Triangle Pre-school

Triangle Pre-school Wesley Weeke Methodist Church Hall, Fromond Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO22 6EG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/06/2014 14/10/2008

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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

 An exceptionally strong partnership with parents contributes to the staff team's success in meeting all children's needs because it helps staff get to know children well. It underpins very positive relationships across the pre-school.  The quality of teaching is good so all children progress well from their starting points.  The staff team provides a wealth of activities that provoke children's interest, so they play purposefully, concentrate and behave extremely well.  The leadership and management team evaluates the pre-school provision accurately and strives successfully to improve what is offered, which benefits children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff sometimes miss opportunities to extend learning during group times.  Staff do not always provide children with consistent help in regard to developing their early writing in preparation for school.

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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 indoors and outside.  The inspector undertook joint observations with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with the committee chairperson and the manager.  The inspector talked with some children, parents and staff.  The inspector sampled a range of relevant documentation.

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Information about the setting

Triangle Pre-school opened in 1987 and registered with Ofsted in 2001. It is located in the Methodist Church Hall in the Weeke area of the City of Winchester in Hampshire. The pre- school is a registered charity and is managed by a committee of volunteers. The pre- school is registered on the Early Years Register. The children use the main church hall and an outside area.

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Information about the setting

Currently, there are 53 children on roll in the early years age group, aged from two to five years. The pre-school is funded to provide free early education to some children aged two years, and to three- and four-year-olds. Morning sessions run from 8.50am until 3.20pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. The pre-school is closed on Wednesday mornings but opens from 11.50am until 3.30pm on Wednesday afternoons. It is open on Thursday and Friday mornings from 8.50am until 12.20 pm. There are optional lunch clubs. The committee employs eight staff to work with the children, many of whom work part-time. All staff hold relevant early years qualifications, with the manager holding a suitable qualification at level 4; another member of staff is qualified at level 5.

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

 ensure teaching is of a consistently high quality by taking all opportunities to enrich children's language and literacy development, particularly making the best use of group times to discuss the special activities planned, and helping children to develop their early writing skills as well as possible.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good, which helps all children progress well. The staff team makes effective use of the spacious hall. They plan a wealth of interesting activities from which children choose freely. These experiences cover all areas of learning effectively. Staff plan these well to suit the children's varying stages of development and interests. Staff know children's starting points through discussions with parents and from observing children carefully. Their thorough planning results in activities that capture the children's attention successfully. Consequently, all children play happily as they explore their environment. They engage in play well and learn because they enjoy the activities they choose.

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who attend

Since the last inspection, staff have established a new and effective session routine. This allows children to play as they wish without interruption after an initial short get-together. This arrangement allows children to check what is available and to think carefully about what they want to do before choosing. This means children undertake activities that they really want to do, and often results in sustained play where children keep trying to get things right. As there are no interruptions, children complete activities to their satisfaction, so gain a sense of achievement. For example, two children sat together on a bench outside, chatting together happily for some five minutes before deciding what else to do. One then joined a craft activity indoors and the other stayed outdoors practising balancing. This arrangement not only aids independent choice and learning, but enhances children's personal, social and emotional development by giving them time to make

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who attend

Staff create many small spaces that encourage children to sit and talk. For example, they provide a small tent daily and entice children in by varying its location and content. Staff do this because they have observed children's play and noted that boys, in particular, talk more when provided with contained spaces. This review and assessment of play shows staff understand how children learn, and that they know how to accommodate children's differing needs. They encourage all children's communication and language development well as a result.

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who attend

Good planning of adult-led activities helps staff take individual learning forward. Staff take turns to plan a specific stimulating activity daily. This activity helps individuals achieve the next step in their learning. During the inspection, for example, children practised their hand skills while creating flowers in a craft activity. The activity was well organised with plenty of appealing resources, such as different coloured glitter. Staff aided children's learning by posing worthwhile questions such as 'How are you going to fix your flower on the stem?' Such questioning challenges children's thinking well and encourages them to solve this problem themselves. When children decided to use sticking tape, staff held this firmly while children practised using scissors to cut it. They showed delight in their achievements. Such pleasure motivates children to engage in activities and helps them gain useful skills ready for the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

Staff specifically teach children valuable skills ready for their eventual transfer to school. Older children recognise their names, can discuss their favourite books and show they listen carefully to what staff say. Some begin to write their names, but staff do not always show children clearly how to form letters in a consistent way. This means that children do not gain the full benefit from this activity.

