The Griffin School

Griffin School 154 Castle Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3SA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 December 2015 18 April 2013

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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

 The quality of teaching and assessment is too variable. Leaders are not checking the quality of teaching closely enough. As a result, weaknesses in teaching for younger children are not addressed and this group of children do not receive sufficient support to make good progress.  The provider does not have a good enough understanding of the progress made by all groups of children. They do not have a good enough understanding of whether all children are developing the skills they need.  Staff do not plan a wide enough range of activities so that all children are supported to develop across all areas of learning.  Training opportunities for staff are not sufficiently focused on improving the quality of teaching.

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It has the following strengths

 The environment is welcoming and staff provide play and learning opportunities which interest the children. As a result children enjoy their time at the setting.  There are positive relationships between parents, staff and management. Staff encourage parents to get involved in their children’s learning.  There is a particular focus on supporting children’s communication and language skills. Staff ensure that children who need additional support in this area get the help they need.

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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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Due Date

 monitor the quality of teaching and assessment and take steps to ensure that they are consistently strong and enable all children, including those in the younger age group, to make good progress. 29/01/2016

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Due Date

 improve the planning of activities and experiences so that children are supported to make progress in all areas of learning. 29/01/2016

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Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 analyse the information gained through observation and assessment to ensure that individuals and groups of children are all making good progress  develop performance management systems so that training and development needs of staff are identified and addressed.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed the quality of teaching and its impact on children's learning, both inside and outside.  One inspector conducted a joint observation with one of the providers.  The inspectors held a meeting with the owner to discuss leadership and management of the setting.  The inspectors looked at a range of documentation including children’s assessments, planning documents and policies.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The providers work with other professionals such as the early years advisor to improve practice. However, they do not effectively evaluate practice to identify areas for improvement. For example, some staff are unable to use the electronic tracking system for monitoring children’s development. Monitoring of how well children are doing is not sufficiently robust to ensure all children are making progress. Safeguarding is effective and all staff are aware of what to do if there are any concerns about a child’s welfare. The provider monitors the pattern of children's attendance and works effectively with parents to ensure children attend regularly. Although the providers meet with staff informally, performance management systems are not effective in identifying where staff need additional support to ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently good throughout the nursery.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff working with the older children know them well and plan activities to reflect individual children’s learning needs. For example, they provide a role play activity in the home corner which effectively supports children to develop their communication skills. However, teaching for the younger children is less effective. While staff observe and assess children’s learning they are not using this information well enough to identify what children need to learn next. As a result planning is not robust and staff do not ensure activities and experiences support young children’s learning. Younger children lose interest and do not engage in activities because staff expect them to sit and listen for long periods of time. Two year old progress checks are completed and these are shared with the child’s parents and health visitor. This helps to identify where children need extra support.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

The environment is welcoming to children and they quickly settle. Children enjoy most activities and develop close relationships with members of staff; this helps them feel secure and valued. Children behave well and staff use positive methods to support and manage behaviour. However, because children sometimes have to wait too long between activities, they become restless and loose concentration. Children’s health and physical well-being is promoted well. They enjoy freshly cooked meals and have plenty of opportunities to play in the well-resourced outdoor area. Children celebrate different festivals and learn about different religions. This helps them to learn to respect one another’s differences.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children particularly enjoy the range of interesting activities that are provided outside, including a mud kitchen and exploring artificial snow. Support from staff enables children to develop confidence as they explore and learn. Strong links between the nursery and local schools helps get the children ready for their next stage in learning. Children are developing important skills such as being able to identify the letters in their name during circle time, and they know how to share and take turns.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 161965 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 1033703 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 1 - 8 Total number of places 98 Number of children on roll 98 Name of provider Christine Hind and Gillian Taylor Partnership Date of previous inspection 18 April 2013 Telephone number 01722 416282

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Setting details

The Griffin School registered in 2001 and is privately owned by two directors. It operates from converted premises on the edge of Salisbury, Wiltshire. The school is open each weekday from 7.15am until 6.30pm, for 51 weeks of the year. It offers nursery sessions in addition to before and after school care and a holiday club. There are currently 98 children on roll, of these 42 are in the early years age range. There are 12 members of staff caring for the children, 10 of whom hold relevant childcare 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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