Moulton Pre-School

Moulton Pre-School Back Room Moulton Village Hall, Main Road, Moulton, Cheshire, CW9 8PB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/11/2013 27/02/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 support children to grow in self-confidence and develop a 'have a go' attitude. Children's enthusiasm for learning is infectious. They are very well prepared for the transition to school through activities, which promote their ability to work as part of a group, listen to their friends and speak in front of others.  Staff use very effective teaching to support children's learning. This results in children who have excellent communication skills and use numbers with confidence.  Children develop a healthy attitude to exercise and have free access to outside play during a good proportion of the day. Staff skilfully weave learning into fun non- threatening activities, which means that all children, including those who are less confident, are supported to extend their skills.  Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding issues and how to manage any concerns they identify. They are aware they must monitor their own ongoing suitability

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This provision is good

and are also well supported to develop their professional practice through training.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to fully extend children's learning opportunities in all environments by widening the information provided to parents about how they can further extend their child's learning at home in the specific areas of learning.  Staff do not take every opportunity to extend children's already good self-care skills, to fully consolidate their developing independence.

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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 outside play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the deputy manager of the setting and undertook a joint observation with her during the morning session.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and a selection of policies and children's records.  The inspector reviewed the suitability checks for staff working with the children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Moulton Pre-school was first registered in 1965 and registered again in 2008 following a change to premises. It is registered on the Early Years Register. It is situated in the village hall in Moulton, Cheshire and is managed by a voluntary management committee. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from two rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications; two at honours degree level, two at level 3 and one at level 2. One member of staff has Qualified Teacher Status and one has Early Years Professional Status. Two staff members are working towards a qualification. The setting opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 39 children attending, all of whom are in the early years age group. The setting provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The setting is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and receives support from the local authority early years advisory team.

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

 develop further the information given to parents, which assists them in supporting and extending children's learning at home, to further enhance children's learning experiences

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

 extend further children's self-care skills, for example, by providing opportunities for them to serve themselves at snack times.

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who attend

The pre-school promotes children's learning and development well. Children are well prepared for the transition to school because staff tailor the activities to children's ages and abilities. Staff cultivate a calm, warm and constructive environment, in which they provide challenging activities to stretch children's thinking. As children grow older, staff adjust the amount of time children spend in adult-led activities. They support them to learn key skills, which they will use in the school reception class. For example, they learn to listen to their friends and appreciate others contributions at group times or increase their independence as they learn to change for physical education sessions. Staff's teaching is very effective as they use routine events and group times to promote children's confidence and communication skills. For example, children are happy to sing songs to their friends or share news about what they have done at the weekend. Staff support the

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who attend

children to recall past events in more detail. This triggers others to talk on a similar theme demonstrating that they are actively listening. Children confidently answer when their name is called during registration, which supports their ability to answer the register when they transfer to school.

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who attend

Children demonstrate that they understand it is fun to have a go at activities even if they are unsure if they can do the task. For example, when counting all the children attending, those who cannot yet count past 10 are confident to have a try and praised for what they can do. They are also supported to write numbers on the paving slabs rather than the staff member doing this for them. Children enjoy finding patterns in the numbers they have written and their friends are encouraged to join in and write the numbers they know. Counting and colour recognition are also woven into the general play sessions, so children can engage with the activity without feeling undue pressure. Staff introduce children to other cultures through activities based around cultural festivals and national events. This ensures they start to develop an understanding of the wider world. They have good access to information and communication technology both at the pre-school and on visits

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who attend

to the school information and communication technology suite. This all fosters a sense of excitement in discovery and learning, which is well supported by staff's sensitive teaching through gentle questioning and modelling of how to do things.

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who attend

Parents praise the continuity in staffing, which means that they really get to know the children and can plan activities, which take account of each child's learning style. Children who are less confident are well supported to join in and develop their abilities. Staff support parents to provide information, which informs their assessments and planning for each child. Parents feel well supported by staff with regard to developing their understanding of how to help and support their child's learning at home in preparation for the transition to school. For example, older pre-school children are encouraged to take a book home and share in reading this with their parents in a similar way to a reception class child. However, there is scope to extend this further to provide parents with information about other activities, which could be reinforced at home, such as the phonic letter activities or number games the children enjoy. Staff build on the information they

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who attend

obtain from parents to get to know the children's interests and abilities through regular short observations. These are linked to the development guidance document supplied by the local primary school. This allows staff to track children's progress and make plans to extend their learning. It also provides information for the primary school when children move on to the reception class. The group ensures a summary of children's development is produced for parents in time for the progress check at age two years. Any areas of concern that staff identify as potentially needing to be addressed with the help of external agencies are shared with parents. This ensures the setting can fully support parents through any referral and assessment processes, which may be necessary.

