St Andrews Playgroup

St Andrews Playgroup St Andrews Church Hall, Roman Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2DQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 November 2016 24 November 2015

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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

 The provider has not taken sufficient action to address the weaknesses in the management of the provision and variances in staff practice. Children do not receive consistently good quality teaching and learning experiences.  The provider's arrangements for the supervision of the manager and staff are not rigorous in ensuring that all staff continue to develop their skills and knowledge, to improve the quality of teaching.  Children are not given consistent messages with regard to expected behaviour and the setting of clear boundaries. Not all staff help children to understand what is expected of them, or support them in gaining an understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe.  The quality of teaching is not consistent. Staff do not always plan what they want children to learn from adult-led activities and often there is a lack of purposeful play, or activities fail to capture the children's interest.

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This provision is inadequate

 The manager does not ensure that the staff's assessments of individual children's progress are effectively identifying gaps in learning. She is not able to target and improve the quality of teaching or evaluate the impact of this on children's achievements.

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It has the following strengths

 Some of the actions and recommendations set at the previous inspection have been met, with support from the local authority. For example, children can now select their own resources.  Staff take positive steps to involve parents in their children's learning, including daily discussions and parents' meetings.

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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

 implement effective supervision for the manager and all staff to ensure that they receive appropriate support, coaching and training and that underperformance is tackled swiftly 02/01/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that children's behaviour is managed effectively and consistently, supporting their understanding of the consequences of their actions on their personal safety and the safety of others 02/01/2017

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Due Date

 improve planning to ensure that all children are consistently provided with purposeful play activities and appropriate adult guidance to support their learning and development 02/01/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that the assessment of children's progress is effective in identifying gaps in children's learning, in order to target teaching more precisely. 02/01/2017

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection and completed a joint observation with the playgroup manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the playgroup manager and the committee members. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the playgroup's self- evaluation, records of children's learning and development, a selection of policies and procedures and risk assessments.  The inspector checked the evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working in the setting.  The inspector spoke to a small number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

There are weaknesses in the overall leadership and management of the playgroup, with regard to tackling underperformance and improving practice. Prior to the inspection, Ofsted received notification from the provider regarding a serious accident involving a child in the playgroup. The notification means that the provider met their legal responsibility. The provider is completing an investigation into the accident. This has identified that there were significant weaknesses at the time of the accident, with regard to staff deployment and staff's understanding of their roles and responsibilities. As part of the ongoing investigation, all necessary agencies have been informed of the accident. Further action is being taken to address the weaknesses in staff practice that were evident at the time of the incident. Staff are beginning to implement some of these changes. On the day of the inspection, they were observed alerting other members of the team when

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

they left the playroom to accompany children to the toilet or outside. This meant that the required adult-to-child ratios were met on the day. The provider is aware of the overall weaknesses in practice and although committee members are working to make further changes, this is not yet effective in addressing concerns swiftly. Monitoring and supervision of staff are variable. Not enough focus is given to developing consistency in the quality of teaching or how children are kept safe. The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. This is mainly due to the inconsistencies in the way staff manage children's behaviour and fail to help them to understand how to stay safe. In other safeguarding respects, staff demonstrate a sound understanding of child protection procedures and are confident about raising any concerns that they may have about children with the relevant agencies.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The quality of teaching continues to be not consistent. Although new systems are in place for assessing children's progress, staff do not consistently link children's next steps with planning or, identify what they want children to learn from adult-led activities. Not all staff are skilled at identifying and addressing gaps in children's attainment. Children engage in activities that are offered without any particular focus on extending their learning. This often results in them being occupied rather than learning in a purposeful way. The learning environment is well equipped with resources indoors and outside. Children make some choices about what they would like to play with and seek out their favourite dressing-up costume or materials to add to their creative pictures. Staff join in with children's play and engage in conversations that suitably promote children's language and communication skills. They noted children's interest in Halloween, providing a pumpkin for

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

children to explore, using their hands and simple tools.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Some staff lack the skills to manage children's behaviour appropriately. For example, on the day of the inspection, children were reminded a few times about not running indoors. However, staff failed to reinforce this or explain to children the consequences of their behaviour on their own and other children's safety. As a result, children continued to run and staff did not address this. Despite this, staff are warm and friendly. They attend to children's basic care needs and work very closely with parents to provide for children who have significant dietary restrictions, to ensure that children's well-being is not compromised while in the playgroup. Staff ensure that children benefit from plenty of outside play and daily exercise.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children are not fully supported to make good progress. The quality of teaching is not consistent and does not ensure children are fully prepared for future learning. The progress and attainment of children, including those in receipt of additional funding, are not effectively monitored to ensure that any gaps in learning are swiftly addressed.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 251641 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 1036837 Type of provision Sessional 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 29 Name of registered person St Andrews Playgroup (Lowestoft) Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 24 November 2015 Telephone number 01502 530 511

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reference number

St Andrews Playgroup was registered in 1968 and is run by a committee. The playgroup opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am to 11.45am each morning, and also on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. The setting employs eight members of staff, of whom seven hold relevant qualifications at levels 2 or 3. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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