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who attend

Staff gather the children together briefly at the start of each session, but they miss chances to extend learning at this time because the routine is uninspiring. For example, children wait to answer their names needlessly because they have already registered their presence. While they wait patiently, learning time is lost. Staff do not, for example, use this opportunity to discuss the special activities happening, such as the excitement of Sports Day, or what is available on the craft table. Nevertheless, overall, staff help all children be prepared well for the next stage in their learning and the move to school.

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

Staff build exceptionally strong partnerships with parents that underpin a well-established key person system. This approach provides each child and their family with a named member of staff. This staff member takes responsibility for guiding individual children's development and learning well, and makes sure their needs are met effectively.

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

Children clearly feel emotionally secure in the pre-school. They enter happily, demonstrating they understand the session's routine of sitting on a rug when parents leave. This routine helps them separate from their parents without fuss. Staff work hard to make full use of the hall facilities and the pre-school's resources. They set up safe and welcoming play environments both indoors and out. Children move around these spaces confidently, showing they feel secure. They are independent in their play through each session. They competently decide where to play, what to do, and when to take their snack, owing to the thoughtful way that staff organise sessions. This independence helps prepare children well for the next stage in their learning.

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

Relationships are very positive across the pre-school. Children readily ask staff for help, such as to go to the toilet. Children behave and get on together extremely well. Staff teach children to take turns, such as when outside, waiting to have a go at jumping from one hoop to another. Older children volunteer to help staff prepare for snack time. They readily work out that two more chairs are required when three are around the table and five are needed. This shows their ability to use early mathematics in practical situations to solve problems. They show they enjoy helping, responding well to praise, and demonstrate a growing sense of responsibility in readiness for the transfer to school.

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

Staff teach children how to care for themselves and to live healthy lifestyles. Children know they need to wear a sunhat when it is hot. Staff encourage them to eat a good diet by providing varied healthy foods, such as raisins and naan bread, for their snack. Since the previous inspection, staff provide parents with guidance on healthy lunch-box content too, to encourage a good basis for healthy eating in life. Staff generally support the development of children's personal independence well. They manage snack as a social occasion and use it to teach children how to pour their own drinks, although during the inspection they missed the opportunity to encourage children to prepare their own snacks. Children are keen to play outside, showing a positive attitude to being in the fresh air. Staff provide older children with special sessions, so that they learn how to change into their clothes for physical education. This helps to prepare them for when they get to

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provision

The manager and chair of the committee work together well, knowing their separate roles. This good partnership means that the learning and development requirements are met effectively, and that staff appointment and professional development systems are robust. The manager uses her experience to deploy staff well. For example, she encourages suitably qualified and experienced staff to take turns in undertaking the role of deputy manager in order to enhance their skills. This approach helps in monitoring the provision to provide good quality consistently, including checking that the educational programmes are delivered in full. It means too that sessions run smoothly in the absence of the manager.

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provision

Staff are supported in gaining further qualifications and in undertaking training to develop the quality of their teaching. Recently, for example, they have undertaken training in using sign language in order to help support any children with speech and language delay, or other particular needs. This ability helps the team have the right skills to meet all children's needs effectively, when such children attend. Monitoring is sufficiently thorough to identify where groups of children need additional support, such as in encouraging boys' language development, in preparation for the move to school.

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provision

The leadership team rightly includes all involved with the pre-school in evaluating its provision. Evaluation is accurate. It identifies suitable areas for development, such as improving the pre-school's website, introducing new staff-support methods to evaluate each other's performance, and considering how to enhance children's outdoor experiences. All recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed fully, demonstrating the staff team's desire to drive improvement. The changes introduced have improved children's experiences. The reduction in the number of group times has been particularly beneficial by allowing children to guide their own play for almost all the session. Nevertheless, teaching is not consistently of a very high quality. This is because the content of the registration session does not meet children's needs fully and there are minor weaknesses in an aspect of literacy. This means children do not make quicker

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provision

progress in acquiring more skills for the next stage in their early education.

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provision

Parents comment favourably and enthusiastically about the staff team, and its work. They appreciate the time staff take to talk to them and to provide help for their children. They comment that, 'They really listen' and that they 'are really welcoming'. It is clear that parents regard the pre-school as an asset to the community. Parents know their children's key persons and two-way communications are well established to exchange necessary information. This liaison helps staff meet children's needs well. Many children attend other early years settings, with which staff have also established partnerships to take a joint approach. There are effective communications with local schools, which aid the transfer process.

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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 110090 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 839675 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 53 Name of provider Triangle Pre-school Committee Date of previous inspection 14/10/2008 Telephone number 01962 880988

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Setting details

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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