Cannington Pre-School

Cannington Pre-School Cannington Primary School, Brook Street, Cannington, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA5 2HP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/03/2014 11/11/2008

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early years provision

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

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This provision requires improvement

 Children enjoy a broad range of experiences across the areas of learning, overall.  There is suitable support for children with special educational needs, in particular to develop their communication skills, through good partnership working with parents and other professionals.  Staff promote children's independence skills well in readiness for their next stages in learning.

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It is not yet good because

 Vetting procedures do not include all relevant information to clearly demonstrate that staff at suitable to work directly with children.  Supervisions and staff meetings have not provided staff with the skills to manage challenging behaviour consistently.  Staff do not consistently help children to understand that their wishes may not always be met immediately, to understand and manage their own feelings and to be aware of boundaries and behavioural expectations to keep themselves and others safe.

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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 compulsory part 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 children's play indoors and outside.  The inspector observed staff's interactions with children.  The inspector and the manager completed a joint observation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including children's learning pathways, self-evaluation, policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to staff, children, parents and a committee member during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Cannington Pre-School is run by a voluntary committee. It opened in its current location in 2008. It operates from a purpose-built building shared with the school. It has a ramp for wheelchair access and is within the grounds of Cannington Primary School, Somerset. There is an enclosed outdoor area and children have access to the school field.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The pre-school is open each weekday from 8am to 3pm term time only. There are currently 42 children aged from two to under five years on roll. The pre- school support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about the setting

The committee employs a manager who has an early years qualification at level 5. She is supported by an early years professional and four additional staff all of whom have early years qualifications at level 2 or above.

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must:

 improve recruitment procedures through routinely requesting personal and professional references to confirm suitability

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must:

 ensure consistency in managing children's behaviour through effective coaching and training.

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

 enable children to be better aware of boundaries and behavioural expectations and to understand their emotions.

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who attend

Staff promote children's communication skills appropriately. They talk to children about what they are doing, helping them to put words to their actions and introducing them to new vocabulary. In particular, there is good support for children with special educational needs to learn how to communicate their needs using repetitive language and a recognised sign language, 'Somerset Total Communication'. Children communicate their ideas well. For example, when playing in the soil children describe their actions to their friends, such as 'let's fill it up' and 'break the pieces of lumps like this'. They confidently ask questions copying staff's good lead, such as 'shall we put the mud in here?' and demonstrates so that others can copy. Staff encourage children to use mathematical language in their play, such as to count how many pots are needed for the seeds. Children describe what the seeds need to help them grow, such as water and sun, showing some

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who attend

awareness of how to care for living things. However, children are not encouraged to handle worms kindly and return them to their habitat.

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who attend

Staff listen to children's ideas and follow their interests. For example, children enjoy retelling and acting out a familiar story. Staff question children well helping them to remember the sequence of events and to join in with familiar phrases. Staff extend children's thinking, such as questioning what bears may like to eat and where they could find it, relating this to children's own experiences. Staff remind children about safety as they climb structures competently to reach the honey. However, they do not remind children of expectations to keep themselves and others safe when they use small branches to 'fish for honey' and this poses a risk.

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who attend

Staff provide a broad range of activities to support children's development across the areas of learning, overall. Staff plan some focused activities to challenge children further, such as to make papier-mch balloons to create a number line. Staff clearly explain the task to the children and they decide which number balloon they would like, such as 'I'll have number one at the start'. Children decide which colours to use and mix the paint. Staff encourage children to solve problems independently, such as how to get the paint from the bottle. Children decide to shake it and then squeeze the bottle.

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who attend

Children enjoy group activities, such as parachute games. They listen well to instructions raising the parachute up and down. They choose favourite songs to sing and participate enthusiastically. Children concentrate well on self-chosen tasks, such as construction blocks. They are animated as they share what they have built explaining that they have made a dragon and the orange block is 'it's fire'. They demonstrate how it can fly around the room negotiating space well.

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who attend

Staff involve parents from the onset encouraging them to complete information about children's interests and capabilities before they start at the setting. Staff use this information to plan initial activities and make observations of children's engagement in activities to influence future planning. Staff identify next steps in children's learning and use this information appropriately to help children make progress. Staff invite parents to share achievements from home and contribute to the learning diaries and the progress check at two years old.

