West Denton Playgroup

Inspection of West Denton Playgroup Hillhead Road, West Denton, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE5 1DN

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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

Staff provide strong support for children to develop socially at this welcoming and friendly setting. Children are encouraged to play cooperatively as they pretend to make ice creams in the role-play corner. They learn to take turns during group games and by using resources, such as sand timers. Staff support children to share popular resources, including bikes. Children are growing in confidence and feel a sense of ownership and belonging. They help out with daily tasks, such as cleaning tables after snack time. Children register themselves into the setting and have their own pegs and trays. Such activities help them to feel included. Staff use pictures to show children what is going to happen next. This helps create secure routines for children and helps new children to settle quickly.

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The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and secure. They enjoy lovely relationships with staff and form close bonds. Staff are sensitive and caring. They encourage children to become increasingly independent and make simple choices. For example, children wash their hands independently and choose the fruits they would like to eat at snack time. Staff talk to children about healthy food and lifestyles. They promote good hygiene routines and hold tasting sessions for children to try various fruits and vegetables. All children have daily access to fresh air and exercise.

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need to do better?

n Staff are experienced and have a good knowledge of child development. They understand how to support children to embed and extend their learning. Children benefit from a wide variety of interesting and overall challenging activities that cover all areas of learning. n Overall, support for children's developing communication skills is good. Staff repeat back to children what they have said to show they are understood. They support children's language development through singing, stories and rhyme. However, there is scope for staff to support children to speak more clearly, for example, by becoming less reliant on comforters, such as dummies. n Support for children's physical development is strong. Children develop strength and balance as they climb and stretch on equipment in the enclosed garden. They create their own obstacle courses and take part in a sponsored toddle and games events, where they jump, skip and hop.

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need to do better?

n Children develop coordination through craft activities. They roll dough and dab paint onto pictures of leaves. Children practise with tweezers as they pick up toy insects as part of an activity. Managers use additional funding to expand outdoor play equipment to help support children's physical skills further. n Children learn about the wider world around them through nature walks, where they collect leaves and take part in bug hunts. They learn about life cycles as they care for caterpillars and watch them turn into butterflies. Children take part

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need to do better?

8 June 2022 in celebrations through activities, such as Easter Egg competitions. Staff extend their knowledge by using favourite books to encourage children's understanding of the world and love of stories. n Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is good. Staff complete training in relation to support for children with autism spectrum disorder. Feedback from parents of children with SEND is positive. Staff work well with other professionals from education and health to help provide consistent support for children's development. n Overall, partnerships with parents are good. Parents praise the fundraising events, which help promote links between home and the setting. There is scope, however, for staff to share more detailed information with parents regularly about their children's progress. Relationships with neighbouring schools have been established by managers, to help support children as they move to the

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need to do better?

next stage in their learning. n Managers provide strong support for their staff team, who work together and support each other well. They provide staff with access to support for their mental health and general well-being. There are good opportunities for staff's continuous professional development. n Staff meet with new parents to gather their views on how well their children have settled. They meet regularly with managers to reflect on experiences for children at the setting. Managers and staff use this information to inform continuous improvements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff understand well their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Staff know what might cause them to have a concern about a child. They understand the process to go through and who they should contact to help keep children safe. Staff complete training in safeguarding, food hygiene and first aid. Managers promote awareness to staff of wider aspects of safeguarding. Staff have a good general awareness of how to keep children safe and healthy on a daily basis. For example, they teach them about road safety and provide innovative activities to promote children's dental health.

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should:

n strengthen processes for sharing more detailed information on children's progress regularly with parents, so they feel better informed about their children's learning n support children to speak more clearly, in order to help develop their speech skills further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY452707 Local authority Newcastle upon Tyne Inspection number 10225916 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 52 Name of registered person West Denton Playgroup

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reference number

Telephone number 01912772031 Date of previous inspection 22 September 2016

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Information about this early years setting

West Denton Playgroup in Newcastle upon Tyne registered in 2012. The playgroup employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The playgroup opens Monday to Friday from 8.45am until 3.15pm during term time only. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The managers discussed with the inspector how the setting organises and plans the curriculum and experiences for children. The inspector viewed the inside and outside space used by the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities and assessed the impact on children's learning. The manager and the inspector evaluated an activity together. n The inspector looked at a sample of the setting's documents. This included evidence of training and suitability of staff. n The inspector held discussions with the managers and staff. She spoke to parents to gather their views on the setting and took into account the written views of others.

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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

8 June 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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