Rainbow Playgroup

Rainbow Playgroup Methodist Church Hall, Nayland Road, Mile End, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5ET

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 June 2015 22 January 2015

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Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Requires improvement 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:

 Assessments of the children's progress are not always precise. As a result, activities are not always matched effectively to meet each individual child's next stages of learning. In addition, the manager's monitoring of the quality of teaching and assessments are not robust.  The quality of teaching is variable. There are inconsistencies in practitioners' knowledge of how children learn and how to support children to make best progress. Supervision meetings are not focused on improving the quality of teaching by helping practitioners to improve their practice.  The environment indoors and outdoors lacks inspiration. There is very little print or numbers used in the environment to enhance children's literacy and mathematical skills.

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It has the following strengths

 Children enjoy their time at the playgroup and move confidently between the hall and garden. They are encouraged to make some choices over their play from the range of resources presented for them each day.  Children are protected from harm. Practitioners regularly update their safeguarding knowledge to ensure that they are able to recognise safeguarding concerns and report these to the appropriate authority.  Parents are happy with the playgroup and feel that their children are cared for well, by kind practitioners who spend valuable time getting to know their children. Parents have opportunities to discuss their children's progress informally and through open evenings.

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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 practitioners' knowledge of assessment to ensure that every child's progress is effectively assessed and monitored to help children to make the best progress in relation to their starting points  use supervision effectively to focus on improving the quality of teaching and identify practitioners' training needs to ensure they consistently provide children with challenging and enjoyable activities, so all children make good progress.

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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

 improve the monitoring of teaching, including planning and assessment to ensure that all areas of learning are being delivered in a stimulating and challenging way  plan an environment that is rich in signs, symbols, notices, numbers and pictures to enhance children's literacy and mathematical skills, and to enrich children's learning experiences.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the hall and garden.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, practitioners and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector looked at records which included children's details, accident and medication records, information about learning and development, practitioners' information and a selection of other relevant documentation.  The inspector saw evidence of the checks used to assess the suitability of practitioners and committee members.  The inspector held a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Children participate in a range of activities that help them to make progress and prepare them for school. Key persons demonstrate some knowledge of children in their key groups. However, assessments of children's progress are not always precise. Therefore, activities may not always be matched effectively to children's individual needs. Some practitioners promote children's language skills effectively. They use appropriate questioning skills and encourage children to think critically to solve a problem. However, other practitioners do not understand how to follow children's leads and extend their learning. For example, children showing an interest in water are not provided with the resources to explore and fulfil this idea. Children enjoy role-play and dressing-up activities. They become new characters and express themselves imaginatively.

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requires improvement

Children form close relationships with their key person and build friendships with each other. However, weaknesses identified in practitioners' assessments of children's all-round development, impact on their ability to effectively track and plan for children's emotional development. Practitioners remind children how to behave in a kind way to their friends. As a result, children understand the rules of the playgroup and follow these. Children enjoy fresh air and exercise when they freely access the garden. They make use of a range of equipment to enhance their physical skills. Children develop knowledge of healthy eating as they enter into discussions with adults about foods which are good for them. They have some opportunities to develop independence skills. For example, they collect their own plates and cups at snack time and pour their own drinks. The playgroup hall and garden is presented with a range of toys and resources. However, practitioners do not

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requires improvement

strive to make the environment appear vibrant, stimulating and inspirational. For example, they rarely use print, numbers and signs in the environment to enhance children's learning.

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provision requires improvement

The manager monitors planning and assessment. However, monitoring is not robust enough to enable the manager to identify weaknesses in practitioners' assessment of children's progress. Some children's assessment records are unclear, which results in weaknesses in the manager's monitoring of individual and groups of children. Therefore, gaps in children's learning may not be targeted and closed swiftly. All practitioners hold appropriate qualifications. The manager regularly meets with each practitioner for supervision meetings. However, supervision meetings are not targeted to improve the quality of teaching or used to review practitioners' training needs. The weaknesses identified at the time of the last inspection have been addressed. Self-evaluation provides an overview of the playgroup's strengths and weaknesses. Partnerships with parents and others are being developed to enable all parties to play a more active role in identifying

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Setting details

Unique reference number 203441 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1004839 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 22 Name of provider Rainbow Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 22 January 2015 Telephone number 07779 349128

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Setting details

Rainbow Playgroup was registered in 1990 and is run by a committee. The playgroup employs four members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The playgroup opens Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, during school term times. Sessions are from 9am until 12 noon, with an optional lunch club until 1pm. The playgroup provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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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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