St Clares Pre School

St Clares Pre School St Clares Primary School, Hawthorne Road, Lache, CHESHIRE, CH4 8HX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/06/2013 18/10/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children enjoy the varied range of activities and experiences available to them in the pre-school and as a result make satisfactory progress.  Children have continuity of care as there are good partnerships between the pre-school and parents and carers. Parents and carers have a good degree of trust in the staff of the pre-school.  Children enjoy healthy and nutritious snacks in a sociable environment.

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It is not yet good because

 Although a key person system is in place, it is not fully effective in making sure that every child's learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs.  Some activities and teaching strategies do not fully engage children to ensure they consistently promote their concentration. As a result, some children, particularly the older or more able ones, sometimes lose focus and do not learn to persevere at activities.  Staff are not consistent in the management of children's behaviour. As a result, children receive mixed messages and some incidences of inappropriate behaviour are not effectively managed.  Staff roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined or fully understood. As a result, the everyday running of the pre-school lacks clear organisation.

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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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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the pre-school room and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the acting manager and undertook a joint observation of activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to members of the staff team about the progress of their key children and their understanding of the pre-school's policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's observation, tracking and assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working with children in the pre-school and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

St. Clare's Pre-school was registered in 1984 on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a designated classroom within St. Clare's Catholic Primary School in Lache, Chester. The pre-school is managed by a committee of staff and parents. It serves the local area and is accessible to all children. The pre-school operates from 9.10am to 12.10pm, term time only. Children have access to outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

There are five members of staff who care for the children. Of these, four hold level 3 early years qualifications and one is unqualified. Currently there are 27 children on roll all of whom are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old-children. The pre-school supports children who have English as an additional language. The setting is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 ensure that each key person is fully aware of their role and through greater involvement in the planning process can make sure that every child's learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs.

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

 review activities and teaching strategies to further engage children particularly the older ones, to concentrate for longer periods in their play activities

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

 enhance children's understanding of appropriate behaviour and the consequences of their actions by ensuring all staff to respond consistently to changes in children's behaviour

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

 develop agreed roles and responsibilities for all staff working in the pre-school

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who attend

Staff know children well because they gather information from parents and carers about their children's needs, abilities and interests. This is obtained when they start at the pre- school and throughout their attendance through record and tracking booklets. Staff observe children throughout the sessions. However, this information is not effectively used by the key person to plan activities to meet children's individual needs. As a result, some children, particularly the older ones have limited concentration skills and there is a tendency for them to lose interest quickly because they are not always sufficiently challenged by the available activities. Staff have a good understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and plan activities and experiences which encourage children's learning in all areas. Parents and carers are encouraged to continue their child's learning at home through information about activities that children have been

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who attend

involved with at pre-school. Parents and carers contribute to the assessment and planning process through comments in children's learning records.

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who attend

Staff generally interact well with the children during the sessions and take appropriate opportunities to ask children open-ended questions to extend their thinking and learning. For example, children ask for water to be added to the sand tray. Staff discuss with them possible changes in the texture of the sand. All children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development from their individual starting points. Where children are recognised as requiring additional support, staff work with parents and other professionals to make sure that each child's individual needs are met. The pre-school employs a member of staff who very effectively supports children whose home language is not English. For example, conversations in the child's home language about activities in the pre-school are translated into English for the child to repeat and so develop their understanding. The staff liaise with teachers at the local school and are aware of the skills

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who attend

that benefit children as they move onto school.

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who attend

Children are generally interested in the planned activities. For example, they enjoy singing and dancing on a play theatre stage. Children freely access books throughout the session and clearly enjoy listening to stories. They sing rhymes and songs with obvious pleasure and enjoyment joining in actions with enthusiasm. Children access resources to resources to make marks with, such as, crayons, felt tip pens and chalks, and draw with obvious pleasure, responding well when staff praise their achievements. Their physical development is appropriately supported and children move around the play-room and outside with good control and confidence. Frequent opportunities are taken to extend physical skills as children access the outdoor area where they can be active and benefit from exercise in the fresh air. They handle tools skilfully, such as, when playing in the sand tray and when using paint brushes. Children make good friendships and enjoy

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who attend

activities in small and larger groups as well as playing alone.

