Priorslee Pre-School

Priorslee Pre-School Priorslee Community Centre, Priorslee Avenue, Priorslee, TELFORD, Shropshire, TF2 9NR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/07/2013 06/02/2012

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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 play well-together and respond positively to the clear boundaries set by staff. The positive interaction provided by staff promotes a harmonious environment where all children fully understand the routines to help them feel secure.  Children are developing a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe in the setting. Staff ensure that children can play safely in the sun and that protective clothing is worn all of the time when playing outside.  The outdoor environment is well-resourced and children are able to access the area for the majority of the session. As a result, children's physical skills are developing well and the regular exercise helps to promote a healthy lifestyle.

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It is not yet good because

 Activities do not always provide a challenging experience for each child as assessments sometimes lack consistency. Children's starting points are not always obtained from parents and their next steps are not sufficiently linked to the planning.  Self-evaluation is not fully effective as it is not based on rigorous monitoring of practice. Consequently, there are some areas that are not identified for improvement.  Children who speak English as an additional language are not given a wide enough range of opportunities to see and use their home language in their play and learning and relationships with some schools that children will attend are not developed to support smooth transitions.

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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 playroom and the outdoor area and completed joint observations with the nominated person.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents following discussion with five parents on the day of the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the staff about the daily routines, children's individual learning and safeguarding procedures, particularly in relation to safety and security in the indoor and outdoor areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation including children's assessment records, planning documentation and training certificates.

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Information about the setting

Priorslee Pre-School was registered in 1991 and is on the Early Years Register. It is situated in a community building in Telford, in Shropshire and is governed by a voluntary management committee. The setting serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The setting employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above.

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Information about the setting

The setting opens Monday to Friday, during school term time. Sessions are from 8.55am to 11.55am and from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 46 children attending who are in the early years age group. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 develop planning and assessment by making better use of children's identified next steps to ensure that all children are challenged in their learning, particularly in promoting their language development and ensure that each child's starting points are obtained from parents to provide a secure foundation from which to plan for children's progress.

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

 improve self-evaluation so that the setting's priorities for improvement are based on rigorous monitoring of practice so that the quality of the provision improves

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

 increase opportunities for children with English as an additional language to develop, see and use their home language in their play and learning, to help them make the best possible progress

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

 enhance the process for partnership working with other settings further by building links with all schools that children will attend so that every child is supported in their transition.

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who attend

The manager and staff demonstrate a suitable awareness of how to promote children's learning and they know the children in their group well. They have a sound knowledge of the prime and specific areas of learning. As a result, children are making satisfactory progress in their learning. There is planning in place to cover the seven areas of learning and children show interest in the activities as they play. However, the planning is quite general and identifies activities for the half-term ahead and does not take into account children's identified next steps of learning from staff's assessments. As a result, some activities lack challenge. For example, children playing in the water sometimes have limited equipment, such as boats which children use to pour the water for approximately 15 minutes with no communication with staff. In addition, open-ended questions are not used on a regular basis to further support children's language skills, for instance, when

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who attend

reading a story. Staff record regular observations of children's achievements in the child's learning journal and there are many examples of their writing skills and ability to name colours and shapes. Staff make appropriate use of guidance documents to assess children's progress. The key person gathers information from parents relating to children's likes and dislikes using the 'All about me' sheet and information is obtained regarding children's starting points in their learning for some of the children. However, this is not consistent as it is not in place for all children. Therefore, staff cannot fully support every child's learning with appropriate and challenging activities from when they first start at the setting to help them make the best possible progress.

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who attend

Staff are proactive in sharing information with parents about how well their child is doing and parents say that they value the regular updates. The setting holds regular parents' meetings and a written report showing how their child is progressing in the prime areas of learning is given to them with identified next steps of learning which the parent can contribute to. The progress check at age two is completed for all two-year-old children and actively shared with parents. This ensures that children's learning can be supported in the home and the setting. The staff have taken action to involve parents further in their child's learning following the last inspection. Children plant sunflowers at the setting and take them home. They are encouraged to record how tall the flowers grow and many children have brought photographs in, to put into their learning journals. Recently, parents accompanied children on a trip to a nearby farm and made money boxes for a national

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who attend

charity. Staff evaluate how these activities help the children to learn and welcome comments from the parents.

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who attend

The organisation of the sessions at the pre-school enable children to move freely between the indoor and outdoor areas. The wide range of resources outside means that children are engaged and interested in their play and are making good progress in their physical skills. They plant a varied range of fruit and vegetables in the garden, such as onions, beans and tomatoes. This helps to develop their understanding of the natural world. They have access to a laptop computer to develop their awareness of technology and are able to access books to gain an awareness of different faiths and cultures. Children who speak English as an additional language have the support from a member of staff who speaks a similar language to their home language. However, staff do not extend this further by providing opportunities for these children to use and view their home language in the setting, such as labelling items and sharing rhymes.

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who attend

Staff support children appropriately in developing their literacy skills. A group of children listened intently at story time and there is a cosy book area with a wide range of books. Children recognise their name with confidence when they engage in self-registration and older children are able to write their name. They are encouraged to listen and sound out the initial sounds in their names and older children can say the letters of the alphabet. Staff ask children to talk about their recent visit to a nearby farm which helps to develop their language skills and some children are able to engage in conversations. However, language is not always promoted effectively to offer challenge to children particularly when they play outside, as there are times where they play alone for 20 minutes with little communication skills being developed. Some children are confident to sing familiar songs to a small group and they enjoy trying to tap out rhythms when using the musical

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who attend

instruments. They explore and use art and craft materials to make their pictures and are able to use chalks and paint to make marks.

