Hillside Playcare Centre

Hillside Playcare Centre Hall Road, Southminster, Essex, CM0 7EH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31 May 2018 28 May 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 assess risks in the environment indoors and outdoors prior to children arriving and remove any identified hazards. They maintain a clean and tidy space for children to play. This helps to keep children safe.  The special educational needs coordinator supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. She works closely with parents, children's key persons and other professionals to promote children's individual needs.  Partnership with parents is good. Staff invite parents to meet their child's key person to discuss their children's progress. Parents comment positively about the staff. They say that they are always helpful and friendly.  Staff help older children to learn key skills in readiness for their move on to school. They take them swimming and encourage children to get dressed and undressed by themselves, promoting their independence.  Children take an active part in planning activities and help to develop their own next

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This provision is good

steps in learning. Staff listen to children's views and encourage them to follow their interests. Children make good progress in their learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The manager does not yet evaluate staff teaching skills well enough to extend their practice to an outstanding level.

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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

 strengthen the programme for professional development and supervision of staff, so that it focuses more specifically on extending staff teaching skills to an outstanding level.

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

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff know their responsibilities to help keep children safe. They are confident about where they will report concerns regarding children's safety and welfare. Staff have measures in place to ensure that children leave the nursery with an appropriate adult. The manager works well with schools when children move on. Information about children's learning and individual preferences is shared in a 'passport'. Teachers are invited to see the children in the nursery. The manager reflects on practice and identifies ongoing improvements. Recent feedback from parents helped her to review the food offered to children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff demonstrate consistently strong teaching. They know the children well and, through observation and assessments, they plan for children's good progress. The manager has an overview of the progress made by groups of children. This is shared with staff and helps them to provide more opportunities for boys to develop their early writing skills. Staff provide opportunities for children to learn about living things. They take children into the garden to look for insects. Children use pencils and paper to draw what they see. Staff sing nursery rhymes with babies. This helps them to develop their communication and language skills. Younger children listen to and follow stories well. Staff provide them with a soft-toy elephant when they read them a story about an elephant. This helps to maintain children's attention. Staff provide 'learning packs' for older children to take home. This helps parents to continue to support children's good progress at home.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children learn about growth and decay over time. They help staff to water plants in the garden and to grow strawberries. Younger children are provided with opportunities to learn about good oral hygiene. Staff provide them with their own toothbrush and encourage them to clean their teeth after mealtimes. Children arrive happy and behave well. They know what is expected of them. Staff remind children of the rules and boundaries in the nursery. They give children plenty of praise and encouragement, helping to raise their confidence and self-esteem. Older children are provided with opportunities to gain a sense of responsibility. For example, staff give them tasks to complete, such as sweeping the sand off the floor and washing pots.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress from their starting points in learning. Children demonstrate good social skills. They work together as a team to put toy bricks in a line on the floor. Children pretend to build a house, demonstrating their good imagination. They have a good relationship with staff and enjoy spending time with them. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and are emotionally secure.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY219751 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1091349 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 0 - 7 Total number of places 64 Number of children on roll 125 Name of registered person Lesley Jeanne Talbot

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 28 May 2015 Telephone number 01621 774422

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reference number

Hillside Playcare Centre registered in 1982. The nursery employs 26 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one at level 5 and one member of staff holds early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7am until 7pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It offers holiday care for older 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

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 .

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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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