Laurel Way Playgroup

Inspection of Laurel Way Playgroup Nansen Villiage, 21 Woodside Avenue, London N12 8AQ

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children are happy and secure at this welcoming pre-school. They form close relationship with the staff and other children. Children who are new to the setting receive consistent levels of support and reassurance from the warm and caring staff team. Staff work with parents to support children to manage their feelings. Children behave well and are willing to follow rules of the pre-school, such as being kind.

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The provision is good

Managers develop the curriculum based on children's interests. For instance, when children showed interest in the nursery rhyme 'London Bridge Is Falling Down', staff effectively extended their learning. They used a range of materials, including sticks, stones, wood and clay to build bridges. In addition, staff spoke with children about other famous bridges, such as the Tower of London. Children display positive attitudes towards their learning as they make decisions about what they would like to do. For example, staff ask children where they would like to play at the beginning of each session. Children are developing confidence and self-esteem and their views are valued. Staff give good consideration to promoting children's well- being.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff are a diligent team determined to provide the best quality care and education for children. They work well with parents to help all children make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. n Staff provide plenty of opportunities to enhance children's communication and language skills. Children are encouraged to use their home language as they play. Furthermore, staff learn phrases and key words in different languages to interact well with children. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are becoming confident talkers. n Children develop a strong interest in books. Staff engage children as they read familiar stories, such as 'The Gruffalo'. Children use props to re-enact the story and extend their learning by using wooden blocks to build a house for the main character. n Staff provide opportunities for children to practise their small physical and mark-

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need to do better?

making skills. Older children develop good pencil control. Some children create highly detailed drawings. This effectively prepares children for the next stages in their early writing development. n Children learn to manage their self-care needs on their own. For instance, they use the toilet themselves and learn to put their coat on for outdoor play. Children help with small tasks, such as preparing the table for mealtimes. This helps them to gain a sense of responsibility. n Children's physical health is a high priority for staff. Staff communicate with

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need to do better?

26 January 2022 parents to ensure that children's packed lunches contain healthy food. Children thoroughly enjoy practising a wide range of physical skills in the well-organised outdoor area. They run, slide, balance, swing and jump on a variety of outdoor resources available. n Staff help children to understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, they remind them of the safety rules of using a slide. Children share space and resources well and any minor disagreements are handled well by staff. Staff act as positive role models for the behaviour expected in the pre-school. n Staff feel they receive good support and training. Leaders model high-quality teaching and interactions. However, there is scope for further support for staff to ensure that a higher level of teaching is consistent throughout the pre-school. n Leaders evaluate the pre-school to identify ways they can improve further. However, the organisation of some parts of the day is not fully effective. Staff

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need to do better?

have not fully considered how they can sustain children's engagement at less structured times of the day, such as between the morning and afternoon sessions. n Parents speak highly of the learning experiences offered to their children. They comment that their children form close friendships within the pre-school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good knowledge of child protection matters and what to do should they have a concern about a child's welfare. Staff have a clear understanding of what to do if any allegation is made against a member of staff, or if they have concerns about a colleague's conduct. Staff hold paediatric first-aid certificates. This ensures that staff are able to care for children in the event of an accident. Risk assessments help to keep children safe. Managers have robust recruitment procedures in place to help assess the suitability of staff.

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should:

n support staff to provide higher levels of teaching and interactions to further extend children's learning experiences n review the organisation of the pre-school day, to ensure children remain fully engaged and their learning is maximised.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 147570 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 10137731 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

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inspection

Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person Farber, Susan

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reference number

Telephone number 020 8445 7514 Date of previous inspection 25 November 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Laurel Way Playgroup registered in 1992. It is located in the Woodside Park area, in the London Borough of Barnet. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday, during term time only. It opens from 8.15am to 3pm. There are five members of staff, four of whom hold relevant early years qualification from level 2 to level 6. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education to children aged three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector and the manager conducted a learning walk in all parts of the pre- school to see how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector observed a range of activities indoors and outdoors. She reviewed the quality of education and its impact on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector had a meeting with the manager and spoke to staff. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school. n Children communicated with the inspector during 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

26 January 2022 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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