Saint Jerome's Pre-School Playgroup

Saint Jerome's Pre School Playgroup St. Jeromes RC Primary School, Greenloons Drive, LIVERPOOL, L37 2LX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/02/2014 12/07/2011

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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

 Very good teaching strategies are in place to help children develop early language and communication skills, and to support their physical, personal, social and emotional development. As a result, all children are very well motivated to learn and make very good progress.  There are very good partnerships with parents and local schools, as a result, all children are very well prepared for their next stage in learning.  Healthy lifestyles are well promoted, which means that all children understand the benefits of eating healthy food and having regular physical activity.  The manager has a very good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements, which means that children's learning needs are met and they are kept safe.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the learning environment further by reviewing the positioning of displays and using more natural, open-ended resources to further stimulate children's imagination and learning.  The good systems in place for monitoring children's progress have yet to be fully refined by, for example, tracking the progress of specific groups of children.

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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 checked all relevant documentation and scrutinised requested policies and procedures, including those for safeguarding and the recruitment of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, learning journals and observation, assessment and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff's suitability to work with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and the development and action plans in place to secure continued improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the nursery managers, a member of the committee, individual staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Saint Jerome's Pre School Playgroup was originally registered in 2002 and has been registered to the current organisation since 2010 on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is operated by a charitable committee and is based in a self-contained unit within the grounds of St Jerome's Primary School in Formby, Merseyside. There is an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The setting operates each weekday during term time only between 9.15am and 3.15pm. There are currently 57 children on roll. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and provides funded places for the provision of early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. The setting currently employs 10 members staff to work with the children. Of these, eight hold early years qualifications. One member of staff holds a degree and Early Years Professional Status. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance the learning environment through the use of more natural, open-ended resources, to further stimulate children's imagination during role play activities

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

 reconsider the positioning of the displays, to ensure that children have maximum opportunities to enhance and consolidate their learning even further

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

 refine tracking systems for monitoring the progress of specific groups of children.

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who attend

Teaching is good and all staff match play activities to children's individual interests. As a result, children are well motivated to learn. High quality training has had a positive impact on children's development in the areas of learning for communication and language and personal, social and emotional development. This ensures that all children make good and sometimes rapid progress in these areas of learning and development. Furthermore, very strong links with parents, who fully contribute towards learning activities, mean that children are well prepared for school and their next stage of learning.

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who attend

Children show good control and coordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in the outdoor area and handle equipment, tools and resources effectively. For example, when using pencils, paintbrushes, construction kits and climbing. As a result, they develop their physical skills well. Children develop their knowledge of information and communication technology, and competently use technology appropriate to their stage of development. For example, they use toys which switch on and off, computers to retrieve information and metal detectors to find bunches of keys. Staff join in children's play, role modelling and extending their vocabulary appropriate to their stage of development. This means that children are learning to develop their language and thinking skills. There is a sharp focus throughout the pre-school on promoting all areas of learning and development. Children develop their communication and language skills as they show

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who attend

interest in familiar sounds. Staff encourage children to repeat familiar words and give opportunities for children to speak and listen in their own language in order to participate fully.

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who attend

A range of multicultural resources positively promote respect for all cultures. Children enjoy learning about the Chinese New Year celebrations and eating Chinese food in their role play restaurant. Children read and write as appropriate for their stage of development and they particularly enjoy learning sounds through rhyme time. Children enjoy contributing towards a book that they have made, which includes a wealth of information about a wide range of cultures. For example, parents who work in various parts of the world, places the children have visited and parent visits to the pre-school, all contribute towards children learning about and valuing a wide range of cultures. Consequently, children learn to respect their own and other people's cultures and are highly motivated to learn. Furthermore, children consistently display the characteristics of effective learning. Staff plan learning using the information gathered from parents on entry to the setting

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who attend

Each child is assigned a key person to be responsible for their development, routine care practices and liaison with parents. Every day the children have 'island time' within their own small key person groups, which means that individual needs and interests of all children are very well met. Prompts to remind all staff how to promote language are effectively displayed within the pre-school playroom. However, there is scope to reconsider the positioning of some displays, to ensure that children have maximum opportunities to enhance and consolidate their learning even further. Every child has an individual profile and a record of learning that identifies their progress. Parents contribute to learning booklets that are sent home on a regular basis as a communication tool, and staff plan activities based on information from parents and share ideas from the setting to promote learning opportunities at home. As a result, very good relationships with parents

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who attend

are actively contributing to children's learning and progression.

