Ladybird Playgroup & Pre- School

Ladybird Playgroup & Pre- School Thriplow C of E Primary School, School Lane, Thriplow, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 7RH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31 January 2017 29 November 2013

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff promote children's learning with their highly effective teaching. They continually help children to develop and explore their own ideas. Staff listen carefully to what children say. This attentiveness helps them to plan extended learning experiences.  Partnerships with parents are excellent. Parents speak highly of all staff and the committee. They compliment them for the support they offer the whole family. Parents have frequent opportunities to discuss their children's progress. They contribute to children's learning at home, use the library and frequently share Wow moments.  Children benefit significantly from the opportunities for outdoor learning. They thoroughly enjoy the freedom they have to choose where they learn. Staff have worked with others to secure land to develop outdoor learning further. They have attended training so they have the knowledge and skills to support children in the new venture.

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff promote children's speaking and listening skills exceptionally well. Children have planned and spontaneous high-quality experiences throughout each session. These enable them to use their language skills to share their ideas thoughts and feelings.  The committee has had a very positive impact on the organisation of the group. They have demonstrated their commitment to excellence, attended training and have been instrumental in implementing robust performance management and target setting. This has helped everyone to work towards achieving excellence.  The highly successful relationship with the school is now very well established. Staff and governors have regular meetings, consult one another about joint working, discuss teaching and plan the children's move on to school.

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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

 explore further ways to sharpen the already very good assessments of children's 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 with the setting manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the setting manager, nominated person and a committee member. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting and the committee.  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 outstanding

The extremely well-led team works very effectively together, in order to deliver a high- quality provision for all children. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a very secure knowledge of child protection. Information to help guide them through recording and reporting concerns is readily available. Committee members use their expert professional skills, working with staff to develop policies and practices that are robust and help to protect everyone. All staff have regular meetings where they reflect on their practice and identify training needs. Staff track children's progress very effectively. They ensure children with gaps in their learning are very well supported to catch up with their peers. The team recognise the potential to explore further ways to sharpen their already excellent assessments by utilising the expertise of school teaching staff.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Children are eager to get involved. Staff model learning extremely well and this encourages children to have a go at new tasks. They watch a member of staff as she shows them a ball bouncing technique using alternate hands. Children are quick to try it out and are soon succeeding. Story time is extremely popular. Staff are expressive and skilfully engage children who then participate with enthusiasm. Children use the books and props in their own play, recreating the story for themselves. Staff are very alert to incidental learning opportunities that arise. They use highly effective questioning to encourage children to think deeply and explain their thoughts. Children are good at problem solving and are very creative. They explain how paint can be mixed to change colour or carefully loaded onto a brush to make a rainbow effect. Staff frequently observe children as they play. They use what they see to plan precisely for children's next steps in

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children thrive in the lively setting. The stimulating displays and wealth of accessible resources enhance their play significantly. Children are very well behaved. The excellent role models provided by every member of staff helps children to learn quickly about how to treat others with kindness and respect. Children thoroughly enjoy helping with the snack preparation. They follow appropriate hygiene procedures and learn about a variety of familiar and exotic fruits. They observe the look, feel and smell, commenting on the juiciness of some and the hard skin of others. In addition, they practise using knives to cut fruit carefully into pieces ready to share. Children have excellent relationships with staff and other children. They are confident and have a positive disposition to learning.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children, including those who speak English as an additional language are making rapid progress. Children show excellent number skills as they correctly count groups of objects. They share resources fairly with others. Children are eager to use pencils and paper in their play. They count and record the number of baskets scored outdoors, and in role play games they write down how many people would like a drink. Children are very well prepared for starting school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 221909 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 1063744 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 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Ladybird Playgroup Thriplow Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 29 November 2013 Telephone number 01763 208055

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reference number

Ladybird Playgroup & Pre-School was registered in 1997. The setting employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The playgroup opens from Monday to Friday, during term time. Sessions are from 9am until 3.15pm. The setting provides funded early education for three- and four-year- old children and 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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