Play-A-Way Day Care Centre

Play-A-Way Day Care Centre Oddfellows Hall, 2a Vicarage Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5HZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 November 2017 2 June 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

 Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff regularly share ongoing information with parents about children's progress. They work together to identify targets to support children's learning. Staff effectively support families to further develop children's learning at home. For example, they offer well-considered home learning packs to share resources with families.  The manager works closely with the staff team to monitor individual children and those within specific groups. This helps to ensure that any gaps in children's learning are quickly recognised and supported further. Children develop well and learn skills which support their next steps in learning. Parents comment that children 'thrive' during their time at the setting.  Children form strong emotional attachments with the staff. They thoroughly enjoy their company and are eager for them to join in their play. Overall, children new to the

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This provision is good

setting settle quickly and easily as the staff are kind, caring and attentive to their needs.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Although staff promote children's learning through play well, sometimes they miss opportunities to fully support all children to join in and benefit from play experiences.  On occasions, staff do not make the most of the information they gain from families to further support children who speak English as an additional language when they first start at the setting.

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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 staff's teaching skills so children of all abilities are expertly supported in all areas of learning in their play  ensure strategies to support children who speak English as an additional language are fully embedded from the start.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed interactions between the staff and children during play activities.  The inspector viewed a range of developmental records and spoke to key staff about children's progress.  The inspector joined the staff and children on a trip to the local park.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector gained feedback from parents and children and considered their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The experienced manager leads an enthusiastic staff team. They work together well to evaluate the setting and make changes to ensure the good levels of care are maintained. The highly qualified manager works effectively with her deputy to supervise and monitor staff practice. They offer lots of opportunities for staff to reflect on and consider ways they can further improve their knowledge and skills. For example, staff use knowledge gained from training to develop a deeper understanding of how to support young children's communication and language skills. They use well-considered simple resources, such as puppets and musical instruments, to further enhance children's developing skills. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff are confident about their responsibility to protect children from harm. They have a good understanding of aspects which may be a course for concern and the processes to follow to record and report any concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff carry out regular, accurate observations of children in their play. They use their good knowledge of children's abilities to provide purposeful experiences. They tailor their interactions to further support children's progress. Staff skilfully use simple techniques to develop children's ideas and encourage them to practise new skills. For example, to further enhance small-world play, staff add ice to arctic animals and fake ice in a winter scene. Children use their senses to explore the ice. Using skilful questions, staff encourage children to think about and describe where the ice may be found and how it feels. Simple concepts, such as hot and cold, are discussed and staff listen well to the children's ideas. Children use their developing vocabulary to add descriptive words, such as 'melt', to describe what is happening. Using their emerging mathematical skills children compare the sizes of the ice blocks as they start to melt and they use their physical skills to use

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

resources to try to break the ice blocks.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff maintain a safe, welcoming and stimulating environment. Staff provide children with an endless array of challenging and thoughtfully considered resources. Children's independence is fostered very well. They learn to manage their self-care needs from a young age. For example, children learn to put on their own coats and enthusiastically work together to help to tidy up the setting. Staff are skilled at using simple questions and techniques to help children to consider how to manage their own and others' behaviour and safety. For example, staff use a trip to the local park to involve the children in developing a good understanding of road safety.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children progress well from their starting points. They are keen and motivated learners who enjoy using skills learned in their play. For example, children use their developing mark-making skills to pretend to write on clipboards and describe what they are doing. Other children show strong counting skills as they count their friend's turns on the see- saw to aid with turn taking. These skills help to prepare children for the move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY472431 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 1095509 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 58 Name of registered person Play-A-Way Partnership

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 2 June 2015 Telephone number 01634851107

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reference number

Play-A-Way Day Care Centre registered in 2013. It is one of two settings owned by Play-A- Way Partnership and is located in Gillingham, Kent. The setting is open from 7am to 6pm each weekday, for 47 weeks of the year. The setting includes a breakfast club and after- school club for children aged up to 11 years. The setting employs 11 staff. The manager holds an early years degree. Eight other staff, including the deputy manager, hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free 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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