Sandbach Heath (St John's) Playgroup

Sandbach Heath (St John's) Playgroup School Lane, Sandbach Heath, Sandbach, CW11 2LS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 November 2016 10 December 2012

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Good 2

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

 The procedures for informing Ofsted of changes and for vetting members of the management committee are not robust. Consequently, not all members have had required checks completed to ensure they are suitable for their role.  Systems for monitoring staff performance are not strong enough to help staff build on their teaching skills and share good practice with one another.

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It has the following strengths

 The playgroup is led by a highly qualified and committed manager. This contributes strongly to the overall quality of teaching and the good progress that children make.  Staff are very caring and supportive towards children. They build friendly relationships with parents and value their input. Parents speak positively about the staff and the really nice atmosphere in the playgroup.  A key strength is how staff consistently teach and reinforce children's understanding of letters and sounds. This helps children to develop their early literacy skills.  Improvements to the outdoor play area mean children benefit from a range of interesting opportunities outside. This promotes children's all-round learning and well- being.

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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 Ofsted with the necessary information to enable them to carry out suitability checks on all members of the management committee. 17/11/2016

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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

 strengthen the monitoring of staff performance and the sharing of good practice to help raise the quality of teaching to the highest level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as self-evaluation, improvement plans and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the playgroup.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are vigilant and ensure the premises are safe and very secure. The manager makes sure staff are clear about how to safeguard children and protect them from harm. However, she is not clear about the procedures for notifying Ofsted of changes and vetting new committee members. As a result, not everyone serving on the committee is appropriately checked to ensure they are suitable for their role. Staff make ongoing changes to help improve outcomes for children. They monitor children's progress well and quickly address any gaps in their learning. Staff have some opportunities to attend further training to broaden their knowledge. However, overall, performance management is not strong enough to help raise teaching to the highest level. For instance, although the manager supervises staff she does not routinely provide feedback on their practice. This does not help staff to understand what they do

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The quality of teaching is good. Staff interact well with children. They listen carefully to what children have to say and value their ideas. Staff accurately assess children's skills and clearly identify what they need to learn next. This helps children to keep moving forward in their learning. Staff make good use of songs and visual prompts to further support children's understanding of routines. They skilfully read stories that capture children's attention. Engagement with parents is strong. Parents report that they receive detailed reports on their children's progress. They say they have lots of confidence in what the staff do and that children always have a lovely time.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Weaknesses in leadership and management mean that parents cannot be assured of the suitability of committee members who are legally charged with making decisions that affect their children. Nevertheless, staff form strong bonds with children and focus strongly on promoting their emotional well-being. They establish a good rapport with parents and work closely with them to understand and meet children's needs. Staff remind children of the rules for good behaviour, for instance, before they play outside. They strongly promote teamwork and show children how to negotiate and resolve issues together. This helps children to learn how to play cooperatively with their friends. Staff provide children with healthy snacks and involve them in discussions about how food benefits their health.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in their learning. They have good opportunities to practise skills that help them to become ready for school. For instance, children try to do things for themselves, such as putting on their own coat. They learn to listen, follow instructions and recognise their own name. Boys enjoy working together to construct their own models. They begin to solve simple problems when they explore open-ended resources, such as tubes, funnels and sand.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 305284 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 1059511 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 15 Number of children on roll 17 Name of registered person Sandbach Heath (St John's) Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 10 December 2012 Telephone number 01270 761505

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reference number

Sandbach Heath (St John's) Playgroup was registered in 1987. The playgroup employs four members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications, including one at level 2, two at level 3 and one with early years professional status. The playgroup opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The playgroup provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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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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