Crossways Playgroup

Inspection of Crossways Playgroup Crossways Village Hall, Moigne Combe Road, Crossways, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 8JA

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

Children's welfare is not promoted adequately due to weaknesses in leadership and management, in relation to safeguarding, teaching and behaviour management. Leaders do not plan and implement a broad enough curriculum that provides a range of experiences to engage children's sustained interest and participation. Leaders do not have high enough expectations of what children can achieve. They do not ensure that staff have sufficient knowledge of children's individual development to provide appropriate support and challenge in activities. Staff do not build on children's existing abilities adequately enough to help children reach their full potential. Children respond well to the friendly, welcoming staff and are happy at the playgroup. However, children do not receive consistent guidance from staff to help them understand how to manage their behaviour and control their emotions. This does not help them learn how to share well or respect the needs of

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders have received support from the local authority to develop practice. However, they have not sustained sufficient improvement to address actions raised at previous inspections and these weaknesses remain. Consequently, some children have remained in a provision that is weak for too long a period and are not well enough prepared for school. Parents speak well of staff and comment that their children like going to playgroup. Staff inform parents of children's daily activities. However, they do not share information about children's progress sufficiently well with parents or other professionals and settings children attend, to provide clear continuity for their care and learning.

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need to do better?

n Leaders do not have a realistic view of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and have not identified where requirements are not met. Leaders have failed to make sufficient improvement since the last inspection. Although a deputy manager has been appointed, management has not ensured that the deputy has the appropriate skills, qualifications and support to fulfil her role. n There are significant weaknesses in teaching. Leaders and staff do not monitor or use their assessments of children's progress effectively. They fail to plan and target activities accurately enough to fully support children's individual abilities. For example, staff provide an activity to develop children's coordination and small-muscle skills using tiny coloured beads to fit onto a pegged frame. Some older children concentrate well on this activity. However, for some children the beads are too tiny for them to hold easily and they struggle to fit these on the

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need to do better?

frame. For others, staff do not identify how to extend the activity to challenge children, for example by encouraging children to sequence or follow patterns. Children lose interest and wander off to find something else to do.

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need to do better?

28 January 2020 n Staff provide resources and activities they know children like. During story time, some children confidently count the number of currant-bun pictures on a page. Staff encourage them to work out how many buns will be left if they buy one more. However, staff do not deploy themselves well enough to support the younger children's involvement in group activities. In addition, staff do not adapt activities to encourage these children's participation and provide more purposeful learning. Younger children quickly lose interest in the story as it does not engage them. When they later show interest and point to a picture in the story, staff move the book away and tell them to sit down. As a result, staff miss opportunities to fully promote the younger children's development and ensure they receive more positive learning experiences. n Leaders and staff discuss their practice and activities provided. However, they

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need to do better?

have not raised the quality of practice adequately, to ensure all requirements are met. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) does not fully support children's specific learning needs. Staff sing nursery rhymes and songs to children, but they do not give enough focus on activities to help develop children's communication and vocabulary more rapidly. This has a significant impact on how younger children, and those who have identified gaps in their communication and language skills, develop their speech. n Staff are caring and keep daily routines to help children feel secure, but not all children develop a positive sense of emotional well-being. Staff fail to set clear boundaries to help all children understand what is expected of them and how to interact more positively with others. This does not support children well to develop their social skills and build strong friendships. Staff do not encourage

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need to do better?

children effectively to gain the independence skills they are capable of. Children are not learning to take responsibility for their belongings, to help them know what is expected of them. For example, children throw their aprons on the floor after water play and staff do not encourage them to pick these up, but do so themselves.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are not robust enough to fully support children's welfare. Leaders and staff do not implement all aspects of the playgroup's policies and procedures effectively enough to safeguard children. Arrangements to recruit, induct and monitor staff are not robust enough to ensure staff fully understand their role and know what is expected of them. This includes arrangements for the appointment of the deputy manager, who has not been supported well enough to be able to take charge in the manager's absence. Leaders have not ensured that staff have a secure enough knowledge of how to manage their interactions with children, particularly when they show challenging behaviour. Staff are not clear of when physical intervention should and should not be used to manage children's behaviour. Staff complete safeguarding training and are aware of some signs or symptoms that may suggest a child is at risk. However, leaders have not ensured

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Safeguarding

all staff are confident in recognising some wider aspects of safeguarding. They are

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Safeguarding

28 January 2020 not all clear about procedures to follow should any allegations be made against staff. In addition, they are not all aware of the detail needed for recording and monitoring all safeguarding issues in order that all concerns are acted on in a timely manner to safeguard children.

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Due date

improve knowledge and understanding of procedures to follow any safeguarding issues, with particular regard to the management of any allegation made against staff 25/02/2020

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Due date

ensure all staff have a clear understanding and knowledge of all aspects of safeguarding issues and procedures, with particular regard to recording potential concerns 25/02/2020

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Due date

ensure that all staff receive an appropriate induction to help them have a clear understanding of all aspects of their roles and responsibilities, and how to deploy themselves effectively to support children's learning 25/02/2020

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Due date

introduce arrangements for staff supervision to make sure they are clear about what is expected of them and ensure this is sufficiently focused on monitoring and improving practice, and the identification of training 25/02/2020

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Due date

review staffing arrangements to ensure the named deputy manager has a full understanding of how to fulfil all aspects of the role and is capable and qualified to take charge in the manager's absence 25/02/2020

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Due date

28 January 2020 improve staff understanding of appropriate behaviour management strategies, to provide children with clear, consistent boundaries and help them manage their emotions more effectively 25/02/2020

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Due date

ensure all staff have a secure knowledge and clear understanding of managing their interactions with children, and how and when physical intervention is used 25/02/2020

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Due date

improve knowledge of the SENCO role to ensure staff understand how to support children's additional needs and help them achieve to their full potential. 25/02/2020

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Due date

improve arrangements to plan and monitor the delivery of the curriculum to ensure staff provide more purposeful learning activities that engage all children's interest and participation and help to prepare children better for school 25/02/2020

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Due date

improve the use of assessment to ensure activities are more precisely tailored to successfully meet children's individual learning, to help them make more rapid progress 25/02/2020

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Due date

improve arrangements for sharing information about children's development with parents and other settings children attend, to promote a more continuous approach for their care and learning needs 25/02/2020

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Due date

make more use of opportunities to support and develop all children's communication and language as well as possible, with particular focus for those with possible speech delays. 25/02/2020

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Setting details

Unique reference number 139331 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10129390 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 10 Name of registered person Crossways Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01305 853466 Date of previous inspection 8 October 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Crossways Playgroup registered in 1993. It operates from Crossways, near Dorchester, Dorset. The committee-run playgroup operates term time only on Mondays and Thursdays from 9am to 3pm, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am until 1pm, and on Fridays from 9am to midday. The committee employs two members of staff, one of whom holds an early years qualification at level 3. They are supported by a volunteer.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed children's interactions in play and discussed their learning and development with the manager and staff. n The inspector had discussions with parents and took their views into account. n A sample of the playgroup's operational documents was reviewed by the inspector, including those evidencing staff suitability, qualifications and first-aid training. n The inspector had a tour of the premises with the manager, and discussed the organisation of the play areas and the purpose of activities. n The inspector had discussions with the manager, including about safeguarding procedures and staff employment.

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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

28 January 2020 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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