Westfield Playgroup

Westfield Playgroup Church Hall, Vicarage Lane, Westfield, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 4SD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 October 2017 18 March 2015

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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

 Staff get to know children well and meet their emotional needs successfully. Children form strong bonds with their special adults.  Effective observation and assessment of children's progress enable staff to plan activities that meet their learning needs well. Children make good progress in learning.  Staff provide a wide variety of innovative activities that engage children. For example, children thoroughly enjoy exploring and handling dried rice and cocoa beans.  The strong partnerships with parents help make a significant contribution to children's development. Staff and parents work closely together to build on children's learning at home and in the setting.  Children have a good understanding of the importance of healthy eating. For example, they plant and grow fresh produce, such as carrots, for their snacks.  The manager places strong emphasis on mentoring staff and helping them improve

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This provision is good

their skills. For example, she encourages them to attend training to help improve children's experiences. Recent training has enabled staff to introduce new exercise and movement activities that build on children's physical skills.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The management team does not consistently make full use of opportunities to monitor and evaluate practice to help raise the quality of the provision even further.  Occasionally, staff miss opportunities to offer even further challenge to children to fully extend their learning and build on their strong communication skills.

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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 the already good use of self-evaluation and monitoring to focus more sharply on areas for development that will enhance the provision to a higher level  make the most of opportunities to consistently challenge and extend children's learning and speaking skills even further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities indoors and in the outdoor area.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to at the inspection and from the setting's questionnaires.  The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and spoke to staff at various times during the inspection.  The inspector sampled children's learning records and other relevant documentation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Thorough recruitment procedures help the management team ensure staff are suitable to work with children. All staff complete safeguarding training. They have an up-to-date understanding of what to do if they have a child protection concern. Staff give a high priority to identifying and effectively minimising risks to children, particularly when there are changes in the premises. Overall, the management team competently oversees and monitors children's progress to identify and narrow any emerging gaps in learning and planning. The manager values parents' feedback and implements their suggestions, such as using a daily diary to communicate with them as needed. She has a well-focused plan to continue to develop the outdoor area as an even more stimulating learning environment, particularly for those children who learn better outdoors. Staff work well with other early years settings involved with individual children

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

to provide a consistent approach to their care and learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff organise the environment indoors and outdoors successfully. For example, they provide plenty of opportunities for children to make choices and initiate their own play. They actively encourage children to share their experiences and ideas. Overall, staff interact effectively with children and build on their language, skills and interests. For example, when making spiders out of dough children showed an interest in how they eat. Staff made good use of a reference book and a website with children to learn more about spiders. Children used good imagination and creativity as they made their models. They showed strong mathematical skills, for example, as they counted their spider's legs and carefully compared the sizes of wobbly eyes before placing them on their models.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff create a warm and friendly environment where children settle quickly and soon feel at home. They are good role models who are kind and caring. Children behave well and form good friendships with others. They learn to value and respect differences in others. Children join in activities and work together to do tasks, such as filling a wheelbarrow up with stones. Staff actively encourage children to share and take turns. They gently remind children of what is expected when a minor dispute occurs. Children enjoy playing outdoors and have good physical skills and coordination. For example, they help carry watering cans to a water butt so they can water plants.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are prepared well for a successful move to school. They manage their own personal care needs well and develop a good understanding of the importance of good hygiene practice. Children are very independent. For example, they pour their drinks and help to wash and cut up carrots at snack time. Children are secure and settled, showing a strong sense of belonging. They are well motivated and enjoy learning. Children confidently approach staff for help when they need it. They develop a love of books and enjoy writing for different purposes.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 109538 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 1089041 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 Westfield Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 18 March 2015 Telephone number 07790744404

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reference number

Westfield Playgroup registered in 1986. It operates from a church hall in Westfield, East Sussex. The group opens during school term times only. Opening hours are from 9am to 3pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and from 9am to midday on Wednesday. The group is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The group employs seven staff, of whom five have a relevant qualification at level 3 and one has qualified teacher status.

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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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