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who attend

Children develop a satisfactory understanding of mathematics through play activities and during daily routines. For example, they count the number of blocks as they construct a tower and count the pieces of apple on their plates at snack time. Children recognise shape and colour as they skilfully complete jigsaw puzzles. They access resources, such as, microphones, which help develop awareness and understanding of technology. Children sing and dance with great pleasure and enthusiasm and engage in pretend play with helps to foster their imaginations and creativity. For example, children dance and sing on a play stage and clap each other's performances.

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

Staff gather sufficient information from parents to ensure children's individual needs are met and their well-being is supported. Children benefit from good settling-in procedures, which are based around their individual needs. This helps to support the transition from home to pre-school. Children sound good attachments and relationships with each other and the staff who care for them. Children play happily together and there is plenty of joyous laughter. Children tell their parents and carers that they enjoy being at the pre- school. They greatly enjoy dancing and singing and develop their large muscles as they run around and play outside. Staff talk to the children about being hot and the need to drink water on hot days. Children have healthy snacks and develop independence in their personal hygiene and self-help skills. They wash their hands before snack and after using the toilet. Children have many opportunities to make choices throughout the session. They

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

benefit from a good range of toys and resources, most of which are freely available and accessible to them. However, staff do not always take responsibility for everyday tasks and as a result, some areas, such as, the book corner, are not attractively presented and some equipment is not set up before the children arrive.

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

Staff treat children with care and respect. They praise children's individual achievements enthusiastically, which supports their well-being and enjoyment of activities. However, there is not a consistent approach to managing changes in children's behaviour. As a result, some incidences of inappropriate behaviour pass unchecked and, therefore, children are not always learning how to behave in different situations. The pre-school has developed good links with the school that children move onto in order to support them in their transition to school.

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provision

Children are safeguarded well. The management committee have developed effective recruitment and induction procedures. All staff have undergone the necessary checks to make sure that they are suitable to work with children. The pre-school has appropriate policies and systems in place to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff have good understanding of safeguarding procedures and a clear knowledge of how to report concerns appropriately. Risk assessments are completed for premises, resources and outings, which helps to monitor and ensure children's safety.

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provision

Staff have a sound understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which enables them to support children in making satisfactory progress in their learning. They maintain records of observations undertaken on each child, which are linked to areas of learning and include the planned next steps. Children's achievements are tracked against the early learning goals, to monitor their progress. There is some monitoring of the educational programme this is not fully effective in ensuring all activities provide good levels of challenge and engagement for each child. The management committee of the pre-school has recently been established and is receiving support from the local authority to develop their role. They have plans in place for improving the provision offered. An acting manager has responsibility for the day-to- day management of the pre-school. However, roles and responsibilities of staff in the pre-

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provision

school are not clearly defined or effectively organised. As a result, the day-to-day running of the pre-school is not well thought out. Staff performance is monitored through an appraisal system, regular staff meetings and frequent informal discussions. However, this has not yet addressed inconsistencies in staff's management of children's behaviour. Staff have appropriate opportunities to access training and professional development is supported. Three of the recommendations from the last inspection have been met in full. The management committee are putting in place systems to evaluate the provision and so improve learning opportunities for children.

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provision

Good partnerships with parents and carers contribute to a co-ordinated approach to children's care and learning. Policies and procedures are thorough and support staff in providing a welcoming environment for all children. Information regarding the pre-school's policies, procedures and activities are shared with parents in a variety of ways. This includes a noticeboard, daily discussions and a parents' welcome pack. Observation and assessment strategies mean that, where required, children's need for extra support are identified and staff work with other professionals to meet the needs of the children. Information is shared with other professionals and good links have been established, for example with family support workers, speech and language therapists and the school reception teacher. As a result, children develop confidence and are sufficiently prepared for moving on to the next stage in their learning.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 305317 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 910076

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 23 Number of children on roll 27 Name of provider St Clare's Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 18/10/2010 Telephone number 01244981110 or 07936 413246

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Type of provision

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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