Pitstop Playschool

Pitstop Playschool Methodist Church, Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8SL

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 December 2016 1 July 2016

p.1

3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

p.1

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

 The quality of teaching is not yet consistently strong. As a result, children's learning experiences are variable and opportunities for learning are not maximised.  Staff's knowledge of the observation, assessment and planning process is not yet sufficiently robust to ensure that activities and learning are tailored to each child's individual needs.  Strategies to ensure that parents are kept well-informed about their children's learning and development are not wholly successful.  Some aspects of record keeping do not ensure that information relating to individual children is handled in a way that ensures confidentiality.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Staff develop warm relationships with children. As a result, they settle quickly and are happy at the setting.  Children behave well because consistent boundaries are in place to help them learn right from wrong.  Children show that they feel secure when they approach visitors with confidence and engage in conversation.  Children demonstrate that they are familiar with self-help routines. They gain growing levels of independence when they wash their hands before snack and manage to spread butter on their crackers well.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

p.2

Due Date

 continue to promote partnerships with parents and provide them with enough information about their child’s progress to enable them to continue their child's learning at home 20/01/2017

p.2

Due Date

 embed staff's knowledge of the observation, assessment and planning process to enable accurate assessment of children's learning, that recognises and provides for challenge for more able children 20/01/2017

p.2

Due Date

 make sure that all information relating to children is handled in a way that ensures confidentiality, with particular reference to the accident records. 23/12/2016

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the support for children's learning.  The inspector spoke to staff during the inspection about their understanding of the setting's safeguarding procedures and planning for children's learning.  A joint observation was carried out with the nursery manager.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views about the setting.  The inspector sampled staff files, children's assessment records and a range of policies, procedures and other documentation.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The supervision of staff and monitoring of teaching is underway and is beginning to identify individual strengths and weaknesses. The manager has identified that more work still needs to be done in developing the staff's confidence with observing, assessing and planning for children's learning. Some work has been started to identify gaps in learning for different groups of children, though this is not yet well-developed. Limited action has been taken to address the noted weaker areas of the curriculum, such as the provision for mathematics. Partnerships with outside agencies are well established so that support for children requiring additional support can be accessed. However, effective systems to promote information sharing with parents are not fully in place. Some aspects of record keeping need attention to ensure confidentiality is maintained. Safeguarding is effective. Since the last inspection, the manager has reviewed systems and processes relating to

p.3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

staff suitability to ensure that information is up to date. Despite access to training proving a challenge, staff are aware of the procedures to follow in the event of concerns.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The quality of teaching is variable. This means that children do not experience a sufficiently challenging learning environment. Some staff lack the confidence to support children's learning effectively and do not extend activities for more able or older children. For example, there is little extension of a bead activity, which could promote mathematical learning, other than to compare colours. However, some staff are skilled at engaging with children and use good questioning techniques to encourage children to think and consider problems they encounter during play. Children have regular opportunities to recognise their own names and to practise letter formation. For example, they identify and collect their name cards before snack time.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children have formed secure relationships with staff and their peers, enabling them to feel happy and enjoy their time at the setting. Children behave well. They respond to the clear boundaries in place. Staff model and encourage positive behaviour. Children recognise the use of props, such as the sand timer, to help them understand when it is their turn, or the turn of the friends.

p.3

Outcomes for children require improvement

The inconsistent level of teaching impacts on the progress children can make at the setting. Generally, children listen and respond to instructions well. They demonstrate growing levels of confidence when they practise singing and actions in a small group to a small audience. They are familiar with the routines in the setting and independently access the resources they want to develop their own games.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 127451 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1075808 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 16 Name of registered person Jayne Laura Laurie

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 1 July 2016 Telephone number 01622 754148

p.4

reference number

Pitstop Playschool registered in 1990 and is situated in Maidstone, Kent. The setting opens five mornings a week from 9.15am until 12.15pm, during term time only. The provider receives funding for free early education for children aged three and four years. There are seven members of staff, five of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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