First Steps Community Playgroup

First Steps Community Playgroup C/O Stoke Hill First School, Stoke Hill, Exeter, Devon, EX4 7DB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 December 2015 6 October 2010

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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

 Leadership and management is strong. They use self-evaluation well and have a clear vision and ongoing drive to improve practices. For instance, they are trialling different planning systems to identify which is most successful in supporting children to make good progress from their starting points.  The manager works closely with the host school and other early years settings, to support complementary planning of activities and experiences.  Staff motivate children well. They provide enjoyable and stimulating learning experiences that target children's next steps and prepare them well for moving on to school.  Children are very happy and confident in their play and interactions. They build secure relationships with staff, which supports their personal, social and emotional development very well.  Children learn to successfully assess risks for themselves to keep safe during physical play activities, such as when climbing on outdoor apparatus.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasion, staff do not challenge the more able children, particularly during adult-led activities that focus on children's mathematical skills.  The manager and staff do not always successfully engage parents more in their children's learning and next steps, so they can support learning at home.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

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Due Date

 inform Ofsted of changes to committee members in a timely manner. 15/01/2016

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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

 provide greater challenge for more able children, to further extend their mathematical learning  develop the methods for sharing information about children's development with parents, to further involve them in their children's learning at home.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed adult-led activities and children's play, both indoors and outside.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the provider.  The inspector took into account the views of staff, children and their parents.  The inspector held discussions with the provider at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector sampled documentation, including suitability checks of staff and committee members, activity planning, and policies and procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Overall, safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have completed safeguarding training. They fully understand the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child's welfare. However, the provider has not informed Ofsted of all changes to committee members. This is also a breach of the Childcare Register requirements. This has no impact on children's welfare because committee members do not have unsupervised contact with children. The provider has regular support meetings with staff to discuss their responsibilities and identify training needs. Staff use training well, for example, to involve the younger children more during whole-group sessions. Strong review processes support the management team well to monitor its effectiveness. The provider is improving systems to monitor the progress that individual and groups of children make, so they can more securely identify patterns and gaps in learning quickly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff obtain detailed information from parents when children first attend, to identify their starting points, likes and interests. This helps them get to know children well. Staff deploy themselves well to meet children's needs. For instance, staff thoroughly engage the older children in acting out a story, and when younger children begin to lose concentration, staff are immediately available to promote learning in different activities. Children have good physical abilities. They competently climb and balance on the outdoor play equipment, and use tools to make different marks in playdough. Staff support children's language skills well. They sound out letter sounds and words, and engage children in positive discussions. All children, including those learning English as an additional language, are becoming confident communicators.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children develop good independence to take care of some of their own needs. They put on their coats and practise using a knife during cooking activities. Snack times and mealtimes are effective social occasions, which staff lead and support well, initiating discussion. This helps to build children's confidence in group situations. Behaviour is good. Children are polite, often using good manners without prompts from staff, and listen to and follow staff's instructions eagerly. For example, they line up calmly and sensibly, holding hands with their partner as they walk to the outdoor play area. Children learn how to keep healthy. For instance, staff teach them about nutritious food during a game and children identify that fizzy drinks are not good for their teeth.

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Outcomes for children are good

From their starting points, children make good progress across all areas of development. They develop good communication and social skills that prepare them well for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 105976 Local authority Devon Inspection number 845887 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 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 37 Name of provider First Steps Community Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 6 October 2010 Telephone number 01392 251 885

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Setting details

First Steps Community Playgroup registered in 2000. It operates from the grounds of Stoke Hill Infant School in Exeter. The playgroup is open from 9am to 3pm on weekdays during term time only, and offers wrap-around care for school-aged children from 7.30am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm on weekdays during term time only. A holiday club runs from 8am to 5pm on weekdays. There are nine members of staff working regularly with children, four of whom have early years qualifications to level 3 and two hold level 2 qualifications. The remaining three staff are currently working towards qualifications. The pre-school receives funding for early years education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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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