St Marys Playgroup

St Marys Playgroup Church Road, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 2HQ

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Inspection date 17 May 2019 Previous inspection date 17 September 2015

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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 The manager works alongside the enthusiastic staff team and offers clear direction and support to staff to ensure the quality of teaching is consistently good. n Staff build firm relationships with parents from the start. During the home visits, they offer good advice on any parenting issues raised. Staff provide tailored guidance to each parent to help them support their children's learning at home. n Staff swiftly identify any gaps in children's learning and help them make good progress from their starting points. They provide good, targeted interventions to improve children's communication and language skills. n Staff provide a rich range of opportunities to ensure children enjoy physical activities. They encourage children daily to take part in hand-strengthening exercises to support their writing skills. n Staff know each child's preferences and family circumstances well. They offer good levels of emotional support to help each child join in and become independent.

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This provision is good

n Staff do not consistently make the very best use of the detailed assessment information they collate, to identify very precisely how they will extend children's learning to the highest level. n Staff do not always recognise opportunities during activities to further extend children's learning in calculation, measurement and weight.

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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 refine further the use of children's assessment information to identify even more precisely how to support children's individual learning, in order to help them make the best possible progress n extend children's interest and understanding in calculation, measurement and weight, in order to help raise their achievement in mathematics to an even higher level.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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 took account of the views of parents.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a good understanding of child protection issues and work closely with other professionals working with families. They know the procedures to follow if they have a concern about child abuse or neglect. Staff set up the hall daily and carry out checks in the environment to ensure it is safe and suitable. They benefit from good-quality supervision sessions, regular staff meetings and training to ensure they are clear about their roles and responsibilities. The manager gathers the views of parents and staff and there is a well-focused action plan in place to build on practice even further. Parents are highly impressed by the service they receive. They feel staff make the very best use of the session to offer a broad range of experiences for their children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff organise the session so that children benefit from whole-group activities and small- group work to help prepare them for school. Staff place a sharp focus on increasing children's communication and language skills, and support their literacy development well during activities. For example, some children closely look at books and learn that print carries meaning, and others consider sound and rhythm as they use the instruments. Staff present an interesting range of activities which quickly capture children's imagination. For example, staff provide pretend spiders as a stimulus to encourage children to use their handprints on paper to create their spiders. Children thoroughly enjoy making marks and write in the sand using the insects and sticks. Staff use books very well to help reinforce learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff use a visual timetable effectively to help all children to understand the routine and what is expected from them. Children work well together to help tidy up and their behaviour is good. They manage the snack bar independently and even the youngest children find their place mats and help themselves to what is available. Staff use this time to teach children about the benefits of a healthy diet. They organise good first-hand experiences for children to meet the emergency services and health professionals, to reinforce the importance of keeping safe and healthy. Children learn to respect one another and their differences. For example, children experience tasting foods and listening to music from a variety of cultures.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those receiving additional funding, make good progress and are well prepared for school. Children thoroughly enjoy their interactions with staff as they talk about their interest in fossils and how dinosaurs became extinct. They show good levels of engagement during activities. For example, children easily follow instructions as they create a mouse using clay, pipe cleaners, wool and cloves. They show a real fondness for books and stories, and often choose to share them with an adult. Children show an interest in patterns, shapes and colours as they play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 253938 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 10106703 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 36 Number of children on roll 34 Name of registered person Pritchard, Elaine

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 17 September 2015 Telephone number 07900 104490

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reference number

St Marys Playgroup registered in 1989. It operates from a church hall in Stourbridge. The playgroup opens from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year- old children. It employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold an appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and four hold a qualification at level 2.

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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.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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