St Paul's Playgroup

St Paul's Playgroup Semilong Community Centre, Norfolk Terrace, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN2 6HS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 September 2015 18 May 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The playgroup leaders and staff are committed to continually enhancing their provision. They actively seek the views of parents and continually reflect on their own practice which enables them to set targets for improvement.  All children make good progress in their learning and development. This includes those for whom English is an additional language and those that require additional support. Children's communication and language skills are given high priority by staff. They support children's confidence, communication and engagement by enriching activities, songs and stories with signs and actions.  Staff liaise effectively with parents, external agencies and professionals so that they work well together to ensure that all children get the support they need. Staff share children's learning and progress regularly with parents and support them as they extend their children's learning at home.  Children's personal, social and emotional development is promoted very well. Their self-

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This provision is good

esteem is nurtured through the praise and encouragement they receive. Relationships between each child, their key person and other members of the staff team are very good. This encourages children to feel secure and grow in confidence.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Children are not consistently provided with opportunities to think of their own ideas and ways of solving problems, in order to develop their thinking skills.

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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

 engage children in more opportunities to develop their own ideas and thinking, in order to solve problems.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in both the main rooms and the outside learning environment and conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager of the provision and spoke to staff throughout the inspection when appropriate.  The inspector looked at children's assessment and planning documentation, risk assessment and safety records.  The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working within the setting, the provider's evidence of self-evaluation and a range of other documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of children and parents spoken to on the day.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding children are effective. The playgroup leaders understand their legal requirements and they implement them well. The experienced manager and her staff have very good knowledge of child protection procedures and how to keep children safe from harm. They ensure vetting procedures for staff and committee members are thorough, and that supervision and support of the staff team is undertaken regularly. Assessments of groups and individual children's progress are scrutinised to identify any gaps in learning and the effectiveness of the staff's practice. Training and development plans target areas for improvement. Practice is subsequently enhanced, such as through the introduction of a weekly music, movement and singing session, which parents say the children really enjoy.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The quality of teaching is good. Staff have effective systems in place to outline next steps in children's learning. They ensure that the activities provided relate specifically to children's interests, motivating and engaging children well. Animals are a popular resource and link to the playgroup's trip to a zoo. They are used in multiple ways to engage children in many areas of learning. Children explore making animal footprints in malleable dough and create blankets from it to keep the animals warm. They use the animal figures to recall features as they represent them in their creations at a painting activity. Children's communication and language and their mathematical skills are developed as they count the legs of the animals and recognise colours. However, children are not always encouraged to take the time to think, identify and then solve problems for themselves.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are calm and caring and they act as good role models. Children respond to the staff's gentle reminders about the boundaries that are in place for safety and behaviour. They enthusiastically get involved in tidying away at the end of activities. They learn to share toys, enjoy social mealtimes and play with other children. Consequently, all children are learning to behave well, including those whose needs or circumstances require particularly perceptive intervention and additional support. Children have good opportunities to be physically active and learn about healthy lifestyles. They enjoy digging in the mud, learning about growing and planting and exploring the playgroup's new mud kitchen area. They negotiate paths and other children as they pedal bikes and push themselves along on scooters.

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Outcomes for children are good

Young children's independence is promoted well. They enjoy having the responsibility of helping themselves to cereal, pouring their own drinks and clearing away their things when they have finished their snack. They progress very well from their individual starting points and they are making good progress in readiness for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 220081 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 865844 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider St Paul's Playgroup (Semilong) Committee Date of previous inspection 18 May 2011 Telephone number 07923053411

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Setting details

The playgroup was registered in 1999. It employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 4. The playgroup opens Monday and Tuesday from 9am to 3pm, Wednesday from 9am to 1pm, Thursday from 12 noon to 3pm and Friday from 9am to 12 noon, term time only. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, 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

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Setting details

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