Egerton & Walmsley Playgroup/Pre-School

Egerton and Walmsley Pre-School Playgroup Hideaway Scout Hut, Blackburn Road, Egerton, Bolton, Lancashire, BL7 9SA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/07/2014 07/06/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The lack of monitoring of the educational programmes and teaching provided means the areas of learning are not adequately covered and activities are not sufficiently challenging. Consequently, children are not making good enough progress.  The lead practitioner responsible for safeguarding does not fully understand the role and responsibilities of being a designated person. Therefore, staff have inefficient support, advice and guidance as required from the safeguarding lead.  There is no nominated member of staff responsible for behaviour management. Therefore, children's behaviour is not consistently managed. As a result, some children are not engaged in activities which lead to a disorderly environment.  Staff are not effectively supported because there is an ineffective management structure in place. As a result, the leadership and management of the setting are extremely weak to support staff in their roles and responsibilities to meet all

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This provision is inadequate

requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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It has the following strengths

 Children are happy, confident and enjoy their time at the setting.  Parents speak positively about the care their children receive and the opportunities to be included in their children's learning.

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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 teaching and learning activities in the parish hall and the outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at assessment records and the planning documentation of the children attending the playgroup.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, a selection of documentation related to children's learning and welfare, and the setting's plans for self-evaluation and improvement.  The inspector held discussions with members of the committee.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Information about the setting

Egerton and Walmsley Pre-School Playgroup is managed by a committee who are employed at the setting. It opened in 1967 and is registered on the Early Years Register. It operates from the Hideaway Scout Hut and one room within the parish hall, both of which are adjacent to the grounds of Walmsley Church of England Primary School in Egerton, Bolton, Lancashire. All children have access to a secure outside play area. The setting opens during term time only, for two sessions each weekday from 9.15am until 11.45am and 12.45pm until 3.15pm. The setting also offers a lunch club 11.45am until 12.45pm each day. There are currently 63 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age range. The setting provides funded early education for three- and four-year- olds. It employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, one has Early Years Professional status, seven hold qualifications at level 3 and one holds level 2. The setting receives

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must:

 monitor the delivery of the educational programmes and the quality of teaching, to ensure that all staff adequately cover the seven areas of learning in sufficient depth and breadth to motivate and challenge children in their learning and development

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must:

 ensure the lead practitioner responsible for safeguarding children fully understands the role and responsibilities, is confident in making a referral and provides support, advice and guidance to staff as required. Also review the safeguarding policy in relation to the use of sun cream and for providing fresh drinking water at all times

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must:

 assign a named practitioner to be responsible for behaviour management, review the behaviour management policy and ensure it is consistently implemented in order for children to know what behaviour is expected of them

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must:

 conduct regular supervisions and appraisals with staff to identify their individual training needs and support their professional development in order to raise the overall quality of practice.

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who attend

The arrangements for meeting all of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are inadequate. The educational programmes do not adequately cover the seven areas of learning and staff do not plan and provide activities for children in enough depth and breath. Consequently, children's individual learning needs are not met effectively, and children are not sufficiently challenged or stimulated in their play. Some staff interact and engage with the children warmly and positively, being better skilled at tuning into the children's play experiences. For example, in self-chosen imaginary play, children use a piece of paper as a map to find the hidden treasure. A member of staff notices the children playing and asks them what they are doing. The children delight in explaining they are using the map to find the hidden treasures. The member of staff asks them a series of questions, such as 'how are you going to get there?

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who attend

'what do you think you might find?' The children respond well to the member of staffs' interactions and instigate her in their play. However, some staff are not as forthcoming and merely supervise the children rather than engaging with them to fully extend their play and learning at all times.

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who attend

Staff carry out observations of children, record their next steps in learning and use these to plan activities. However, the activities provided by staff are the same and do not take into account children's current levels of development. For example, all children take part in the planned 'sports fun day'. However, the activities are the same for all the children. This means that many of the younger children are unable to fully take part, as many of the games are not age appropriate and the resources are not suitable to support them. The resources available to children throughout the day are also limited, as many have been put away or being cleaned as it is close to the closing date for the summer holiday period. Some children express an interest in playing the role-play home corner. However, this has no extra resources as they are being cleaned. The children, initially, do not use this area, however, during the day some of the resources are brought out and children begin to use

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who attend

the area with enthusiasm. Children appear to enjoy their time in the setting and parents comment that they are eager to attend. This is because staff are welcoming and sit with children while playing in their self-chosen play. At times, this is sufficient to keep children engaged for short periods of time, but it does not meet all children's needs or extend their learning sufficiently. Older children are developing some skills that will support them in their future learning. They show high levels of confidence and engage with the inspector throughout, asking questions. For example, children ask what the inspector's name begins with. One of the children replies 'my name begins with the same letter'.

