Crossways Playgroup

Crossways Playgroup Crossways Village Hall, Moigne Combe Road, Crossways, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8JA

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 May 2018 12 June 2017

p.1

3

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

p.1

3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

p.1

This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 New arrangements for supporting staff to track and extend the learning of individual and different groups of children more precisely are not fully embedded, although improvement is evident.  At times, boundaries for children's play are not clearly established by all staff. This sometimes makes it difficult for children to understand and follow expectations.  Staff have not considered further ways to share more detailed information with parents about what they know their children can do on entry.  Staff do not organise some parts of the session, such as story time and the period after lunch, as well as possible to ensure all children are fully engaged in activities.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Staff welcome and value each child as an individual and get to know them well. Children respond positively to staff and are relaxed and content in their care.  There are some effective arrangements to develop the professional knowledge of staff. For example, training and research has helped staff understand more about supporting children who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities.  Children enjoy healthy snacks, such as fruit, cheese and crackers, that help to develop their awareness and enjoyment of nutritious foods.  Staff promote children's awareness of road safety and colours, such as in a painting activity. Children eagerly say 'red means stop' and 'green means go' on traffic lights.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 extend further the systems of tracking and supporting children's development, including for different groups of children, to help target teaching even more effectively  support staff to provide consistently clear boundaries for children, to help them develop their understanding of behaviour expectations further  make more use of information from parents about their children's developmental abilities, to better inform the assessments and planning of activities when they first start  strengthen the organisation of parts of the session to support all children's interest and participation in activities more fully.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's interactions in play indoors and outdoors, and discussed their learning and development with staff.  The inspector viewed documentation, such as operational policies, procedures, first-aid and insurance certificates, and children's learning journals.  The inspector took into account the spoken and written views of parents.  The inspector held a leadership and management meeting with the manager and discussed how staff evaluate practice and make improvements.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The manager has made positive efforts since the last inspection to help staff improve the quality of care and teaching. In addition, they have received help from the local authority to evaluate practice and newly introduced systems are starting to have a positive impact. For example, staff have started to observe each other's skills to develop better practice and they monitor children's language well. However, staff have not fully embedded some systems, such as for tracking the progress of individual and groups of children. Safeguarding is effective. Staff understand what to do should any concerns arise and know their responsibilities to protect children's welfare. Staff have introduced opportunities for parents to be involved in children's learning and keep them informed about children's daily activities. However, staff do not make the best use of information from parents about all children's skills on entry, to support their initial learning even

p.3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

further. Nevertheless, staff liaise well with parents and other professionals to support children's specific educational needs.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Teaching is variable. Staff ask good questions, such as 'What do you think...?' to extend how children learn within their play. However, they do not promote or support all aspects of children's learning consistently enough to ensure that all children make the most rapid progress. For example, older children use their imaginations well, but staff miss opportunities to support this further, such as in outdoor play. Some older children listen well to a story, but others quickly lose interest. At times, younger children wander around unsupported in their play and show little respect for resources. Nevertheless, staff encourage aspects of the older children's early language and literacy skills well and promote their understanding of the world. For instance, older children start to recognise the initial letters of their name. They become absorbed watching snails move around a 'bug viewer' and say, 'Snails live in their shells.' Younger children learn about early

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

technology and cause-and-effect actions. They eagerly press buttons on an interactive toy to activate the sound of a bell chiming.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff encourage children's physical health well. For example, children clamber up the rope ladder of the climbing frame and balance carefully as they walk across stepping stones. Children dig and plant potatoes and strawberries, and know these need water, soil and light to grow. Staff use praise often and boost children's self-esteem. However, staff do not always promote agreed expectations for children's behaviour as well as possible.

p.3

Outcomes for children require improvement

Most children make steady progress to help them with their move to school. However, at times, activities do not engage or support all children's learning well enough, particularly the younger children. Nevertheless, children gain some confidence and independence skills. For example, older children pour their own drinks and find their lunchboxes, and younger children explore play areas and start to initiate their own games.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 139331 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1101386 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 20 Name of registered person Crossways Playgroup Committee

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 12 June 2017 Telephone number 01305 853466

p.4

reference number

Crossways Playgroup registered in 1993. It operates from Crossways, near Dorchester, in Dorset. This committee-run playgroup operates term time only on Mondays and Thursdays from 9am to 3pm, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am until 1pm and on Fridays from 9am to midday. There are three staff employed, two of whom hold childcare qualifications at level 3. The playgroup receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years.

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