Milton Mount Playgroup

Milton Mount Playgroup Milton Mount Community Centre, Milton Mount Avenue, Pound Hill, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 3DY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 September 2015 18 March 2013

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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

 Systems in place for the assessment and planning of children's learning are good and take into account their individual needs and interests, consequently all children make good progress and are well prepared for school.  The environment is stimulating and welcoming for children both indoors and outdoors. Children clearly enjoy their time at the playgroup.  The sensitive settling in process means that children quickly form close bonds with staff and become confident and emotionally secure in their surroundings.  There is a robust plan in place for the continuous improvement of the care and teaching provided, which is reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Areas for identified improvement are targeted and regularly completed.  Policies and procedures are well implemented which means that staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities, and how to keep children safe.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The system in place for the supervision of staff does not always provide them with opportunities to focus on their individual development and performance, to ensure that teaching is consistently and highly effective at all times.  The process of recording information about staff vetting processes and identity checks needs strengthening, to evidence more clearly the identity checks that have been carried out at recruitment stage.

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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 the supervision arrangements in place to enable all staff to have focused opportunities to address their individual professional development  improve the systems in place for recording the vetting processes and identity checks which are undertaken to assess staff members suitability

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching both inside and outside and the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children to take account of their views.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the playgroup manager.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including planning and assessment records, policies and procedures and the checks undertaken to confirm staff suitability to work with children.  The inspector held discussions with the playgroup manager and members of the committee.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Managers have high expectations, and undertake regular evaluations of the care and learning experiences provided. Action plans for ongoing improvement are targeted and updated regularly which means that children receive consistently good care and make good progress. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, because all staff know how to implement the policies and procedures in place to keep children safe. Recent practice changes to ensure children are accounted for when they move inside and outside of the building are consistently adhered to. Arrangements in place for the supervision of staff are good. There is scope for further improvement, by providing more opportunities for staff to focus on their individual performance and development. There are effective systems in place to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. However, records need to fully reflect all of the checks carried out to ensure staff’s suitability.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The quality of teaching is good across the provision. Staff optimise opportunities to extend children's learning, building on their interests during free play. For example, children enjoy playing in the mud garden making different patterns in the soil and staff encourage them to dig for treasure and talk about what they have found. Staff know their key children well and undertake regular, accurate assessments of their progress which enables them to plan for the next stage in their learning. Staff provide children with a wide range of resources and activities both indoors and outside to enable them to explore, experiment and role play. Subsequently children make good progress across all areas of learning and are fully engaged in the opportunities provided. Parents are encouraged to engage and contribute towards their children’s learning through regular opportunities to review their progress, and weekly communication books.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff develop warm and positive relationships with children which means that they settle quickly, feel safe and secure in their surroundings, and are keen to play and learn. Children behave well because staff encourage them to take turns, share and explore activities together. Staff help to develop children's independence through daily routines, for example, by encouraging them to serve themselves from a healthy range of snacks and to wash their own dishes when they have finished. Children learn to respect each other's differences and understand diversity beyond their immediate environment through some of the resources provided and pictures on display. Staff encourage children to promote their health and well-being by reminding them to fetch their coats when they play outside, explaining to them why they need to be protected from the rain.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress and are well prepared for school because managers and staff regularly review their progress. This enables them to quickly identify any gaps in children's learning and take steps to support them. They evaluate the planning and activities provided on a weekly basis to make sure they consistently meet the needs of all children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 113602 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 1024179 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider Milton Mount Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 18 March 2013 Telephone number 01293 884312

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Setting details

Milton Mount Playgroup is a community group managed by parents whose children attend the setting. It opened in 1992 and operates within Milton Mount Community Centre, which is situated in the Pound Hill area of Crawley. The playgroup has the use of a large hall, with toilet facilities, and a kitchen area. The playgroup is open each weekday from 9.15am to 3.30pm during school terms only. The playgroup offers additional afternoon sessions as numbers increase during the academic year. All children have access to an outdoor area. Children come from local and surrounding areas and attend a variety of sessions. The playgroup supports children with special education needs and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. Milton Mount Playgroup is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 44 children in this age group on roll. Of these, 35

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Setting details

children receive funding for early education. The playgroup employs three members of staff on a full time basis and three members of staff on a part time basis. All hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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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