North Elmham Playgroup

North Elmham Playgroup North Elmham Playgroup, Holt Road, North Elmham, DEREHAM, Norfolk, NR20 5JS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 January 2017 15 March 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The management team has taken positive action to improve policy and practice since the last inspection. Children have benefited from the staff increasing their knowledge and skills, with particular regard to behaviour management and safeguarding. Well- focused development plans are in place to ensure continuous improvement.  Children are confident, happy and settled in the playgroup. They build strong bonds with staff and other children. Staff know about children's home lives and talk to them about their families. They are caring and praise children for their achievements. This helps to promote children's emotional well-being.  Staff provide a welcoming, calm and well-organised environment, where children enjoy investigating, exploring and learning through play. Very good attention is given to planning for outdoors, ensuring that those children who learn best from being outside are able to do so.

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This provision is good

 Staff know children well and support them in purposeful play. They regularly observe and assess children and use this information, alongside a clear understanding of children's interests, to accurately inform activity planning. This supports all children to make good progress in their learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The arrangements for the supervision and support of staff are not fully embedded, to clearly identify how individual staff members can raise the quality of their teaching practice to the highest level.  Although partnerships with parents are good overall, staff do not always ask parents to provide precise information about children's skills and learning to date as they start at the playgroup.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 build on current arrangements for staff support and supervision and identify ways to raise the good standard of teaching practice to yet higher levels, in order to promote excellent outcomes for children  gather more detailed information from parents about what knowledge and skills children already have when they start at the playgroup, in order to more effectively identify children's starting points in learning.

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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 during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation of an activity with the playgroup manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the playgroup manager and provider. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the playgroup. The inspector discussed the playgroup's self-evaluation.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Well-qualified staff talk confidently about the positive impact training has on their knowledge and practice. They have widened their understanding of new legislation in relation to safeguarding, which helps staff to further protect children's welfare. There are clear procedures to ensure that any safeguarding concerns are managed efficiently and are reported to the appropriate authority. Also, good procedures are in place to check the ongoing suitability of staff. The management team works well with advisory professionals and is committed to implementing sustainable changes. The manager has a good knowledge of each child and makes effective use of additional funding to promote children's development. Staff encourage parents to take an active part in children's learning. They are kept well informed through daily discussions and written information, such as topic and activity planning. Feedback from parents is very

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have a good understanding of how to support children's learning. They provide a wide range of learning opportunities that interests and successfully challenges the children. Staff engage well with children as they play and carefully phrase questions to build on what children already know and enjoy. Children eagerly help to make play dough, exploring the change in texture as they add more water to the mix. They learn to listen to instructions and wait for their turn to add ingredients and mix. Children confidently communicate their ideas, asking to colour the dough and selecting coloured paints. They develop their own imaginary play and are creative. Staff engage children in conversation, effectively supporting their developing vocabulary. Children are introduced to numbers and shapes as they play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

An effective key-person system ensures that the individual needs of each child and their family are met. Children are treated as individuals and with respect. Staff speak to them calmly, reminding children about expectations for behaviour as required. This helps them understand how to manage their own behaviour and to make friends. Staff help children to understand about risk and how to keep themselves safe. The playgroup has developed effective links with teachers at the schools that children move on to. They work well together to share information and prepare children emotionally for change. Children are invited to take part in school activities, such as the planetarium, returning to playgroup excited and eager to share their experiences.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children develop many skills needed in preparation for the next stage in their learning, such as starting school. They are highly independent, dressing themselves in appropriate clothing to play outside, serving their own snack and selecting resources they would like to play with. Children enthusiastically join in familiar rhymes and listen well to stories. They develop a keen interest in books and understand that print carries meaning. Children have different opportunities to practise their writing skills and handle tools effectively.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 254193 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 1043543 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 26 Number of children on roll 24 Name of registered person North Elmham Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 15 March 2016 Telephone number 01362 668 091

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reference number

North Elmham Playgroup was registered in 1998. The playgroup employs four members of childcare staff, all of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The playgroup opens from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 9am to midday. There is a lunch club from midday to 1pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. There is an afternoon session on Monday and Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm. 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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