Self Evaluation

Tweseldown Playgroup Self Evaluation 2019/20

Tweseldown Playgroup believes in continual Self Evaluation and uses a variety of sources to inform a rounded evaluation. Evaluation is ongoing and informal but is formalised annually. Points for development for the following year are chosen and a Development Plan written. Developments often tie in with staff appraisals and supervision meetings and something relevant for the committee too. Evidence and ideas for our Self Evaluation may be drawn from:

Staff training feedback

Environment improvements

Staff supervision

Parental surveys

Children’s voice

Staff meeting minutes

Committee meeting minutes

The setting’s data

Ofsted inspection actions

Ofsted’s grading descriptors

Ofsted inspection trends

Current industry trends and new priorities

Progress on developments from last year and its impact on our practice

1. Following group discussions, consider how we plan for each child without using Development Matters as a tick list, concentrating more on spontaneous child led learning

We have:

· Considered how we can change each child’s next steps to be more child led

· Trialled for a term (and now implemented) pre-chosen next steps in the Prime Areas and allowed the Specific Areas to evolve through the child’s interests

· Talked at planning meetings about how a chosen subject can encourage learning across all areas of our curriculum

· Ensured understanding of how a relevant observation can cover the Specific Areas, while allowing the child to lead the play

· Used Supervision meetings as an opportunity to evaluate effective observations

Overall this target has had a positive impact on our provision. We have less time asking the children to complete a task for us and more time observing them at play doing what they choose, arriving beside them to extend their play.

2. To improve the learning environment. A) Develop the area underneath the canopy. B) Provide a finger gym C) Make our resources more accessible.

We have:

· Zoned the area under the canopy to include block play, mark making, a stage, room for small world and chalk boards

· Provided a dedicated space for the finger gym and allocated a member of staff to maintain it

· Had a major tidy and sort and reorganised our resources so they are easier to access

The impact has meant a more focussed play environment. The area underneath the canopy still needs work. It will be a continued focus next year, but the finger gym is well used by the children. The rearranging of our resources has had a big impact and we can change things easily. We play lots of table top games with the children now they are easily to hand.

3. Developments following parent questionnaires A) Further develop the introduction of our Facebook page to include what the children do each day B) Consider how we manage the Play Bag allocation.

We have:

· Allocated a staff member to take photographs and post on Facebook each week. The photos are linked to the learning taking place

· Allowed parents to choose when to take a Play Bag by adding it them to the lending library available daily

The impact via Facebook is that parents have a greater understanding of how their children are learning through play and can talk to their children about what is happening at Playgroup.

The Play Bags are used less than when we handed them out but parents who want them can take them. We can, and do, suggest specific bags support learning. For instance, the emotions bag if a child is struggling with how they are feeling.

3. Management

We have:

· Continued to find ways to allow the manager more time to manage both for the present but thinking about succession planning for when the manager retires, and another manager takes over, expecting to be able to be a supernumerary manager with no key children. Progress so far is that another member of staff has been employed. The manager has fewer key children with the target of none from September 2020. The impact of this is just beginning with the manager having more time to focus on all aspects of management.

· Held moderation meetings with the local Infant School to validate observation judgements on school transfer reports

· Supported staff in changing the next steps and focus towards child led/in the moment planning

· Continued to benefit from the manager’s role as an LFSP allowing the development of leading edge practice.

This target is ongoing as the manager’s role changes from always in ratio to some out of ratio time with the children. However, it is already having a positive impact as the manager has more time to complete paperwork during the Playgroup hours (allowing a better work life balance), including looking at data, meeting with parents, attending meetings without worrying about cover and being available for staff spontaneously if required.

Evaluation going forward

The quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, staff team

Our Playgroup prides itself in the way the children are settled with us and how we welcome families. This starts from the first contact with the family and continues until the children move on from us. This feeling of being welcomed is ratified by parents in the end of year questionnaires with everyone confirming the warmth of the staff and the setting. This includes how well the key person system works with staff recognising that children will only thrive if they feel settled. We take behaviour management seriously and want each child to achieve to their best ability. We put a variety of strategies in place to ensure this happens to suit each child.

