St Matthews Playgroup

St Matthews Playgroup Church Hall, Church Road, Cainscross, Stroud, Glos, GL5 4LH

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 December 2016 2 December 2013

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 The manager uses feedback from parents, staff and children to identify changes and improvements that enhance the provision and benefit the children.  Staff monitor children's development well. They make accurate assessments of children's learning and plan experiences to meet children's needs and interests. All children, including those who have special educational needs, make good progress.  There are good partnerships with parents and other professionals, with regular exchanges of information about children's development. Children benefit from consistent experiences in the setting and at home, and they receive good support for their move into school.  Staff have thought well about how to provide stimulating environments. Children can make choices about their play. For example, they choose play materials from labelled boxes in the setting or from photographs in a resource book. Children have good

p.1

This provision is good

control over their learning and they develop good levels of self-esteem and confidence.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Adults working with the children miss opportunities to engage children fully during play and activities to extend their learning as well as possible.  At times, staff do not provide children with consistent messages to reinforce their understanding about what is expected of them at different times and in different situations.

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

 implement a more defined programme of professional development to support adults working with the children to increase children's engagement in activities, to better support them to make the best progress possible in their learning and development  make sure children receive clear and consistent messages to better support their understanding about what is expected of them.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of the teaching inside and outside.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day and through written testimonials.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of children's learning with the manager.  The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector sampled paperwork, including children's records, planning, policies and procedures, accident and incident records, and self-evaluation.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager monitors staff well. She targets training and professional development to increase staff's skills and knowledge to better support children's learning and development. For example, the special educational needs coordinator attended training to help her understand how to access other agencies that provide support for children in the setting. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. For example, all staff have updated their knowledge about vulnerable children and know how to follow up concerns about children's welfare to keep children safe and protect them from harm.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children enjoy access to a variety of activities. Staff teach children about the world around them. For example, they encouraged children to see what happened when they trod on the frosty ground making footprints. Staff support children's communication and help them describe experiences. For example, children were excited and curious as they put their hands inside boxes with hidden natural materials for them to feel and talk about. Staff help children to develop mathematical and hand-to-eye coordination skills as they play. For example, children identified the shapes they used as they created houses with wooden shapes and hammered the tacks in to hold the pieces in place. Staff help children to develop their writing skills, such as when they use the chalk to write letters from their name on the blackboard.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff teach children to take responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe. For example, they choose a 'star of the day' to check the play spaces with a member of staff. They use photographs of potential hazards and tick them off to show the area is safe. Children are involved in the community and learn about others. For example, the vicar visits the group and shares stories with them. Children also take part in celebrations, such as harvest festival and Christingle, with children from the local school.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who have special educational needs, make good progress in their learning and development. Children develop good self-care skills, such as putting on their own coats and shoes to go outside, and washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Children understand about healthy eating, for example, they tell others they must eat sandwiches first before sweet things. Children develop good mathematical skills, such as counting the hair clips they use to do a member of staff's hair and recognising numerals on mats as they step across them.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 101674 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 1061132 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 24 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person St Matthews Playgroup Committee

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 2 December 2013 Telephone number 01453 756057

p.4

reference number

St Matthews Playgroup registered in 1979. It operates from St Matthews Church hall, which is to the west of Stroud town centre in Gloucestershire. The group operates Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions for children aged two to three years run on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 9am until midday. Sessions for children aged three to four years run on Monday and Thursday from 9am to 3pm and on Friday from midday to 3pm. The playgroup employs six staff, five of whom hold a relevant early years qualification at level 3. The manager holds a qualification at level 4.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

reference number

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

reference number

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

p.5

reference number

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

p.5