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

Staff support children to feel secure and comfortable with routines and close relationships with their key person. They fully engage in their activities and experience varied and imaginative learning opportunities based upon the individual interests of each child. To help prepare children getting ready for school, staff work closely with local schools and have devised very effective transition strategies in partnership with parents. Staff plan activities based on information from parents. As a result, positive relationships are actively contributing to children's learning and progression. Children form strong, secure emotional attachments which provide a solid foundation to develop their personal, social and emotional skills. The sensitive, caring interaction between staff and children, through a strong key person system, ensures that all children form positive and trusting relationships. Children settle well because staff find out good information from parents

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

about their child before they start at the nursery, to ensure all children's needs are known and effectively met.

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

Staff effectively promote children's independence and sense of responsibility through a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led experiences. For example, at mealtimes children choose from a healthy, varied menu. Children enjoy the meals and all eat competently, using appropriate cutlery. Staff act as good role models, helping children to learn how to be healthy, such as washing their hands before lunch and providing a healthy, balanced diet. Children are able to manage their own self-care appropriate to their age because all staff provide good guidance and give them time to complete tasks. For example, children competently feed themselves and clear away their crockery and cutlery. Staff role model positive communication strategies to help children understand about acceptable behaviour. Consequently, children's behaviour is very good. This ethos is consistent throughout the nursery, resulting in rapid progress in personal, social and

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

Children take home 'Bill bear' to look after at home and share his adventures in pre- school. These contribute towards a large book which the children have made and which they regularly enjoy reading together. Reading is a strength of the pre-school, with staff regularly reading stories together with children, based upon their interests. Children benefit from their time spent outdoors and this promotes their health and well-being very effectively. However, there is scope to enhance the learning environment by the use of more natural, open-ended resources to further stimulate children's imagination through role play activities. The garden is secure and organised to make sure children can play safely and learn to take risks, for example, by balancing and climbing, supported effectively by staff.

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provision

Safeguarding procedures are very robust. All staff prioritise children's safety and have a very good awareness of safeguarding issues. They are competent in the procedures to follow and who to contact in the event of any concerns about children or colleagues. Staff are fully aware of the nursery's designated child protection managers and the process to follow if they are concerned about any issues within their practice. An extensive range of policies and procedures successfully underpin daily practice and regular reviews are carried out. Extensive risk assessments for all areas of the building, the outdoor area and resources ensure that children's safety remains paramount. Robust recruitment and vetting systems ensure all adults working with children are suitable to do so. As a result, children are fully safeguarded. Leadership is very good and focused improvement plans are in place to secure continuous

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provision

improvement. The staff team share a vision to provide an excellent service for the children and their families, therefore, making a positive difference to their lives. They are very well motivated in their continuous professional development and are continually seeking ways to improve. Managers continue to monitor staff performance within the nursery rooms and ensure that staff are deployed effectively according to qualifications and experience with specific age groups of children. As a result, they have a good understanding of the requirements to effectively monitor all children's skills, abilities and progress. Interventions are sought at the early stages to identify any group falling behind their peers or below their expected achievements, which results in children's needs being met effectively and relevant support services involved. However, there is scope to enhance the already good systems in place for monitoring children's progress by, for example, further refining

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provision

tracking progress of specific groups of children.

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provision

The setting works closely with the local early years team, who provide training and support which has enabled staff to provide a range of strategies to support learning and development for all children. Effective communication systems ensure that parents are kept fully informed of their children's progress. Photographs and informative displays cover the walls. These illustrate the breadth of activities that children are actively involved in during their time at the nursery, accompanied by explanations relating to how children learn. Parents contribute to the initial assessment of their children's starting points on entry. They are also provided with a variety of opportunities to support and share information about their children's learning and development at home. The pre-school works very closely with the on-site school and other local schools, which means that children are very well prepared for their transition to school. Individual planning for

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provision

children's development is shared with other parents and appropriate professionals, such as speech and language therapists, if required. As a result, there is consistent, secure support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilties, and therefore all children's needs are very well met.

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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 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 EY418056 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 874367

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 57 Name of provider Saint Jerome's Pre School Playgroup Date of previous inspection 12/07/2011 Telephone number 01704 879 000

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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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