Northleach Playgroup

Inspection of Northleach Playgroup Northleach C of E Primary School, Mill End, Northleach, CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire GL54 3HJ

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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

The manager and staff team do not manage children's behaviour effectively. They do not implement behaviour strategies to support children to manage their feelings or learn appropriate and acceptable behaviour. This means children struggle to regulate their emotions and they often throw items across the room or hit other children. Although the manager knows what she wants children to learn and why, she does not ensure that the curriculum is implemented effectively. The quality of interaction that children receive from staff is poor. These weaknesses mean that children often disengage from their learning and their behaviour deteriorates. Consequently, children's learning is disrupted.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff do not support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively to enable them to make the progress of which they are capable. Children who need additional help in their learning do not receive any quality interaction from staff. The curriculum does not meet the individual learning needs of all children.

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The provision is inadequate

Children enter the setting confidently and staff greet them with warmth and enthusiasm. Children are independent and put away bags and hang up coats by themselves. They choose what they want to play with, but their attention is limited as staff do not support the children to sustain their interest and maximise their learning.

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need to do better?

n Weaknesses to leadership and management mean that the manager, deputy and staff do not receive the support they need to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. The quality of education that children receive does not sufficiently challenge their learning. Leaders do not ensure that appropriate learning intentions for children are offered through a well-targeted curriculum that is delivered successfully. Staff do not know how to engage children in purposeful learning that stimulates their curiosity and focus. Children wander unengaged and, consequently, their behaviour declines. They become bored and lack the guidance and support from staff to know how to interact positively, develop respectful relationships with others and to gain a positive attitude to learning. n Children do not receive the support and input they need to make good enough progress across the areas of learning. Staff do not provide learning opportunities

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need to do better?

based on the children's needs. For example, staff do not effectively support children's communication and language skills, particularly of those that are younger. While some staff narrate and model language as children play, for example in the sand, most do not. Overall, the support children receive from staff to develop speech and language is poor. Staff fail to assess children's

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need to do better?

22 May 2024 communication and language effectively. Younger children who choose not to speak are incorrectly assessed as having a speech delay. This means the support they need is not targeted correctly to help them progress. n Staff have low aspirations for children with SEND. They do not use effective strategies to develop learning or make reasonable adjustments to meet children's needs. For example, those children who need additional support to socialise with others are often alone. Children spend much of their time aimless, disengaged from learning and are frequently distressed. n Staff and managers do not know when or how to engage children in learning that is meaningful and linked to what each child needs to learn next. Children are mostly left to their own devices because staff watch them and do not interact with the children in a way that stimulates and engages them in meaningful learning. When staff do provide activities, they lack challenge. For

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need to do better?

example, older children decorate a picture of a butterfly with different-coloured tissue paper. They can easily do this and quickly become bored. Children do not receive the challenge they need, and learning is limited. n The managers and staff do not ensure that children learn how to behave. They do not teach children how to positively interact with each other. For example, children throw water at staff, push each other, climb on tables, and take each other's bowls during snack time. Although the managers and staff tell the children to stop, they do not provide an explanation that helps children to understand what they are doing is wrong. Consequently, this behaviour continues because the children do not receive the guidance they need to learn right from wrong and the consequences of their behaviour on others. n Staff gather information from parents when children start. This provides staff and leaders with information about children's likes and dislikes. Staff provide

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need to do better?

parents with daily feedback about what their child has done while at the setting. Parents state that staff share how their child is progressing and ways they can support learning at home. For example, they receive tips to help with potty training. n Staff encourage children to engage in healthy practices by providing nutritious snacks and enabling them to gain plenty of fresh air and exercise.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

22 May 2024 provide children with the support they need to help them form respectful relationships with others and to recognise and manage their emotions and feelings in a positive way 14/06/2024

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Due date

ensure that the arrangements in place to support children with SEND are effective to help close gaps in their learning and stop them from widening 14/06/2024

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Due date

provide effective support, training and supervision for staff (including the manager and deputy) to help them to fulfil their roles and responsibilities and to improve the quality of the delivery of the curriculum, so that children receive consistent and positive learning experiences that provide them with the challenges they need to make the progress they are capable of 28/06/2024

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Due date

provide children with the interactions they need to engage and concentrate in purposeful play that meets their individual needs. 28/06/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number 101531 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10339351 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person Northleach Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01451860019 Date of previous inspection 12 July 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Northleach Playgroup opened in 1992 and is situated in Northleach, to the south- east of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The playgroup is open each weekday during term time between 9am and 3pm, except for Wednesday when the group is open from 9am to midday. There are five staff working directly with the children. The manager holds a level 3 early years qualification; three staff hold qualifications at level 3 and one has a level 2 qualification. The playgroup 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 manager and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an adult-led activity with the manager. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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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

22 May 2024 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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