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

Children's independence skills are encouraged well. They make decisions for themselves as they can move freely in a safe, welcoming environment. For example, they decide whether to play outside or to choose from a good range of high-quality toys and resources inside. Children prepare their own snacks reminding each other to wash their hands showing a growing awareness of hygienic practices. They slice banana, spoon yoghurt onto their plates and pour their own drinks therefore, making healthy choices. Staff encourage children to put their coats on independently preparing them for their move to school.

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

Children thoroughly enjoy the responsibility of helping to clear the floor with the dustpan and brush and helping to clean the tables before lunch. Staff work well in partnership with parents to support children's developing care needs, such as toilet training, and provide appropriate equipment, which they sterilize after use. Staff deploy themselves appropriately to monitor children as they use the toilet facilities and support their independence skills. Children enjoy frequent opportunities to be outside and active. They enjoy jumping from the stage onto crash mats marking how far they have jumped to see if they can improve. However, staff do not always remind children of expectations such as, not pushing each other off the stage and to wait for their turn.

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

Children are happy and settled at the pre-school as staff support children to form secure attachments. Generally, children behave well. Most children show kindness to their friends. For example, seeing a friend crying children find the toy rabbit to comfort them. However, staff do not consistently help children to understand that their wishes may not always be met immediately, such as waiting their turn to play on the ride on toys. They decide to let more children join the group and this leads to staff having less time to interact with the children as they have to consider children's safety in the open space. Staff demonstrate some appropriate strategies to help children understand boundaries and behavioural expectations however, this is not consistent. For example, when children push a chair on the floor staff attempt to stop them to ask them to pick it up. This results in staff chasing them around the table until another member of staff steps in. She calmly kneels on the

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

floor so that she is at their level acknowledging they are frustrated. She provides them with a sand timer encouraging them to watch the sand until they feel calm enough to help tidy away again. All staff carry fobs with Somerset Total Communication signs but do not use these effectively to help children understand their feelings.

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provision

Staff have satisfactory understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, overall. However, although staff hold current Disclosure and Barring Service checks, and qualifications are checked, the recruitment procedures are not robust. Personal and professional references are not sought to confirm suitability. Although this does not adversely affect the care children receive, it is a breach of safeguarding and welfare requirements. Staff provide a safe and secure environment for children to explore independently. They deploy themselves appropriately so that children are supervised, if required, when they visit the toilet facilities, for example. There are robust systems to enable staff to monitor entry to the premises. For example, there is coded entry to the pre-school and all visitors are requested to sign the visitors' record. There is an accurate record of children's attendance and staff maintain ratios so that

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provision

children are supervised appropriately. They complete regular head counts as children move between the inside and outdoor areas and ensure children are never left alone, either inside or outside. Accidents are routinely recorded and shared with parents. Staff use suitable risk assessments and information on accident forms appropriately to monitor safety and address concerns. For example, they are currently looking at ways to prevent children running on the ramp, such as painting footsteps for them to match therefore, encouraging them to walk. Staff have sound knowledge of child protection issues. They understand the possible signs and/or symptoms and the procedure to follow should they have a concern about a child.

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provision

There are sound systems in place to work in partnership with parents, other early years settings, the school and other professionals to enable continuity in children's care and learning. For example, there is collaboration between the key person, parents, special educational needs coordinator and outside agencies to meet the needs of children with special educational needs to support their development. Parents and grandparents willingly offer their time and feel valued as part of the team. Parents comment that they are grateful for the one-to-one support staff give their children and how staff discuss any gaps in children's learning so that appropriate support can be provided, such as to build relationships and gain confidence.

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provision

Generally, staff have appropriate understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff observe, plan and assess children's progress appropriately so that they make acceptable progress in their learning and development in most areas. However, coaching and training programmes for staff are not sufficient to ensure staff use consistent strategies to manage challenging behaviour. Therefore, children do not make the best possible progress in learning to manage their feelings and behaviour and keep themselves and others safe. This is a breach of the learning and development requirements.

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provision

Staff use self-evaluation sufficiently to identify priorities for the setting to drive improvement. For example, through monitoring planning and assessment arrangements staff have noticed that there are fewer opportunities for children to explore technology. The manager is currently developing the system for professional development to include observations of practice and interaction to highlight staff's skills and identify training needs to promote consistency in teaching. Staff regularly attend relevant training to support children's progress, such as safeguarding, first aid, and Forest School activities.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure systems to ascertain staff's suitability to work with the children are fully completed (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)

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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 EY376214 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 952568

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 42 Name of provider Cannington Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 11/11/2008 Telephone number 07704644135

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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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