Little Pickles Playgroup

Little Pickles Playgroup The Liberal Hall, 243 Blandford Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 4AZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 February 2016 Not applicable

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Leaders have failed to make required improvements. Children experience poor provision at the playgroup.  Too much teaching is ineffective. Staff fail to make the most of information gathered about what children can already do. Children make too little progress in their learning.  Leaders do not give staff enough formal support to improve their practice. Supervision meetings are too infrequent to be useful.  The safeguarding policy is not clear. The section of the policy for allegations against staff members is unclear. The order of the steps to follow in this section is muddled.  One of the two qualified first aiders was unable to demonstrate their qualification because the relevant certificate was not on the premises.  Children’s confidence in completing everyday tasks is limited and this does not help them to be ready for school when the time comes. Staff do not give children the chance to do things they are capable of doing themselves.

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This provision is inadequate

 Children have very few experiences to learn about communities other than their own, which prevents them finding out about different cultures and beliefs.

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It has the following strengths

 Children get one well with one another. They play together, take turns and share toys. Staff give them lots of praise which helps build children's self-esteem.  Staff look after children well. They understand what they must do to keep children safe. They know what steps to take if they have concerns about a child's welfare.

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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

 improve systems of evaluation so the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are met and leaders identify what works well and what needs development in the playgroup 25/04/2016

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Due Date

 implement regular and effective supervision meetings and provide developmental feedback on the effectiveness of teaching in order to support staff and improve their practice 25/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure the safeguarding policy provides a clear procedure to follow in the event an allegation is received against an adult working at the playgroup 25/04/2016

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Due Date

 make sure all relevant records, including first aid certificates, are available for inspection when required 25/04/2016

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Due Date

 improve the quality of teaching and assessment so that all children benefit from consistently good learning opportunities that interest and challenge them, and enable them to make good progress 25/04/2016

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Due Date

 encourage children to develop their independence skills so they become confident in managing everyday tasks 26/04/2016

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Due Date

 provide opportunities for children to improve their understanding of people and communities beyond their own families and experiences. 25/04/2016

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spent time observing children playing indoors and outdoors.  The inspector spoke with children, staff and a grandparent.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including children's learning records, cards and notes received by the setting from parents, policies and procedures, staff files and evidence of suitability checks.  The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation.  The inspector met with both managers to discuss how the setting is led and managed.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Leaders know that practice is not good enough but they have been unsuccessful in planning or making improvement. Several issues raised in previous inspection reports remain areas for urgent improvement, including staff supervision, self-evaluation and the quality of learning experiences for children. Leaders attempt changes when directed to do so by Ofsted or by the local authority but do very little evaluation themselves. They do not identify what is needed to provide children with good learning experiences. A few changes have been made. A new system for assessment has been implemented, for example, but staff do not use it effectively. Leaders check children's assessment records that are completed by staff, but do not notice or address weaknesses. Therefore, these remain inconsistent in quality. Some are not up-to-date and children's next steps in their learning and development are not recorded or known. Leaders do not supervise staff or give them

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

enough support to improve. They do not monitor the quality of teaching and so poor practice continues day after day. Safeguarding is effective. Although the playgroup's policy requires amendment, staff know how to keep children safe and how to refer serious concerns about children's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Staff have low expectations of what children can do. Too many activities are dull and are not matched to what children need to learn. Children are not challenged to think and develop by the play and teaching on offer. As a result, children do not learn as much as they should. Staff make efforts to provide basic learning opportunities but weak teaching prevents these being successful. An activity to make bird feeders occupies children, for example. However, staff do some of the activity for children rather than allowing them to do things for themselves. This prevents them developing their independence and physical skills. There is very little language used so children do not learn new words. Staff do not think to talk about numbers or quantity to help children develop their mathematical understanding.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The playgroup has served more than one generation of local families and parents appreciate the service it offers. Staff are kind and provide sound childcare. They teach children some basic skills to help them stay safe. When walking to the outdoor area, children know to stop and look for traffic before heading across the driveway. Children develop their social skills as they play together. However, they do not learn enough about communities beyond those they already know. This stops them developing an understanding of how different families in Britain go about their daily lives.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children make too little progress. Assessment records of children's learning are not always completed accurately or checked and so information on progress made is not reliable. Although some children reach levels of development that are typical for their age, there is too much poor teaching to help them do as well as they might. In particular, they do less well in language and mathematics because staff do not prioritise these aspects.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY478883 Local authority Poole Inspection number 1036139 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 13 Name of provider Little Pickles Partnership Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07776322704

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Setting details

Little Pickles Playgroup opened in 2007 and re-registered in new premises in 2014. It is privately owned by two joint managers and operates from a room in the Liberal Hall in Hamworthy, close to the town of Poole in Dorset. It is open each weekday from 8.45am until 2.45pm during school term times only. The managers both hold level 3 qualifications and are supported by three staff. Of these staff, two hold a relevant level 3 qualification and one is working towards a level 3 qualification.

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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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