Little Bears

Littlebears Playgroup St. Margaret's C of E Primary School, School Road, WARRINGTON, WA2 9AD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 May 2015 21 November 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 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 promote children's confidence and self-motivation well. Children form strong bonds with their key-person and, as a result, they are happy, settled and emotionally secure.  Teaching is good and staff engage children well, asking them open-ended questions to encourage their speaking and thinking skills.  Staff provide an interesting range of activities and experiences. Consequently, children make good progress from their starting points.  The outdoor play area is freely accessible to children at all times. As a result, children's physical development and health are promoted well.  The manager and her well-qualified team demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting a high-quality provision. They have a good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and have developed an accurate action plan to drive improvement, raising standards in children's care and learning.  The safeguarding of children is given good attention, and children clearly feel safe and

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This provision is good

secure.  Parents speak highly of the playgroup. They share information about their children's skills at home and receive daily feedback from staff.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 There is little labelling in the environment for children to observe meaningful print as they develop early writing and reading skills.  Children do not always have access to resources and materials that support their understanding of technology.

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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

 enhance children's understanding of letters and simple words, for example, by displaying text that is easy to see, both indoors and outdoors  provide a wider range of materials and resources, to further support children to learn about, and explore, technology and how things work.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children playing inside and outdoors.  The inspector observed staff and talked with them about children's care, learning and development.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager, and took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.  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 looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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who attend. This is good

Teaching is good because the well-qualified staff engage in purposeful discussions with the children, which successfully extends their learning and understanding. Staff skilfully ask questions and encourage children to talk and share their ideas, to support their language development and thinking skills. Children are actively involved in their play, and choose equipment and resources to suit their individual interests. Children learn about the world around them, as they hunt for bugs in the garden and discuss the changes to the tadpoles they are looking after. This encourages children to learn through exploration and investigation. However, there are limited resources to support their understanding of technology and how things work. Staff encourage children's mathematical development as they count blocks when building a tower. Children have opportunities to practise making marks, as they form letters from their names in shaving foam. However, there is limited

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who attend. This is good

print in the environment for children to refer to in their play, to enhance their understanding of simple words and letters.

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good

Children are happy and enthused in their play. They behave well because staff encourage good manners and provide children with appropriate boundaries, which help them to understand behaviour expectations. As a result, children cooperate well with their friends and learn to share toys and wait for their turn. Children are beginning to understand how to keep themselves safe. They frequently discuss the rules for outside play, ensuring that they remain safe and have fun. Children develop essential skills for future learning, such as putting on their coats and using the toilet independently. This means that children are well prepared for starting school. Staff offer praise and encouragement, which develops children's confidence and raises their self-esteem. Children have free-flow access to the outdoor area, which contributes significantly to keeping children healthy and developing their physical skills.

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provision is good

Since the last inspection, instrumental progress has been made in raising standards. The whole staff team have worked exceptionally hard in promoting high-quality improvement in outcomes for children. The manager regularly carries out observations of practice, to ensure that staff are working at a consistently good level and any training needs are swiftly identified. Precise observation and assessment systems are in place. Staff regularly meet together to discuss and track children's progress. As a result, any gaps in children's learning are quickly identified. The manager now has a robust recruitment and selection procedure in place, and all staff complete up-to-date training, to enable them to promote children's well-being, including child protection. There are effective links with parents and other early years providers. This contributes to successful information sharing, collaborative working and continuity of care and learning for all children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY428545 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 1000107 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 58 Name of provider St Margaret's Playgroup (orford) Committee Date of previous inspection 21 November 2014 Telephone number 01925634207

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Setting details

Littlebears Playgroup was registered in 2001. It is situated in the Orford area of Warrington and is run by a voluntary management committee. The playgroup is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 3pm, for 48 weeks of the year. The playgroup also offers out-of-school care at a breakfast club. There are currently five members of staff working directly with children and one volunteer. Four of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one has a level 2 qualification.

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Setting details

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

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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Setting details

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Setting details

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

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