Abbeymead Under Fives Playgroup

Inspection of Abbeymead Under Fives Playgroup The Church Centre, Larkhay Road, Hucclecote, Gloucester GL3 3NS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Parents speak with confidence about the quality of care their children receive. Staff listen to parents and this in turn benefits the children who attend. There is a sense of community at this setting. Staff, parents and children work together in a harmonious way. Children settle very well. Staff support children's emotional well- being well. This means children are very happy at this setting. Staff are good role models for the children who attend. Staff value and promote children's good behaviour. Recent changes in governance and leadership mean this setting is on a journey. The new manager has a strong vision for where she would like the setting to go. She is very well supported in this by her team, who respond to change in a positive way. This is because they can see how it benefits the children and families who use this setting. Children are well prepared for school. Assessment is focused and reflects children's interests. Children with additional learning needs are very

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The provision is good

well supported. The special educational needs coordinator shares her excellent understanding in this area with staff and parents. This means those children with more-complex needs are very well cared for and make good progress. Children's individual interests inform the setting's planning. This means learning is spontaneous and meaningful. On occasions, learning and knowledge are not always revisited. This means what children know already is not always stretched and revisited.

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need to do better?

n Children's language skills are well supported. Those with a delay in this area are particularly well supported and make good progress. Effective strategies support further learning at home. For example, the setting is keen for children and parents to share story times together. Stay-and-lay sessions support this, and staff and parents read to the children. A lending library is also available for parents and children. n The needs of different children are well met. This is because staff take time to get to know the children and their families. Effective observations of children's interests then inform interesting activities, such as visits to the Moon Exhibition at Gloucester Cathedral. This provides opportunities for discussion at show and tell. The staff followed this with the story 'A Way Back Home' and talked about going to the moon. They sang songs and used props to extend this further. n Children are happy, safe and settled at this setting. Staff collect information from

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need to do better?

parents to support this. Home visits further support this partnership. This means parents feel very confident about leaving children in the care of the setting. Strong relationships exist between parents and the setting from the outset. Parents' views are important to staff at this setting. n The leadership and management at this setting are good. The manager has a clear vision and this drives the setting forward. The manager can self-evaluate

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need to do better?

7 November 2019 areas of strength and areas for improvement. This means she is effective in matching the needs of the setting with training needs of staff. Staff hold the manager in high regard. The manager is a positive role model for staff. She supports the professional development of her staff. n The setting has a robust key-person system. Parents know who their child's key person is and their role in supporting their child. Children's well-being flourishes with the strong emotional attachment to staff. Staff encourage children to understand who they are and what makes them unique. This gives the children a sense of self and promotes their self-esteem. Staff can talk with confidence about the children and their development. n Children make good progress across all areas of the curriculum, and learn in a variety of ways. Staff find different ways to support children's early identification in initial sounds. For example, children's name tags all have a picture

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need to do better?

representing the same initial sound. This means children link their name to a sound. n The setting is an active part of its community. For example, it often visits the nearby church and makes further links through fundraising schemes and scavenger hunts. This helps children make links in their local environment. This also raises money for the setting to buy new resources. There is scope to enhance this further to extend children's knowledge of communities and people beyond their immediate experience.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Steps are in place to keep children safe. Staff know the signs of abuse; robust measures are in place to ensure staff know when and how to make a referral. Staff understand who to go to when they have concerns. They know how to escalate this when needed. Staff can talk about some of the signs of female genital mutilation and the 'Prevent' duty guidance. Documentation supports this, and policies and procedures are robust and in place. The manager and governance ensure the safety of children who attend the setting. Checks are undertaken to ensure the children are safe at this setting.

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should:

n increase the diversity of experiences and resources, to help children to challenge stereotypes and learn about different cultures n build further on what children know, to embed new concepts in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 101450 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10106653 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 46

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Name of registered person

Abbeymead Under Fives Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07934 049 139 Date of previous inspection 13 May 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Abbeymead Under Fives Playgroup opened in 1992. The playgroup is managed by a committee of parents and carers. It is located in the grounds of St Phillips and St James Church in Hucclecote, Gloucester. The playgroup provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years. It opens during school term time only. Pre-school sessions run weekdays from 9.30am to 2.30pm. Sessions for rising threes run Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 2.30pm. There are eight staff employed to work with the children. Of these, five have an early years qualifications at level 3, one has an early years qualification at level 5, one has qualified teacher status and one is unqualified.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector went on a learning walk with the manager to understand the early years provision and how the curriculum is organised. n The manager and inspector conducted a joint observation. n The manager, the nominated person and the inspector held a meeting. n Parents gave their views on the setting through discussions with the inspector on the day of the inspection. n The inspector sampled documentation, including evidence of staff suitability and training. n The inspector held discussions with staff and children present on the day of the inspection.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

7 November 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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