New Stepping Stones Playgroup

New Stepping Stones Playgroup 1st Sea Scout Hall, Alder Road, Mortlake, London, SW14 8ER

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25 February 2016 20 April 2012

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Staff are excellent role models to children. They teach them about positive behaviour and provide highly effective strategies for them to use. Children learn to respect and value others, take turns and consider the feelings of others. Children are well prepared socially for future life and the next stage in learning.  The highly qualified and experienced provider is committed to providing children with excellent care and education. The provider uses self-evaluation extremely well to identify and maintain high quality improvements. She supports staff to do high quality training to maintain excellent knowledge and practice.  Staff support children's personal, social and emotional skills exceptionally well. For example, they help them to develop an excellent sense of their own identity, and the children learn to respect differences between themselves and others.  Staff have an excellent knowledge of how young children learn. They plan excellent

p.1

This provision is outstanding

activities, whether tailored to groups of children or the individual. They meet the needs of each child, and support everyone to make rapid progress from their starting points.  Staff form excellent partnerships with parents. Parents are extremely well informed, support their children's learning at home and take an active role in the playgroup.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 enrich the opportunities for children to find out about the wider community and the differences between themselves and others beyond their immediate experiences.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the management team at appropriate times during the inspection and in a scheduled meeting.  The inspector observed children's activities and staff teaching, indoors, outdoors and in the neighbouring hall.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including a sample of children's records, planning and assessment records, and the suitability of the committee and staff to work with children.  The inspector took account of the views of children, staff, childminders and parents spoken to on the day of the inspection, and looked at the provider's self-evaluation.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the deputy manager.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The leadership team is highly effective in setting very challenging goals. The staff team is very effective and morale is high. Staff are extremely reflective and ensure that quality improvements receive priority attention. Leaders review staff practice very thoroughly. The leaders' checking of children's progress focuses sharply on identifying gaps as soon as they appear. This enables leaders to implement very effective support quickly and close any gaps promptly. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have robust knowledge and understanding of their responsibilities, in particular child protection and safeguarding procedures, stringently ensuring that children are protected from harm. Staff undertake regular training, pooling their knowledge to ensure the development of excellent team skills.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff make activities extremely exciting and motivating for all children. They focus children's attention exceptionally well by using a wide range of teaching strategies. Staff skilfully guide learning when teaching specific skills, for example, communication skills through the use of sign language and props. Children explore outdoors with enthusiasm, and benefit from excellent teaching in this area as they develop new skills. Children quickly develop confidence and self-esteem, and learn to persevere with more difficult challenges. Staff skilfully teach children mathematical skills, such as when solving puzzles and working on computer programs.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The well-qualified staff know children extremely well as individuals. They provide an excellent learning environment with a wide range of high quality toys and equipment. Staff provide extremely sensitive support for children's emotional development. Children are very independent, and they are confident to explore and experiment. They form very caring bonds with their key person. Staff focus sharply on developing children's knowledge of their own safety. For example, children are able to use knives and cheese graters with care when making sandwiches, and they know that the edges are not safe to touch. Staff have a well-established programme for teaching children about the world. Children accept differences and learn about a range of people and cultures, for example, by spending time in the local community and celebrating world events and cultural festivals. However, this is not extended to the wider community and further afield.

p.3

Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children benefit greatly from an outstanding range of highly stimulating opportunities. They learn to explore, to be curious and to investigate their surroundings. Children are enthusiastic, thoroughly enjoy their learning and show excellent levels of independence. They gain excellent skills and motivation to prepare them for school.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 109227 Local authority Richmond upon Thames Inspection number 845953 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 - 4 Total number of places 31 Number of children on roll 47 Name of provider New Stepping Stones Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 20 April 2012 Telephone number 020 8878 7029

p.4

Setting details

New Stepping Stones Playgroup registered in 1992. It is located in the Sea Scout Hall in Mortlake. It is open Monday to Friday from 9.15am to 12.30pm, during school term time. An optional lunch club runs on a Monday and Thursday from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. The playgroup receives funding to provide free early education to children aged three and four years. A team of 11 staff work with the children; of these, 10 staff hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 and one has Qualified Teacher Status.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

Setting details

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Setting details

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.5