Pound Hill Toybox Playgroup

Inspection of Pound Hill Toybox Playgroup Wakehams Green Community Centre, Wakehams Green Drive, Crawley, Sussex RH10 3NU

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

p.1

The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy the sessions at pre-school. They arrive in the morning with optimism, enthusiasm and anticipation for what they plan to do. Children form positive relationships with the staff and make friends easily. Every child is valued, and staff work hard to make sure each child achieves well. Children who need extra support make good progress and any gaps in their learning quickly close.

p.2

The provision is good

Children develop good levels of independence. They learn to recognise their name as they self-register on arrival. They understand that their opinions are important to staff and confidently share their ideas. Children begin to manage their feelings well. Staff use creative ways to help children understand their different emotions. For example, they use different colours to describe how they are feeling, based on the popular story of 'The Colour Monster'. Staff respond to this well and help children learn how to manage their behaviour and actions.

p.2

The provision is good

Children learn how to play safely. They recognise potential risks and take care of themselves well. Children behave well. They follow simple rules and learn how to respect and value the needs of others. Children's family traditions are respected. Every child's home life is celebrated. Children learn the importance of valuing the similarities and differences between themselves.

p.2

need to do better?

n The curriculum is planned well. It offers a broad range of rich, exciting activities both inside and outside. Children consistently develop new skills and build on their existing knowledge. Staff plan activities they know will interest children. For example, one child's excitement about the holiday he had been on prompted staff to create a well-resourced, inviting role play airport and beach area for the children. This enabled children to play imaginatively and recall favourite experiences. n Teaching is consistently good. Staff are highly qualified and develop their skills through extensive ongoing training. They tune in to what children are doing and saying and support learning well. For example, when children showed interest in looking at the numbers on a toy clock, staff turned this into a game and helped children to recognise and learn to write different numerals. n The pre-school manager is a strong leader. She supports her staff well and

p.2

need to do better?

actively encourages them to continue their professional development. For example, two staff members are studying for a foundation degree. The manager works highly effectively with parents and any other agencies involved in children's care and learning. This ensures any important information is always shared and understood. n Children develop positive attitudes towards learning as staff make it enjoyable.

p.2

need to do better?

30 June 2021 They play alongside children and ask relevant questions to develop language and extend children's understanding. For example, when children created a tea party outside, a staff member supported learning well. She offered children plenty of resources to support their play. Children pretended to make tea, so she provided them with a choice of scented and flavoured tea bags to explore. n Children's language skills are supported well. Staff work closely with children who need extra help and involve other professional agencies when needed. The manager uses additional funding effectively. There are always extra adults available, so children have plenty of individual attention and can develop their speaking and listening skills. n Staff work closely with parents to ensure children's learning is consistently supported at home. They offer additional resources, such as books and props to encourage storytelling and the promotion of language. Parents praise the staff

p.2

need to do better?

team. They say how happy their children are and how well prepared they are for starting school. n Staff know the individual qualities and personalities of the children well. They plan for these effectively and offer relevant challenge to make sure every child makes progress from their starting points. Staff offer good support for children with special educational needs. Very occasionally, however, some activities involving large groups of children are not effective in keeping every child engaged. Sometimes, a few children lose focus and this becomes slightly distracting for other children and has an impact on their learning.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Children's safety is given high priority. Staff have a good understanding of their duties to protect children. They are appropriately trained in all aspects of safeguarding and know what to do if they have any concerns. Staff keep detailed records so that information is stored securely and can be shared with relevant agencies if needed. Staff are vigilant in helping parents understand how to keep children safe at home. For example, they share guidance about car seat safety and they remind parents about the importance of using social media responsibly to keep children safe.

p.3

should:

n make sure every child's learning needs are consistently planned for during large- group activities.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY561760 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10194221 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person Pound Hill Pre-School Committee

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 07765245933 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

p.4

Information about this early years setting

Pound Hill Toybox Playgroup registered under its current management in 2018. It is linked to another pre-school in the area and shares the same management committee. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, term time only, from 8.30am to 2.30pm. It operates from a community hall in the Pound Hill area of Crawley, West Sussex. Funding is accepted for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs. A team of nine staff work with the children. Of these, five have recognised early years qualifications. The pre-school manager holds early years professional status.

p.4

Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector walked around the setting with the pre-school manager. They discussed how the curriculum is planned, both inside and outside. n The pre-school manager observed a group activity with the inspector. Afterwards, they talked about what children learned from the activity. n Children talked to the inspector about what they like doing at pre-school. n Some parents spoke to the inspector and shared their views about how the pre- school prepares their children for starting school.

p.5

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.

p.5

Inspection activities

30 June 2021 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.

p.5

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.6

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6