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who attend

Staff provide a varied range of opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills. They are confident when they count as a group, the number of children present at registration time. Four-year-old children are able to count the number of spots on the dice and move the counter three places forwards on the board game. Numbers are displayed in the environment which helps them to recognise numbers from one to 10. Overall, children are making steady progress in gaining the skills they need in readiness for the move to school.

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

The processes to help children settle into the setting are effective. Parents spoken to as part of the inspection said that the settling-in process has been managed well. Comfort is given to children who are upset and, as a result, they settle quickly and start to play. Staff discuss all care needs with the parents and respect their wishes in how long they want to stay with their child to help settle them, and children can bring their comforters in if they wish. Consequently, children are happy and developing confidence in the setting. Regular information sharing on a daily basis and at parents' meetings ensure children are cared for appropriately. The key person system is generally effective and helps children to develop secure relationships with staff. They are confident to express their needs, such as when they want to go to the toilet. There are clear systems in place to support transitions into

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

the school next door to the pre-school. Teachers come into the setting to engage in activities with the children and the key person goes with the children into their new classroom to support them. However, this does not happen for children going to other schools and, as a result, they are not best supported to help their transitions go as smoothly.

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

A clear strength of the setting is how staff help children learn how to keep themselves safe. Staff fully explain why children need to wear their sun hats when playing outside and are alert when children take them off. This ensures children can play safely when outdoors in the sun. The 'thinking tree' in the corner of the room records comments to help children understand safety further, for instance, that they should not splash water on the floor in the bathroom as they may slip and fall. Children's personal, social and emotional development is addressed well. Behaviour is managed effectively and children respond positively to the clear boundaries set. They stop and listen to the tambourine which signals that it is time for a change in the routine, for instance, when they need to go inside for the snack time. Children line up well to wait for their turn on the slide and the positive interaction from staff helps children to learn how to play together harmoniously.

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

Children's independence is developing and they are learning how to manage their own self-care. They take off their own socks and shoes to play on the bouncy castle and try to put on their own aprons to play in the water.

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

The setting is welcoming to children with a good range of resources for outdoor play. The outdoor area is fitted with a safety surface and there is a garden area for children to access. Some of the resources indoors are stored on a trolley, which children can access and areas are defined, such as the role play and book corner. Other toys are stored in store cupboards and to ensure children can make choices, photographs are displayed so that they can choose an alternative if they wish. Hygiene is appropriately promoted as children use the hand washing facility in the room independently before their snack. Children gain an understanding of a healthy diet as children serve themselves with the carrots and sultanas and pour their own drinks of milk and water. Staff sit with the children to have their drinks, which makes it a social time where they engage in conversations. The regular access to outdoors means that children's physical skills are

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

developing well and they are developing a love of physical exercise. They have lots of fun as they jump on the bouncy castle and are confident as they use the large climbing frame. Children balance well on the stepping blocks and jump easily landing with two feet. They show good control as they throw the balls onto the target board. Inside, children enjoy taking part in a dance activity, copying the staff as they step from side to side and use their arms like a swimmer.

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provision

The management committee has recently held an annual general meeting which has resulted in a number of changes to the persons involved. The newly identified nominated person is in the process of submitting all of the correct forms to Ofsted so that appropriate checks can be made and is aware of their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Recruitment procedures for staff are robust and ensure suitability is established. This ensures the protection of children. Clear induction procedures are implemented and this ensures staff are aware of the policies and procedures. They fully understand the correct procedures for reporting any safeguarding concerns and show a suitable awareness of the signs and symptoms of abuse. This helps to ensure children are safeguarded. The building is secure, which ensures that children cannot leave unaccompanied and persons cannot enter by

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provision

themselves. When children have all arrived, the door is locked and staff monitor access to the building. The supervision of all children is effective both indoors and outdoors. The gates and fencing in the outdoor area keeps the area secure, although, they are low in height. As a result, staff position themselves in the different areas and are vigilant in their observations of children to ensure there is sufficient staff to continually meet the ratios of adults to children for outdoor play. Risks are assessed on a daily basis, such as making sure the bolts are always fastened and in good working order. This enables children to play safely at all times.

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provision

Required policies and procedures are in place to help the smooth running of the setting and staff ensure that they are adhered to. For example, visitors are asked not to use their mobile phone whilst in the setting. There is some evaluation of practices through the supervisions implemented by the committee. However, the monitoring of staff practices is not rigorous enough as regular observations to view the teaching and learning taking place are not undertaken to ensure that appropriate action is taken and assessments of children's learning are not monitored. The targets identified include extending the range of resources but it has not identified the key issues relating to planning and assessment to help all children make the best possible progress. Training needs are identified and staff have recently attended paediatric first aid training which means that they all hold a current certificate. This helps to ensure that children are protected if a medical emergency

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provision

arises. Suitable progress has been made since the last inspection to meet the action and recommendations set. For example, details are obtained from parents regarding who has parental responsibility and the re-organisation of the session now means that children spend less time sitting for structured activities. This enables them to lead their own learning as well as concentrate better for group activities. A visual time-table and sign language information is displayed to support children whose language is not fully developed.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents means they are kept well-informed about the provision and all aspects of their children's achievements and progress. Parents comments about the setting include that it is 'absolutely fantastic' and that their children are happy in the setting. The information board for parents in the entrance displays some of the policies and many are detailed on the setting's website. The involvement of parents in their child's learning, contributes to the satisfactory progress children are making. Relationships are built with other settings that children attend and information is shared to ensure that learning is complemented in both settings. For children who have additional needs staff discuss their needs with parents and they fully understand their role in working with other external agencies to ensure children are supported effectively to make sufficient progress.

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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 208249 Local authority Telford & Wrekin Inspection number 926461

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 46 Name of provider Priorslee Pre-school Committee Date of previous inspection 06/02/2012 Telephone number 01952 299979

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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

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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