Mersea Sparrow Playgroup requires improvement in Ofsted report

Sparrows Playgroup, at St Peter and St Paul Church, in High Street, West Mersea, has been graded as requires improvement by Ofsted following a new report published this week. 

The nursery, which was rated good in 2018, was visited by inspectors in September. 

Ofsted inspector Lynn Hartigan also ranked Sparrows Playgroup as requires improvement in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management categories.

Playtime - an illustrative image of a child playing (Image: Pixabay) The report notes that “children eagerly arrive and are warmly greeted by caring staff” and that the curriculum is based around children’s interest and seasonal topics, but they are “not offered sufficient challenge to extend their learning”.

For example, staff do not consistently consider potential learning opportunities when planning activities.

It added children are at first engaged in tasks but "many lose interest and move on as staff do not consider how to adapt activities to ensure all children can participate."

Inspector Hartigan also found “staff are very patient, attentive and nurturing”.

But some staff lack knowledge about “how to help children build on key skills they need to support their future learning”.

Children are “not consistently encouraged” to have a go and write their names on their creations.

Drawing - a child colouring (Image: Pixabay)

When children are playing and attempting to “cook dinner in the mud kitchen”, a “lack of resources” such as mud, sand, or compost means that children “cannot follow through with their ideas”.

There are few opportunities for the "younger children to express high levels of creativity and imagination through sensory activities or the use of resources that have no fixed purpose".

It is also noted that the management team does not use staff supervision and performance monitoring systems effectively, which impacts the children’s progression.

Parents do feel reassured their children make progress, have fun, and feel safe.

Sparrows Playgroup was registered in 2011 and employs five members of childcare staff.

It is open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings during the school term.

It has a total of 24 spaces and during the inspection, there were 18 children aged between two to four at the playgroup.

The playgroup now has until October 24 to develop a curriculum which ensures that it clearly identifies what it is that children need to learn, how this reflects their individual needs and offers appropriate challenge, to help them make good progress.

Sparrows Playgroup must also seek professional development opportunities to improve staff's knowledge of how young children learn.

The Gazette contacted Sparrows Playgroup for comment but did not hear back.