The local schools would, if asked, confirm that we send well rounded children on to them who are ready to learn in the school environment.

We have a new staff structure this year with a Manager, Supervisor and two Deputy Supervisors. A valued staff member retired and the team is rejigging its roles and responsibilities.

Staff have discussed the new Ofsted Framework and agreed the Intent, Implementation and desired Impact of our curriculum. The three I’s follow on well from last year’s initiatives, changing our next steps to be more child led, with the focus on teaching and learning being centred round the child’s interests. In the moment planning and pre-planned activities are combined to make the best use of every moment the children are with us.

Cultural Capital has been discussed and we agree that our ethos of providing first hand experiences fits in well with this, as well as encouraging independence and a love for learning.

Staff would like to free their time a little, away from paperwork. It had been agreed to change the number of statements for the specific areas and collect group data twice a year instead of three times.

The area under the canopy is still in need of thought. The children use it daily but as a staff we feel it could be even better. We intend to brainstorm and then update the area.

Developments in quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, staff team

Strengthen our understanding of outstanding teaching and learning, using our three I’s for reference, while providing a mix of pre-planned and in the moment planning.

Become familiar with the new tracking statements for the specific areas.

Develop the area under the canopy.

Use the new management structure as an opportunity for sharing management roles in an effective way.

As a team, support the apprentice to achieve.

Leadership and management

The manager has overall responsibility for the running of the Playgroup and meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is ably assisted an enthusiastic staff team.

The manager has attended a management course and evaluated her strengths and weaknesses. The strengths being the ability to listen and respond to the Playgroup community which includes, staff, committee, parents and carers, children, childminders and supporting professionals. Having listened, any changes are undertaken after consultation and group discussions, so everyone is happy with the changes. Additionally, a strength is to be open to change and manage it in a relaxed and non-dictatorial way which works for the current staff team. Weaknesses were a tendency to flit between tasks and not be clear enough in instructions to staff. These have been addressed and more management time planned for the future.

The manager is a Leading Foundation Stage Practitioner (LFSP) for the local authority (LA) and supports other groups, sharing the good practice that has been developed at Tweseldown Playgroup which has been recognised as such by the local Early Years Advisory Team.

The manger takes the lead on Safeguarding. She ensures staff are updated on current issues. She attends termly safeguarding support group meetings provided by the LA and feeds back at staff meetings. Topics recently have included breast ironing, FGM, Prevent, hidden adults, head trauma in young children, fabricated illness and a talk from the local LADO. This year we have introduced a ‘niggles’ form for staff to record any issues that cause concern, no matter how small. These are shared at staff meetings. This does not replace taking immediate action if required.

The manager leads on staff supervision, appraisals and staff training. There will be a focus on covering all areas of learning while using a mix of in the moment planning and pre-planned activities this year. The manager’s supervision meetings this year highlighted that we could refresh our knowledge on being a completely inclusive environment, reflecting the cultural diversity of our families.

The new Ofsted framework for September 2019 led to work on recording our curriculum ethos through the three I’s and will be a focus going forward.

The staff are keen to have less paperwork and more time spent directly working with the children. The manager has developed an updated list of targets to work towards for the specific areas, allowing staff the freedom to worry less about gaps in individual children’s tracking. We will collect overall data twice a year instead of three times.

Developments in leadership and management for 2019/20

Ensure the setting is working with the vision set out in our Intent, Implementation and Impact statements

Become familiar with the new Ofsted framework judgement criteria

Initiate conversations and support staff at supervision meetings on using the new tracking statements and in the moment planning

Mentor our Apprentice during her training

Lead the new staff management team

Attend a course on cultural diversity and implement changes