Southampton Opportunity Group @ Thornhill

Southampton Opportunity Group @ Thornhill Sure Start Thornhill, Byron Road, SOUTHAMPTON SO19 6FH

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Inspection date 4 March 2019 Previous inspection date 9 May 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

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

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This provision is good

n This short weekly drop-in session is often children's first experience of social interaction outside their immediate family. Children who find large groups and noisy environments daunting begin to relax and thrive in this calm, protective, small-group setting. n The new trustees are taking greater responsibility for evaluating and improving the setting. They recognise the need to ensure that families receive any additional funding entitlements. Children often progress so well that they attend further sessions and Saturday family play dates at other settings in the group. n Parents say the setting and the staff provide a 'lifeline' for them and their children. Parents can access a short period of respite care that they say keeps them afloat, as well as 'crucial professional support'. Their children steadily begin to build the confidence, independence and social skills they need to cope in the wider world.

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This provision is good

n The quality of teaching is continuing to improve across the staff team. The manager mentors and coaches staff well. Staff undertake a broad range of professional development activities to improve their knowledge and skills. Children benefit from rich learning opportunities indoors and outdoors. n Outcomes are good. Children make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. n Monitoring is limited to just a few areas of children's development. It is not detailed enough to check that children are making the best possible rate or breadth of progress. n Staff do not share or target next steps in children's speaking precisely enough to help children achieve at their highest levels.

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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 strengthen the monitoring of children's progress to check precisely how well they are progressing in all aspects of their learning and development n plan and share children's next steps in speaking more precisely to help accelerate their good progress in communication further.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed, listened to and talked with children as they played indoors and during outdoor play. n The inspector talked with parents and listened to their views about the setting and their children's progress. n The inspector looked at children's records and discussed staff's planning and evaluation of activities, and how they exchange information with parents. n The inspector reviewed records and procedures relating to safeguarding and risk assessment, and discussed a range of other procedures relating to children's welfare with the manager. n The inspector offered to carry out a joint observation with the manager. She spoke with the manager, a trustee, the administrator and staff about the impact of their practice on raising outcomes for children.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The manager of the setting is well qualified and highly experienced in supporting families whose children have diagnosed or undiagnosed special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children benefit enormously from early and effective interventions, additional referrals to specialist services and very well-informed written reports to support their future care and learning. The manager follows safer recruitment practices and selects staff very carefully. Many staff and trustees are also parents of children with SEND. They show great sensitivity in recognising and meeting children's immediate needs. Children soon begin to explore their surroundings with more confidence. The manager keeps her own knowledge of child protection updated through high levels of training. She checks that the staff are alert to a wide range of potential safeguarding issues and know what to do if they have concerns. Safeguarding is effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The manager listens attentively to parents and soon establishes children's strengths and the additional help they need. She checks which professionals are already involved in children's care to enhance communication with them. Children access more coordinated care. Staff recognise that children like the security of soft toys and use this as a starting point. Children delight in finding teddy bears across the playroom and garden. Staff set up a teddy bear picnic and children copy them as they pretend to feed the bears. Children pluck up the courage to handle and use small tools. For example, they experiment with capacity as they pour porridge oats between different sizes of bowls.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff make particularly good use of a very wide drum. Children are so fascinated that they gather around it to tap out rhythms and, for the first time, join in with a group of other children. They learn to take turns as they sit or lay on the drum. Children feel and begin to respond to changes in sound quality. They moderate their voices to make quiet and loud sounds. They begin to respond vocally to songs and rhymes sung by the staff and their parents or carers. When children do not respond favourably to change, staff think of ways to help them understand what is about to happen. Children learn to manage their feelings, express their choices and gain the confidence to adapt to new activities. They learn skills needed to underpin the next stage in their learning.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children take a good developmental step forward by attending the session. They learn to separate from their parents and to trust other adults to understand their needs and individual ways of communicating. Children learn to play alongside other children and tolerate their intrusions into their personal space. They learn to enjoy being together and explore new toys, textures and activities. Children acquire the confidence to join in with other activities in the community in good preparation for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY434577 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 10074929 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 1 - 4 Total number of places 10 Number of children on roll 6

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Name of registered person

Southampton (Hardmoor) Opportunity Group Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2016 Telephone number 02380917633

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reference number

Southampton Opportunity Group @ Thornhill registered in 2011. It operates from a room in the Sure Start Centre in the grounds of Thornhill Primary School, Southampton. The group specifically supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their siblings. It opens each Monday during term time from 9am until 11.30am. The group employs three members of staff, including a manager, all of whom hold an early years qualification at level 3 or above. The manager holds a foundation degree at level 5.

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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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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.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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