Christchurch Playgroup

Christchurch Playgroup Christ Church, 155 Highbury Grove, London, N5 1SA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 July 2018 15 December 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

 The well-qualified staff team organises the environment effectively for children. Staff provide a good range of resources and activities, which helps to engage children in purposeful play.  Staff make accurate, ongoing assessments about children's learning and development. They use these well to plan for children's good progress.  Staff form strong partnerships with parents. This helps to meet children's needs consistently as staff understand their interests and home circumstances.  Staff know the children well and support their emotional needs effectively. This ensures children feel safe and secure at nursery.  Children make good and steady progress from their starting points. They are well prepared for a smooth move to school.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasions, staff do not use routines as well as possible to support children's learning or identify children who, although happily play alone, at times do not consistently receive adult interactions to help extend their learning further.  Overall, the manager supports staff's practice well. However, the monitoring of teaching is not sufficiently precise to raise the already good-quality teaching to a higher 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

 develop more awareness of supporting children who are less inclined to seek adult interactions, and review and improve some routines, to help provide even better quality learning experiences for all children  strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of staff's practice to develop the already good quality of teaching further and raise outcomes for children to a higher level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the staff's teaching and their interactions with children indoors and outdoors.  The inspector looked at a sample of paperwork, including staff's qualifications, suitability checks, and safeguarding policies and procedures.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents and took account of their views.  The inspector observed an adult-led activity with the manager and held a discussion with her about staff's teaching and children's learning.  The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the day, and held a meeting with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff know the procedures to follow to report any safeguarding concerns. The manager follows rigorous recruitment procedures to help ensure staff are suitable to work with children. She is reflective and ambitious, and she makes changes that help support children. For example, since the last inspection, the manager has reviewed the arrangements for group time, and children now take part in smaller groups, which helps support their learning more effectively. The manager meets regularly with staff and, overall, supports them well to develop their practice. For example, the staff team has completed a healthy living project. Through this, staff have identified ways to support children, such as teaching them about good dental health. Parents comment positively about the support they receive, and how events, such as information evenings about starting school, help them to support their child at this time.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff effectively identify children's starting points in learning when they start. The manager and staff successfully track children's ongoing development, and this helps them to close any emerging gaps in their learning. Staff use good teaching skills to build on what children already know. For example, staff use dinosaurs to explore the concepts of addition and subtraction with older children, and younger children are encouraged to count when they walk down the stairs. Children's early literacy skills are well promoted. For example, staff read familiar stories with the children, who eagerly join in with story time and share their thoughts about the story.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children settle into playgroup quickly and enjoy their time there. They are chatty and eager to engage in activities of their own choosing. Staff are good role models; they talk kindly to one another and the children. They listen carefully to what each other is saying. Children gain an awareness of equal opportunities. For example, that boys and girls can play with the same toys and dress up in the same outfits. The playgroup supports healthy living well, including encouraging children to drink plenty of water and to grow their own fruit and vegetables in the allotment garden. Staff make good use of the church grounds to help children develop their physical skills. For example, children build obstacle courses and practise their football skills.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children acquire a broad range of skills in preparation for their future learning and starting school. Children feel safe and secure and confidently move around the room and outdoor area to make their own play choices. They carry out self-care tasks independently, such as pouring their own water at snack time. Older children learn to count and write letters which have personal significance to them, supporting them to develop literacy skills ready for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 131677 Local authority Islington Inspection number 1126922 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 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 19 Name of registered person Christchurch Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 15 December 2015 Telephone number 020 7354-3117

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reference number

Christchurch Playgroup registered in November 1994. It is based in Highbury, in the London Borough of Islington. The playgroup opens five days a week during term time with sessions from 9.15am to 11.15am or from 9.15am to 1.15pm for children who stay for lunch. There are five staff who work with the children, four of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The provider receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years.

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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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