St Michael's Pre-School

St Michael's Playgroup The Parish Centre, Upper Street, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, WV6 8QF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/10/2012 02/03/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staff demonstrate that all children are making good progress towards the early learning goals given their starting points. Children are interested and keen learners who display the characteristics of effective learning.  Children are well behaved and have formed positive relationships with adults and peers. They have a good awareness of right and wrong, responding positively to guidance from staff. Children are encouraged and praised and their efforts are acknowledged appropriately.  There is a stimulating, well-resourced and welcoming environment, both in and outdoors, to support children's all-round development and emotional wellbeing.  Regular self-evaluation by the manager and staff, with the contribution of parents and children, makes sure that priorities for development are identified and acted on in order to promote a good quality of education and care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to advance their mathematics or independence skills have not been fully embraced. This includes not always encouraging children to pour their own drinks or develop their thinking in respect of different sizes and solving simple problems.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main play room and the garden.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

St Michael's Playgroup opened in 1966. It is managed by a committee and operates from a room in the Parish Centre in the Tettenhall area of Wolverhampton. There is an enclosed outdoor play area which is shared by all the children. The playgroup serves children and families from the local and surrounding areas.

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Information about the setting

The playgroup is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. There are currently 20 children aged from two to four years on roll. The playgroup is open from Monday to Thursday during school term times and during Easter and Summer holidays. Sessions are from 9.30am to 12pm.

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Information about the setting

There are three members of staff, including the manager, who work directly with the children. Of these, two staff hold early years qualifications at level 3, one member of staff is working towards a Level 2 qualification. There is also a student on long-term work placement.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 promote children's independence and self-care, for example, by allowing them to pour their own drinks

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 increase opportunities to further support children's thinking in respect of comparing different sizes and solving simple problems.

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who attend

Staff provide a wide range of opportunities to help children make good progress across most areas of learning and development. All staff contribute to planning, which considers detailed information on the prime and specific areas of learning. Hence, the planning caters for the needs of individuals and their next steps in learning to ensure that each child receives challenging experiences. Staff have good observation skills for assessing effectively the progress children make. An effective settling-in policy ensures that new children soon become familiar with the provision and feel safe. On entry, parents contribute to initial assessments of their children's starting points and are kept well informed about their children's achievements and development through regular feedback.

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who attend

During group activities, children pay good attention and respond appropriately when listening to their names being called or being asked about the days and weather. Children talk freely with peers, staff and visitors. They use language to share their experiences and thoughts during role play, for example 'I cooked some pizza'. Good opportunities are provided for all children to make marks, to write for different purposes and to use their phonic knowledge for linking sounds and letters, for instance 'm' for Monday. Children regularly visit the in-house library to attend story sessions.

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who attend

Children's health and well-being is made a priority, as the staff emphasise the benefits of outdoor play and indoor physical activities on a daily basis. Access to an inviting garden help to provide a balanced and broad range of opportunities in most areas of learning. Children show increasing control in handling tools, objects, construction sets and malleable materials. They enjoy making dough, rolling it out and cutting it into different shapes. Children understand the importance of basic personal hygiene and wash their hands enthusiastically before they eat and after messy play. Staff promote children's health awareness through topic activities, including healthy eating and dental hygiene. They create a sociable and relaxed atmosphere at snack times and all children enjoy drinks and fruits. However, staff do not encourage them to pour their own drinks and thus further their own independence and self-care skills.

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who attend

Through well organised daily routines and during play, such as matching and sorting shapes and colours, singing number rhymes and counting, children develop an understanding of number and shape. However, during construction play, staff do not always support their thinking in respect of comparing different sizes or solving simple problems. A selection of resources and good opportunities are provided for children to familiarise themselves with information and communication technology. First-hand experiences, such as growing flowers and vegetables, visiting local garden centres and allotments and taking photographs of special features of their village, enhance children's knowledge of the natural world.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff know the children well and plan a varied range of purposeful experiences to meet their individual needs. Consequently, children have lots of fun and thoroughly enjoy themselves as they explore and investigate. This means that children establish warm and trusting relationships with staff and peers. An effective settling-in policy ensures that new children soon become familiar with the provision and feel safe. The key person system supports engagement with all parents and helps children to develop a sense of trust and positive interactions with staff. They provide appropriate support to prepare children for transition to other settings through talking with them and reading relevant stories.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff are proactive in promoting equality and diversity. They create a stimulating and welcoming atmosphere where children independently access well-organised resources in a clean, bright and colourful environment. Therefore, children can use their initiative and follow their natural curiosity as learners. Staff provide a variety of opportunities for children's personal, social, and emotional development. This helps children to become confident, to behave well and to have good awareness of right and wrong. They respond positively to directions from staff, including settling disagreements. They are well aware of the setting's expectations and routines. All children learn to keep themselves safe through staff guidance and relevant activities. They confidently make decisions in choosing resources and develop a sense of responsibility by packing these resources away when they have finished playing with them. They enthusiastically help staff to sweep the sand

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

and leaves in the garden. Staff encourage and praise all children, and acknowledge their efforts appropriately.

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provision

The management committee and staff have implemented a robust system to monitor and evaluate their practice. The evaluation includes listening carefully to the views of children, parents and staff and ongoing support from the local authority. All recommendations raised at the previous inspection visit have been met successfully. Staff receive continuing support from the management and attend a wide range of relevant training courses. This leads to better outcomes for children. The active involvement of parents is encouraged through newsletters and questionnaires to elicit parental views and preferences. With the assistance of staff, children also take part in evaluation through completing questionnaires.

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provision

Staff have a clear knowledge of safeguarding issues, taking their responsibilities seriously and being prepared to act in the best interests of children at all times. They are also familiar with procedures should an allegation be made against a member of staff and the implications this may have for their practice. Systematic recruitment and vetting procedures, including the successful induction of students and new staff, ensure that children are safe. The security of the premises throughout is well maintained. To eliminate hazards, a detailed risk assessment and daily safety checks are carried out in all areas and for projected outings.

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provision

Staff work well in partnership with other professionals, including speech therapists, childminders and nursery practitioners, in order to fully promote continuity and progression of children. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning through joining in topic themes, trips, cooking demonstrations and preparation of special cultural foods.

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provision

Good deployment of resources, both indoors and outdoors, promotes inclusion. A wealth of displays of children's own artwork, visual aids and colourful posters supports children's learning and self-esteem. Staff encourage children to understand and respect the values and differences of others, as they celebrate special events from different cultures and festivals all through the year, including Chinese New Year, Diwali, Holi, Hanuka and Easter. To promote children's self-esteem, an ample selection of resources is available depicting positive images of diversity.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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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Setting details

Unique reference number 224970 Local authority Wolverhampton Inspection number 818273

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 20 Name of provider St Michael's Playgroup Date of previous inspection 02/03/2009 Telephone number 07791 940235

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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