Get Along Gang Playgroup

Inspection of Get Along Gang Playgroup Concorde Youth Centre, Kingsmead Way, London E9 5PP

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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 Good

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is compromised. Managers and staff do not assess risks to children effectively enough, both inside and in the garden. For example, children can easily open the doors to the playgroup hall, letting visitors and staff in and out. This means risk assessments are not secure and staff do not teach children how to keep themselves safe, which puts children's safety at risk. Staff do not ensure that all hazardous items in the garden, such as empty cans, bottles and used food containers, are removed before children arrive. Additionally, the gates in one corner of the garden are not securely locked. These gates lead directly onto a busy public pathway and open fields.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite these weaknesses, children enjoy some good interactions with adults. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported by their key person during focus time. Staff follow children's individual education plans so that activities and care are tailored to individual children's needs. This enables children to be included in daily, targeted interactive play sessions. However, this time is limited and not consistently applied throughout the session. Staff show some awareness of how to promote children's language and communication. For example, they sing familiar songs and read stories to children. However, these activities are random and short. This is because staff do not know how to engage children's attention and focus for longer periods. Furthermore, staff do not manage children's behaviour effectively, resulting in children becoming distracted and disengaged during their play. Staff do not plan effectively, particularly for older

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The provision is inadequate

children to ensure that they are suitably challenged and engaged in purposeful play.

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need to do better?

n Staff do not plan effectively for all children's individual learning needs and interests, to motivate them to learn. They do not provide age-appropriate sufficient challenges, particularly for older children to help them to make good progress in their learning. Some children wander and run around aimlessly in the playgroup hall. This said, children have the confidence to access the toys and resources available and lead their own play. However, many of the toys available are either broken or have missing parts, and some do not work because their batteries have run out. n Overall, the quality of teaching and assessment is variable. This means that children do not make the good progress they are capable of. However, children do develop some of the skills they require to help them to move on to the next stage of learning. For example, staff support children to develop some independence skills. They teach children to wash their hands after messy play

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need to do better?

17 July 2023 n Children's privacy and dignity are not supported during personal care, such as nappy changing routines. Staff change children's nappies in the main hall in full view of all the other children, staff and visitors. This does not offer privacy to the children being changed and increases the potential spread of infection. n Staff develop children's early mathematical understanding during their free play. For example, children playing with small vehicles use language associated with size, such as 'big' and 'small'. Staff also play alongside children as they explore the texture of play dough. Staff encourage children to make marks and draw on paper, and model drawing and writing. n Staff ensure that children have daily access to physical exercise and fresh air, for example when children play football and ride on bicycles around the garden. However, staff do not assess the risks in the garden to ensure it is safe or

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need to do better?

secure before taking children outside. n Staff encourage children to develop an understanding of keeping healthy. They talk to children about foods which are good for them and provide healthy snacks. However, staff do not ensure that children can independently access drinking water. Instead, staff pour water out for children from a large bottle which is out of children's reach and too heavy for them to handle. n Weaknesses in leadership and management significantly compromise children's safety and well-being. The manager has arrangements in place for the supervision of staff. However, training and development opportunities are not sufficiently focused on improving the quality of staff teaching and learning. n The managers and staff work well together in partnership with parents and other professionals involved in supporting children with SEND. Parents are encouraged to play an active role in their children's learning. Parents speak

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need to do better?

highly of the pre-school staff and feel supported by the staff and managers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff do not have sufficient knowledge of how to keep children safe and secure. This has a significant impact on children's emotional and physical well-being. Risk assessments are also weak and not conducted effectively to ensure the premises are safe for children. However, the manager implements appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. The manager also ensures staff attend regular safeguarding training. This ensures staff have secure knowledge of child protection issues and how to report concerns, including allegations, to relevant authorities.

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Due date

17 July 2023 take all reasonable steps to ensure staff and children are not exposed to risk, identify aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis and demonstrate how identified risks will be removed or minimised 31/08/2023

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Due date

implement effective arrangements for managing children's behaviour in a positive manner 31/08/2023

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Due date

improve the quality of teaching to provide children with good-quality interactions 31/08/2023

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Due date

plan effectively to ensure children are engaged in purposeful age-appropriate play and are suitably challenged in their learning 31/08/2023

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Due date

improve the nappy changing routine so it supports children's privacy and dignity and prevents the risk of spread of infection. 31/08/2023

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should:

n develop self-evaluation processes, in order to look at specific areas of weaker practice to further help children achieve at the highest level n enable children to independently access drinking water throughout the session.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY543607 Local authority Hackney Inspection number 10302992 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 32 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Get Along Gang Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07944407889 Date of previous inspection 8 July 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Get Along Gang Playgroup registered in 2017. It is based at Concorde Youth Centre, in the London Borough of Hackney. The provision operates five days a week during term time only, from 8.45am to 2.45pm. The provider employs four staff. All hold relevant qualifications at levels 2 and 6.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the managers and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The inspector spoke to the staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector carried out an observation of a group activity and evaluated it with the deputy manager. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to parents and carers during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about the curriculum and what they want children to learn.

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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

17 July 2023 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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