The Crescent Playgroup

The Crescent Playgroup St.Lukes Church Hall, The Crescent,Bricket Wood, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3NF

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 September 2017 21 November 2014

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 The provider has not informed Ofsted of changes to members of the committee. Disclosure and Barring Service checks have not been undertaken on new committee members. Ofsted have not been given the necessary information to be able to assess the suitability of these persons.  The manager does not always make the best use of supervision meetings to monitor and evaluate staff's practice, and to focus on raising the overall quality of teaching to the highest level.  Staff complete regular and thorough assessments of children's progress. However, best use is not made of this information to target specific next steps in learning, in order to support children to make even more-rapid progress.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Staff have built good partnerships with parents. They provide them with regular information about assessments of their children's progress and achievements. Staff provide ideas and information about how parents can further support their children's learning at home.  Children build very close bonds with their key person. They are given support and encouragement during their settling-in sessions. Staff meet their individual needs and quickly they become confident in the playgroup.  Staff provide a wide range of activities that children find interesting and challenging. They challenge children to predict what may happen next in stories and encourage their involvement and participation. Children recall some phrases and words from their favourite well-known books.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

Due Date

 implement effective systems to ensure that new committee members are suitable, including obtaining enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks, and provide Ofsted with this information. 03/10/2017

p.2

Due Date

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

p.2

Due Date

 strengthen procedures for monitoring and evaluating staff's practice and increase the potential to raise the overall quality of teaching even higher  enhance the use of information gathered from assessments to provide children with more specific next steps in learning that enable them to make even more-rapid progress.

p.2

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 playgroup manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the playgroup manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. The provider has not informed Ofsted of changes to the committee and has not provided Ofsted with the necessary information to enable suitability checks to be undertaken. The provider has not ensured that the new member of the committee has obtained an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. In other aspects of safeguarding, staff understand the procedure to follow and who to contact with any concerns they may have about a child. Risk assessments are undertaken to identify and ensure practice is in place to minimise the risks to children. Staff evaluate their practice on a regular basis. They seek the views of parents and children and include their ideas when identifying areas to improve and when they set targets for development.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff use information gathered from parents when children first start at the playgroup to identify their individual next steps in learning. They evaluate children's progress and identify any gaps in learning. Staff provide targeted support when needed to help children make continued good progress. Staff encourage children's speech and communication skills effectively. They talk to children about what they are doing and repeat words to support their understanding and pronunciation. Staff fully promote children's mathematical skills, encouraging children to count their pieces of fruit as they serve themselves. They challenge children to find different shapes and fit them into puzzles. Children develop their imaginative skills, such as when they talk about where they are taking the toy doll to in the pram.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Weaknesses in leadership and management mean that children's safety and welfare are not assured. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. They enjoy taking part in ball games and riding on push-a-long bicycles. Children behave well. Staff provide consistent clear messages that support their understanding. Staff talk to children about food that is good for them. This is one of the ways that staff support children's understanding about keeping healthy. Staff promote good hygiene practices and children know to wash their hands after outdoor play and before snack time.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Children are eager to learn. They are given many opportunities to learn to become more independent. For example, children help to tidy away toys at the end of a session and serve their own snack. Children make good progress from their starting points. They quickly learn the skills needed ready for their next stage in learning and their move on to school.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 123582 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1102987 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 34 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person The Crescent Playgroup Committee

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 21 November 2014 Telephone number 07879850713

p.4

reference number

The Crescent Playgroup registered in 1993. The playgroup employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, plus one with qualified teacher status. The playgroup opens from Tuesday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9.15am to 12.15 on Tuesday and Thursday, 9.15am to 1pm on Wednesday and from 9.15am to 2.30pm on Friday. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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