The Griffin School

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

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 August 2016 9 December 2015

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Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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:

 Staff do not always provide children with consistent messages to help them understand how to behave and keep themselves and others safe, for example, in the outdoor play area.  Staff do not make full use of observations and assessments to plan challenging activities, to engage children well and to help them make consistently good progress in relation to their starting points.  Management does not evaluate the quality of the provision effectively, to help identify and address all the weaknesses in the provision.

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It has the following strengths

 Children form warm relationships with staff, and younger children go to them for cuddles and comfort when tired. Children share laughter with friends and staff in their play.  Children benefit from lots of outings and new experiences. They move freely between the indoor and outdoor areas to play in their preferred environment.  Management has taken steps to improve staff's understanding of how to safeguard children. For example, staff attend training and have regular guidance to ensure they understand how to follow the child protection procedures. This includes how to take immediate action regarding any concerns to protect children'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

 provide consistent behavioural expectations to improve children's understanding of how to keep safe, particularly in the outdoor play area 03/08/2016

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Due Date

 make better use of the observation and assessment of children's progress to consistently build on children's learning throughout the year and to help them achieve well in all areas. 03/09/2016

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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

 use self-evaluation more effectively to identify and address all areas for improvement in the quality of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching in the play rooms and outdoor play areas.  The inspector sampled children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector checked the records of staff's qualifications and suitability checks and discussed management's knowledge and understanding of the early years foundation stage.  The inspector assessed the steps that management has taken to address the weaknesses from the previous inspections.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. Management and staff understand the requirements to notify agencies swiftly when they have concerns about a child's safety or welfare and to provide parents with this information to keep them informed. They keep accurate records of concerns and details of the action taken. Management deploys staff each day to meet the required adult to child ratios and qualification requirements. They keep all required records on the premises at all times and keep accurate records of each child's attendance. Management evaluates some aspects of the provision. They meet with staff to monitor the quality of teaching, training needs and the progress their key children make. However, they do not use self-evaluation sufficiently to identify all areas for improvement.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff monitor and assess children's achievements and use observations to identify gaps in their development, which they use to plan for children's next steps in learning during term times. However, staff working in the school holidays do not all know each child's next steps for learning. They do not consistently build on what children already know to keep them engaged in all activities and to help them make the best possible progress throughout the year. Staff join in children's play with enthusiasm and provide some challenge. For example, they encourage children to count and name numerals, and help younger children to learn about shape to support their mathematical development.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff plan activities to support children's ideas and encourage their imaginations. For example, they provide clothes and hats for children to dress up as pirates and encourage them to create pirate games on the large play apparatus, read pirate books, and dig for treasure in the sand pit. Staff support children's physical development with lots of play opportunities. However, staff do not help all children to learn consistently about what they expect of them and how to keep safe in some of the outdoor activities. For example, older children ride wheeled toys at speed around the play area, crashing into other riders and equipment. At these times, some younger children stand watching from a distance without playing, which hinders their exploration of the activities.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Overall, children develop the basic skills they need for future learning and the move to school. For example, children learn to manage tasks independently, to communicate with others and enjoy lots of mark making activities that help to support early writing skills. However, staff do not consistently help every child to make good progress in all areas of their learning throughout the year.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 161965 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 1055323 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 - 8 Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 40 Name of registered person Christine Hind and Gillian Taylor Partnership

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 December 2015 Telephone number 01722 416282

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reference number

The Griffin School registered in 2001. It is privately owned by two directors. It is located in Salisbury, Wiltshire. The group 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. The group receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged three and four years. The group employs seven members of staff; of these, one is a qualified teacher, one holds an early years qualification at level 6, and four hold an early years qualification at level 3.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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

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