the letters that start their name from a mat on the floor. The playgroup is a very inclusive setting, meeting the needs of all children attending. Strong support is in place for children with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language. Staff's observations and assessments of children are accurate, and these are shared with

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who attend. This is good

parents through regular discussions and parents evenings.

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requires improvement

Children settle well in this friendly and caring environment. Processes for settling-in enable children to build up their trust and form secure attachments with their key person. Staff promote good manners, for example, they sing a please and thank you song before snack time, and reinforce the use of manners throughout everything they do. They also give children lots of praise, to raise their self-esteem and confidence. Effective hygiene procedures are in place and children are able to develop their independence. For example, they are able to wash their own hands and tidy away toys. However, these skills could be further extended by allowing children to carry out manageable tasks. For example, by encouraging children to pour their own drinks at snack time. Daily fresh air in the outdoor area or frequent walks within the community promotes children's physical development.

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provision requires improvement

Safeguarding practices are inconsistent, because although Disclosure and Barring Service checks have been obtained for staff to ensure their suitability to work with children, robust systems are not in place to ensure all members of the management committee have gone through these important checks. As a result, children's safety is jeopardised but as committee members do not have regular contact with the children, the impact of this breach in regulations is minimised. Staff have a sound understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and know what action to take if there are concerns regarding a child's welfare. The manager is starting to embed systems to monitor the educational programmes on offer, highlighting different groups who may require further intervention. Staff have regular supervisions and appraisals as part of the performance management system. However, there is capacity to improve the quality of the supervision sessions, for

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provision requires improvement

example, by including direct observations of teaching practice, to identify any need for improvements or training required. Self-evaluation is carried out and action plans are in place to ensure that the setting continues to develop.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 311275 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 864982

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Linden Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 5 March 2010 Telephone number 07985 233096

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Type of provision

Linden Playgroup was registered in 1993. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The playgroup opens, from 8.45am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday term time only. 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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