Little Fishes Playgroup

Little Fishes Playgroup St Mary's Parish Church, The Green, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands WS9 8NH

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Inspection date 1 February 2019 Previous inspection date 22 April 2016

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Good 2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

n The manager and staff have the very highest expectations for all children, including the most able children, to ensure they offer the greatest level of challenge. Teaching is rooted in expert knowledge and a full understanding of how children learn and progress. n Staff morale is very high and all staff share the ambitious vision of sustaining high- quality teaching, care and outcomes for all children. Staff are highly reflective and there are excellent systems in place to monitor and coach staff. n Staff place a top priority on making sure that children make the very best possible progress. They very carefully track children's progress in relation to their capabilities, how often they attend and the length of time they stay at the playgroup. n Staff have highly positive relationships with parents and use a inclusive approach to ensure they are all fully engaged in their children's learning and nursery life. Parents

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This provision is outstanding

report extremely high levels of satisfaction with the service they receive. n Staff are highly effective in ensuring all children are well integrated. They ensure each child receives high levels of emotional support to help them join in and make the very most of what is on offer. n Staff provide a routine which offers children an excellent range of very rich adult-led and child-initiated activities. Staff skilfully adapt these activities and experiences to meet the needs of all children. n Staff place an excellent focus on promoting children's communication and language and their listening and attention skills. Even the very youngest children are highly motivated.

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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

n continue the excellent work to enthuse the boys' interest even further in being imaginative and in writing to help maintain their rapid progress.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the playgroup. n The inspector spoke with staff and children at the playgroup during the inspection. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Rigorous monitoring, analysis and continuous reflection on practice lead to an exceptionally well-targeted action plan to ensure the excellent practice is sustained. For example, the staff are developing even more exciting opportunities to enthuse the boys' interest further in being imaginative and in writing. The manager works directly with the children and alongside the staff team and provides excellent supervision, guidance and coaching to staff. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding issues and receive regular training and updates to keep them fully informed. Extensive recruitment, vetting and induction procedures ensure all staff are suitable and that new staff are successfully inducted in their roles and responsibilities.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff diligently plan a comprehensive and inspiring range of activities to help children make excellent progress. Teaching is highly focused on helping children develop a positive attitude towards learning and a sense of achievement. Staff provide a wealth of activities around a highly focused learning intention. For example, the current focus of size, quantity and weight was used exceptionally well throughout the whole session. During circle time, staff skilfully demonstrated when a jug is full, half full and empty, and later children explored these concepts during a water activity and in the pretend grocery shop. At the end of the session, staff helped children to consolidate this new learning, and children showed high levels of enthusiasm during all staff interactions.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children's behaviour is exemplary and they show an excellent understanding of the routine. For example, children immediately respond when the bell rings and sit ready for group time. Staff use an excellent range of strategies to help children take on extra responsibility. For example, children are chosen to help cut the fruit and vegetables in preparation for snack. They demonstrate excellent cutting skills and understanding of safety issues in relation to using the knives safely. Snack time is used exceptionally well to help children extend their self-help skills and to encourage discussion. Staff are very creative in their approach to teaching children about keeping safe and healthy. For example, staff present the nursery teddy bear with a sling on its arm and teach children about how to keep safe, injury and recovery time. They also talk about what types of food are good for their bodies.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children move on to a school nursery at the age of three years. All children make excellent progress from their starting points and are extremely well prepared for their next stage of learning. The inspiring resources quickly capture children's curiosity. For example, children easily make comparisons between the real fruit and vegetables and plastic ones, and they learn how to use the balancing scales. Children show a real interest in learning new words, concepts and ideas, and they like to test their ideas out with support from staff. All children display high levels of interest and concentration during activities and thoroughly enjoy learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 254465 Local authority Walsall Inspection number 10066505 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 42 Name of registered person Cook, Annette

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 22 April 2016 Telephone number 01922669922

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reference number

Little Fishes Playgroup registered in 1996. It operates from Aldridge Church Centre in Walsall. It opens three days a week during term time only. Sessions times are Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9.30am to midday and Monday from 12.30pm to 3pm. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The playgroup employs five members of staff. Of these, one holds qualified teacher status, two hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 6 and two hold a qualification at level 3.

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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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procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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