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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 highly effective because the staff group is small and consistent. Children and parents quickly build strong, warm and happy relationships with their key person as well as other staff and children. Those who are more reluctant or less sure are well supported. This ensures all children have their emotional well-being successfully supported. Children's behaviour is very good. Staff help children think about other people's feelings and they learn to negotiate and cooperate with their friends. They demonstrate a high level of respect for their friends as they listen attentively to their contributions at circle time.

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

Children start to develop healthy lifestyles. They have considerable access to physical exercise during pre-school sessions. Children can move freely between indoors and outside for large proportions of many sessions. They take part in music and movement sessions and start to understand about warming up before exercise and what happens to their heart rate when they exercise energetically. All children are able to enjoy and explore the natural environment through planned walks in the local community.

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

Children's dietary needs are met through the provision of freshly prepared snacks and packed lunches that parents supply. They are encouraged to experience tasting a wide variety of fruits or enjoy toast at each session. Children's self-care skills are developed through them managing their lunch boxes at lunchtime. However, staff do not extend this further at snack times to encourage them to serve themselves or pour their own drinks. Good hygiene practices are introduced to children through everyday routines. Children grow in independence as they have easy access to toilet facilities. This is good preparation for their transition to school. Children are shown how to keep themselves safe through discussions, which carefully support them to think through how to manage risk. The layout of the rooms allows children to make choices for themselves from a range of equipment and children show confidence as they make decisions about their own play activities.

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

Where children are identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities, the help and advice of other professionals is sought to ensure their well-being is maintained and their needs are met.

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provision

Children benefit from a setting, which has a strong management structure and a committee who is supportive. Appropriate recruitment procedures and induction processes ensure staff's suitability is established when they are employed and reviewed regularly. Children are also safeguarded through the implementation of clear policies and procedures, which ensure staff can identify child protection concerns and take appropriate action to protect children. The building is secure, which ensures that children cannot leave unaccompanied and helps staff manage the entry of parents and visitors. Staff have a clear understanding of risks and health and safety concerns are promptly addressed while still allowing children to learn to manage some risks for themselves.

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provision

Required policies and procedures are in place to help with the safe and smooth management of the setting. Ofsted is always informed of changes to the committee or the manager. The pre-school staff and committee are committed to developing the service for parents and children. A culture of reflective practice, which involves all members of staff, parents and children has been developed. The setting also draws on the expertise of the local authority advisor. Annual appraisals are undertaken with staff and the small size of the team means that the manager knows the key strengths of all her staff members. Feedback on staff performance is regularly provided by the manager to continually enhance their teaching ability. The committee is very supportive of staff training, ensuring a budget is available, so staff can access training required to further enhance their skills. This has a positive effect on their ability to provide quality learning experiences for all

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provision

children. The manager monitors room activities and the completion of observation files and assessments of children's progress to ensure no group of children is progressing less favourably than others.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are good because staff develop a number of ways to help them feel comfortable and welcomed. Parents exchange information with staff at the beginning and end of the day and emails are used to further update them on what has been happening. Parents' evenings or open weeks allow parents to visit the pre-school at a more relaxed pace and learn more about their child's learning environment at a time, which suits them. As previously stated, there is scope to extend further the information exchange with parents with regard to learning and development. Parents praise the ethos of the pre-school, which they feel provides a home from home with lots of activity and space for children to play. Partnerships in the wider context are used to develop the quality of education. The pre-school links with other professionals to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as the need arises. They realise the

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provision

importance of early intervention for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring that services are in place to support a child when they transfer to school. The pre-school is well aware of the importance of developing links with the other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage where children attend more than one setting. They have strong links with the local school to support the exchange of information to meet children's needs and facilitate their transfer to other provisions.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY377914 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 941502

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 39 Name of provider Moulton Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 27/02/2013 Telephone number 07891 526 469

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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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