Leading Strings Playgroup

Leading Strings Playgroup St. John's Church Hall, Palmers Green N13 4DA

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Inspection date 18 June 2019 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Not applicable 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 highly-qualified manager oversees the running of the playgroup exceedingly well. She closely monitors all aspects of the provision and is highly successful at driving forward improvements. She reflects on the feedback and promptly makes changes to ensure children's needs are continuously met to an extremely high standard. n Staff have the highest expectations for all children. They understand each child's individual characteristics and capabilities extremely well. They use every opportunity to enrich children's learning. For instance, staff have introduced an extensive range of resources and activities to successfully build on children's fascination with the moon and space travel. n Children demonstrate exemplary behaviour and excellent social skills. All staff give children clear and consistent messages about their expectations for behaviour. This helps children to understand rules and boundaries, and learn how to keep themselves

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This provision is outstanding

and others safe. n Staff place an extremely high priority on catering for children's emotional and physical needs. For instance, they visit children in their own homes before they join the provision, which helps them to develop exceptionally close bonds right from the start. Children settle quickly and demonstrate that they feel confident and emotionally secure at the playgroup. n Children are eager to learn and readily take on challenges. For example, older children used their thinking and problem-solving skills to their full extent as they tried to mend a toy they had been playing with. They showed excellent social and communication skills as they worked together to test a variety of materials and methods. n The partnerships with parents are extremely effective. Staff are highly successful at engaging with parents to support children's progress. They plan to develop this aspect of the provision further, for instance by introducing 'home learning packs', to promote

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This provision is outstanding

children's learning at home even more effectively.

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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 to develop the excellent support for parents to further extend their children's learning at home.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector observed a range of activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the quality of teaching and its impact on children's learning. n The inspector had a meeting with the manager. She also explored the views of staff and children at intervals during the inspection. n The inspector had discussions with parents and looked at their written feedback, to assess their views. n The inspector looked at a sample of documentation, including policies and procedures, staff suitability checks and children's records. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

The manager is highly proactive in supporting staff's professional development. She incisively evaluates their individual skills to identify where they would benefit from additional support or training. Staff are well qualified and have a deep understanding of how children learn and develop. They demonstrate excellent teamwork and successfully share their good practice, to help maintain a consistently high quality of care and education for children. Staff speak enthusiastically about how they use new skills and knowledge to further improve the learning outcomes for children. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a secure understanding of a wide range of safeguarding issues. They are vigilant and confident about what to do if they feel children are at risk of harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The manager is passionate about ensuring that all children are equipped with the skills they need to be successful learners. Children experience consistently high-quality learning opportunities throughout the playgroup. Staff assess children's capabilities when they join the playgroup and at regular intervals, to ensure that all children are achieving to their full potential. They quickly identify any gaps in children's learning and use their excellent partnerships with parents and other professionals to ensure these are rapidly closing. Staff support children's communication skills extremely well. They provide children with language-rich experiences throughout the day. This includes activities focused specifically for children who speak English as an additional language and for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The secure and caring environment helps all children to develop their independence and become exceedingly confident to express their views and make choices. Staff actively promote children's understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Older children understand risk and remind each other about rules and boundaries. Staff recognise the importance of physical activity for young children. They provide excellent opportunities for children to practise their small- and large-muscle movements, such as a 'wake up and shake up' session at the start of each day. Staff value children's individuality and provide an exceptional range of activities and experiences, which help children to learn about each other and celebrate their differences.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make consistently high rates of progress from their starting points and are extremely well prepared for the next stages in their learning. This includes children who speak English as an additional language, children with SEND and those receiving additional funding. Older children begin to develop advanced skills, such as in mathematics and writing, to strengthen even further their readiness for school. Children understand the importance of good hygiene and healthy eating and exhibit high levels of independence at meeting their own needs. They wash their hands at appropriate times and talk enthusiastically about eating their healthy snacks and lunches.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY548133 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 10109378 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 47 Name of registered person Leading Strings Pre-School

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07516 452 392

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reference number

Leading Strings Playgroup re-registered in 2017 and is located in Palmers Green. The playgroup opens Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm during term time only. The provider employs seven members of staff, six of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The manager has early years professional status and one member of staff is a qualified teacher. Other staff are qualified at level 3 or level 2. The playgroup provides free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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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