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who attend

Staff work in partnership with parents. They gather information from parents about their children's individual interests on entry through an 'all about me' document. This provides staff with a starting point for a baseline assessment, in order to plan initial activities to support children's next steps in their learning and development. Staff use a tracker document to note children's progress over time. Relevant support and guidance documents are used as a reference to allow them to identify if children are operating within the expected bands of development for their age. Individual learning journals are accessible to parents. Parents are encouraged to share information regarding children's further development at home through 'sharing stars'. Parents speak highly of the pre- school playgroup and make comments, such as 'I am very happy, my child has made lots of nice friends', 'staff are really nice' and 'I am really happy, it is nice to see how much

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

Children and their families are welcomed into the setting. As the children arrive, they settle well and confidently begin to access the activities on offer. As a result, children demonstrate that they are feeling emotionally secure within the environment. The admissions process in place allows children and parents to build relationships. Children demonstrate attachments with staff and confidently interact with visitors, which shows they feel safe and self-assured, and generally supports their emotional well-being. The setting has a key-person system in place and parents and staff share information about routines and individual care routines. For example, staff support children who are currently toilet training. The setting is decorated with some children's artwork and photographs. However, many of the walls are unwelcoming and lack interest and stimulation. Children are provided with a reasonable choice of play resources, although these are chosen by

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

staff as children do not have direct access to choose for themselves. Additionally, resources do not adequately support all children's development across all areas of learning. All children have their own learning journals, including observations and photographs of them involved in previous activities. These, along with the progress check completed for children aged between two and three years, provide parents with an overview of how their children are progressing.

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

There are some opportunities for children to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles. They are encouraged to manage their personal hygiene routines and to go to the toilet with a staff member close by should they need help. All children are encouraged to wash their hands after the toilet and before snacks. Children benefit from access to the outdoors and fresh air, on a daily basis. However, the activities provided outdoors are disorganised and children lose interest quickly. Therefore, children revert to self-choose activities, such as hitting balls with a bat. This promotes the children's hand-and-eye coordination and physical development. While playing outside in the hot weather, children did not have access to fresh drinking water. After running around for some time, many of the children looked hot and in need of a drink. This was addressed following a discussion with a member of staff. Although the member of staff acted promptly, she did not bring

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

adequate cups for the children playing outside. Parents have responsibility for applying sun cream prior to their child attending pre-school. This means for those children staying all day, there is an insufficient system in place for this to be reapplied. Although there are shaded areas and staff bring children back into the playroom, the process is not robust enough to safeguard children at all times. When children have a 'special fun day snack', staff organise all items into bowls and then give them to the children. Staff also pour children's drinks and clean away once finished. This does not support children's independence skills at all times and in readiness for their next stage of learning.

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

Children are starting to take some calculated risks in their play and this helps them to understand dangers in the environment and their individual limitations. Staff talk to children about the importance of how to stay safe while playing and walking from the scout hut to the parish Hall. For example, children wear high-visibility jackets and are encouraged by staff to look and listen. Staff ask if it is safe to cross. All the children respond by looking left and right, pause and then say 'yes'. Staff confirm it is safe and across they go. As a result, children are learning good road safety awareness skills, which they will continue to use in later life. Most children behave reasonably well, although, at times, staff find some children's behaviour challenging. Children are not given consistent messages as to how they are expected to behave. This is because there is no assigned person responsible for behaviour management to guide and support staff. This is a breach

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provision

The leadership and management of the setting are inadequate. There are breaches of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff have an understanding in their role in protecting children, all supporting policies for safeguarding are in place and staff have attended the relevant training. However, the nominated member of staff designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children is not confident in fulfilling her roles and responsibilities, in regard to making a referral to the necessary agencies or in supporting staff. This potentially puts the children in their care at risk as she is unable to offer the correct support, advice and guidance to other staff members, although staff are clear in the reporting procedures. The ratio for staff to children is in line with requirements and, therefore, children are adequately supervised. Accidents and other incidents are recorded and parents are informed about any injuries to a child. The premises are secure.

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provision

Staff open the main door to parents and visitors. Staff complete a register of children arriving and leaving. Visitors are asked for identification and sign the visitors' book detailing times of arrival and departure. The policy of the use of mobile phones and cameras is made clear to staff and parents, so that children are well protected and are safe. Recruitment, vetting and induction procedures are in place, with staff qualifications checked and appropriate clearances undertaken to ensure they are suitable to work with children.

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provision

The staff are appropriately trained in early years childcare and education. However, the level of training achieved is not reflected in their practice. The committee does not have a secure system in place to ensure all of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are being delivered to adequately meet all children's learning needs. The educational programme does not adequately cover the seven areas of learning and does not sufficiently challenge children. The lack of monitoring of staff practice demonstrates that these weaknesses have not been addressed. There is no effective system in place to provide staff with appraisals, supervisions or coaching. Therefore, some of the staff's professional knowledge and understanding is not fully effective in ensuring all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage are understood and consistently applied. This results in the care and education practices being variable and

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provision

Self-evaluation and monitoring procedures overall are weak. Current procedures to monitor and evaluate the quality of care and educational provision have not been effective in identifying key areas for immediate improvement to promote children's learning and development needs, well-being or safety. The setting is well established within the community and with the school in which it shares the grounds with. Outside agencies, such as the local early years adviser team, also give advice when needed.

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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 315992 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 868332

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 63 Name of provider Egerton and Walmsley Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 07/06/2011 Telephone number 07817 405 288 and 07791 767 259

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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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