St Benedict's Pre-School

St Benedict's Pre-School St. Benedicts Church, Hollingsworth Road, LOWESTOFT, Suffolk, NR32 4AX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/05/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 Equality and inclusion is at the heart of everything the staff do with the children and they are highly effective in making sure that all children are able to participate fully in all activities and routines of the day.  Children behave well. Consistent boundaries are in place, to help children know what is expected of them. Staff make good use of praise so that children are confident of their own abilities.  Partnerships with other professionals and agencies are well established. This ensures a good level of support to help children fulfil their potential.  Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and plan effectively to ensure a balance across the areas of learning. Observation and assessment is used well to plan for children's next steps in their learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children are not able to make the best use of the outdoor play space because the grassed area available to them is not secure.  Parents are not consistently provided with opportunities to be involved in their children's learning in the pre-school and at home.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 hall and the garden.  The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at activity planning, records of children's learning and a selection of policies and records.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager.  The inspector spoke to parents.

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Information about the setting

St Benedict's Pre-school was registered in 2003 and re-registered in 2012. It is registered on the Early Years Register and is managed by a committee. The pre-school operates from the main church building and a small side room within St Benedict's Church in Lowestoft. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4, and the other four staff have qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during school term time. Sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 33 children on roll.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 maximise use of all of the available outdoor play space, for example, by improving the security of the grassed area so that children are able to access it independently

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

 encourage all parents to be involved in their children's learning in the pre-school and at home, to promote consistency for all children.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn. They provide a varied educational programme, that is firmly rooted in children's interests and the next steps in their learning. Staff know the children well and undertake thorough observations. These are evaluated well and reflected in their planning, to meet the unique needs of every child. Children's progress is tracked, using the publication Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage, to ensure that they are working comfortably within the typical range of development expected for their age. Children in this pre-school make good progress in their learning and development from their starting points. Staff are available to talk to parents and regular 'progress afternoons' are held where parents are able to come in to pre-school, look at the written records of their child's learning and talk to their child's key person. However, not all parents are able to attend

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who attend

these afternoons, and some parents are not confident to contribute to the written records. This results in inconsistency in their involvement in their child's learning in the pre-school and at home. A daily diary sheet is completed each day for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This ensures that parents are kept fully informed about their child's day.

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who attend

Children are respected as individuals and staff have good regard for their unique needs. Inclusion is at the heart of everything that happens at this pre-school. As a result, children develop positive attitudes to others and are motivated to develop the key skills needed for the next steps in their learning. Staff provide activities that are adapted to meet children's individual needs and help all children to participate at their own level. Children show good levels of curiosity and imagination and demonstrate positive relationships with their peers and staff. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Staff recognise children's need to play independently but are on hand to intervene and support where needed. Children are developing a sense of themselves as individuals, wanting to do things independently and expressing their own preferences and interests. Staff value and support the decisions that children make about their play.

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who attend

Staff facilitate the development of children's language skills well, modelling taking turns in conversation and extending children's vocabulary. Children chat confidently to staff, talking about their home life and things they have been doing. Children actively seek out others for conversations and to share experiences. They play well together, making up games in the home corner. They play imaginatively, basing their play on their own and imagined experiences. Staff engage in this role play and promote mathematical language and understanding, such as counting the number of plates and cups. As a result, children's awareness of numbers and counting is developing well. Children enjoy picture books and staff encourage and support children's responses, sitting together to look at books and read stories. Children understand that print carries meaning, and some children recognise their own name, and those of others, when they are written. Children confidently attempt

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who attend

to write recognisable letters and staff provide a varied range of resources for children to explore making marks, including chalk, pens and 'gloop'.

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who attend

Children's individual creativity is encouraged because they are able to freely access art and craft activities. Staff do not direct children about how a finished piece of work should look, but respect children's individual ideas. As a result, children enjoy exploring colour, texture and media and handle one-handed tools, such as paint brushes and glue-sticks, confidently.

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

Children are happy and settled because transitions into the pre-school are managed well. The key person system is implemented effectively, to ensure that each child has a named person to take responsibility for their daily well-being, plan for their learning and development and build positive relationships with parents. As a result, children build secure relationships with staff, coming into pre-school happily and running to their key person for a hug. Children behave well. Consistent boundaries are in place to help them know what is expected of them. They are reminded of pre-school rules, such as 'walking shoes' and 'listening ears' and any unwanted behaviour is managed sensitively, taking into account children's age and level of understanding. As a result, children play well together and share popular resources. Their self-esteem is further promoted because staff value and praise good behaviour and individual efforts.

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

Staff provide a warm and welcoming learning environment in which children are secure and confident to express themselves. They benefit from a wide range of play materials to support their learning and development. Toys and resources are stored well to enable children to choose what they want to play with, promoting their sense of belonging and independence. Children develop the necessary skills which helps them embrace new experiences with confidence. This is because they are supported well by staff, to ensure that they are prepared for the next stage in their learning and development.

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

Children's health needs are met well. Outdoor play is encouraged and children have free- flow of movement between indoor and outdoor spaces. There is a small, fully enclosed, tarmac area where children can play outside. During warmer weather, when children want to be outdoors, this area can become very crowded. Therefore, staff take children onto the adjoining grassed area where they have more space to move around. This grassed area is not fenced, although a risk assessment has been carried out to identify hazards. Staff have considered ways to install 'retractable fencing', as they recognise the benefit to children to be able to access this area, and particularly the increased space that this offers, independently. Staff share the responsibility for promoting healthy eating with parents. Healthy snacks are provided by parents and supplemented as needed by the pre- school. A 'rolling snack programme' is in place, that enables children to choose when they

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

want to eat. There are good arrangements in place to help children learn to keep themselves safe through regular routines, such as practising the emergency evacuation procedures.

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provision

Management and staff have a good understanding of the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, to ensure that they are working within the framework and meeting their legal duties. The nursery premises are safe and secure to protect children from intruders. Thorough risk assessments are carried out, to ensure that hazards to children are identified and all necessary steps are taken to limit risks. This means that children can play safely indoors and outside. Staff fully understand their responsibilities to safeguard the welfare of children. They have a good awareness of the signs and symptoms of abuse, to help them recognise when children may be at risk and know how to report concerns.

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provision

The learning and development requirements are met well, and are effectively monitored, to assess the quality of teaching and learning. A system of appraisal has been implemented, to help identify the strengths and areas of weakness of staff, and plan for their professional development. A number of staff are currently working towards further improving their qualification levels and regular training workshops are also attended. This ensures staff are up to date with the latest childcare practices. A record is maintained to show that all staff have an enhanced disclosure issued by the Criminal Record Bureau. This helps ensure that those working with children are suitable to do so.

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provision

Self-evaluation is used effectively, to inform priorities and to set challenging targets for improvement. An action plan for development has been identified that is clear and achievable. It is led by a management team that supports and motivates staff to reflect on their practice and the impact it has on children. A 'comments book' and 'suggestion box' are provided for parents' comments. Staff are committed to working together with parents, to promote continuity of care and learning for children. Parents are kept informed about their children's day, both by written information and daily verbal communication. However, staff are less successful in consistently providing parents with effective information to help them fully contribute to their children's learning in the pre-school and at home. Despite this, parents report that they are happy with the service that is provided. They find the staff friendly and approachable, and state that their children enjoy

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provision

attending. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are particularly well- supported. Effective partnerships with other professionals who provide care and learning are well established. This ensures a very good level of support to help children make the best progress that they can, given their starting points.

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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 action. 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 EY456784 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 895015 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 33 Name of provider St Benedict's Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07791849899

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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

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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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