Norton Community Pre-School

Norton Community Pre-School The Old School Hall, Matthews Lane, Norton, SHEFFIELD, S8 8JS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/09/2014 14/11/2008

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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

 Assessment of children's progress is not consistent and practitioners have a poor understanding of the stages of development. Gaps in learning are not accurately identified and planning does not target children's learning needs.  The key-person system is not effective to ensure information about children's care and development is shared between practitioners. Practitioners have little knowledge of children's learning needs and their continuing progress is not promoted.  Lines of accountability are not clear. Not all practitioners are aware of the procedures to follow should they have concerns about children, adults or the operation of the setting and this means children are not protected.  The provider does not keep records of all practitioners' qualifications. As a result, they are not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The provider has a poor understanding of the learning and development requirements.

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This provision is inadequate

Therefore, the monitoring of the provision and performance management is weak. The quality of teaching is generally poor and areas of weakness are not accurately identified.

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It has the following strengths

 Positive relationships with parents are promoted by friendly practitioners who make them feel welcome in the pre-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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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 activities in the main playroom and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager who is also the provider.  The inspector held meetings with the provider of the provision.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and some qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and committee members spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Norton Community Pre-school was registered in 2008 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the old school buildings of Norton Free Church of England School, in the Norton area of Sheffield and is managed by a committee of parents. 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. The pre-school employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 9.15am to 12.15pm every morning and 12.30pm to 3.30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 46 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It

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Information about the setting

supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre- school is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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must:

 ensure all staff understand the safeguarding policy, with particular regard to lines of accountability and who to go to if they have concerns about a child, an adult or the operation of the setting

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must:

 make sure records are kept of practitioners' qualifications

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must:

 improve knowledge of the learning and development requirements to ensure the pre-school provides a learning experience for children that gives them the foundation for good future progress

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must:

 ensure assessment of children's progress is consistent, their stage of development is accurately assessed and their rate of development is correctly measured

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must:

 consider the individual needs, interest and stages of development of each child and use the information to plan challenging and enjoyable learning experiences that promote children's good progress

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must:

 improve the key-person system to make sure all children are supported at all times and communications between staff are effective to ensure all relevant information about children's individual care and learning needs is shared

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must:

 improve performance management arrangements to make sure weaknesses in practice are identified and focused action plans are put in place to address any areas for improvement.

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who attend

Practitioners obtain children's starting points in learning from parents when children enter the pre-school. However, they have a poor understanding of children's stages of development and how they learn. This means they do not use the information to plan educational programmes that take into account the skills children have already acquired. Observations and assessments of children's development are not completed consistently so there are no next steps in learning identified for the majority of children. This means practitioners do not know what stage children are at in their development so they cannot support their progress. As a result, they do not focus planning to target children's individual learning needs. In addition, practitioners make assumptions about children's development without collecting any information through accurate and precise assessment. Consequently, they guess that children are not meeting their expected targets without

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who attend

having any evidence to inform their suppositions. This means gaps in children's learning are not correctly identified so they do not receive targeted support that promotes their good progress. Parents are encouraged to share information about their child's achievements at home and their emerging needs. However, the key-person system is not robust to ensure information shared by parents about children's learning is shared between practitioners. As a result, practitioners have little knowledge of children's learning needs. Consequently, they do not plan educational programmes that reflect children's interests or provide them with sufficient challenge to support strong progress in their learning. Overall, the quality of teaching is poor because practitioners do not know what the next steps in learning are for children. This means they do not promote children's learning through effective teaching and the careful use of stimulating resources.

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who attend

Despite this, the resources provided offer children opportunities to investigate and follow their interests. This means because of their play and independent investigations, they develop some of the skills they will need for their learning in school. For example, they learn to problem solve while building with a range of large and small construction materials and they develop narratives during role play with small world resources. Children learn to count and recognise shapes and colours through everyday activities and they are developing an understanding of early literacy by sharing books. This helps to prepare them for the learning experiences they will enjoy in school. They develop communication and language skills through everyday conversations and by singing simple songs and rhymes. Other professionals, such as speech and language therapists work with children who have been identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-

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who attend

school use their guidance to implement some strategies to support children's development. For example, practitioners use pictures to promote understanding of daily routines for children who have difficulty communicating through spoken language. Topics, such as monitoring the development of frogs and stick insects support children's developing understanding of growth and decay. During outdoor play in the natural areas of the garden, children begin to develop understanding of the world around them as they recognise how their environment changes with the seasons. For example, they know frogs hibernate and they observe how leaves change colour and fall from the trees.

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who attend

Systems for evaluating the impact of assessment and teaching practice on children's learning are inadequate. This means gaps in practice are not identified. Although the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years is planned, the provider has not identified that other assessments of children's learning are not up to date. Therefore, the progress check cannot be accurately completed and shared with parents because there is very little information about children's learning to inform it. This means gaps in children's learning, or their strengths, are not identified accurately or in a timely manner to ensure they receive good levels of support to promote their development.

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

Partnerships with parents are positive and information about children's care is shared. However, weaknesses in the key-person system means that information about children's care, welfare and well-being is not always shared. Assessments of children's progress in the prime areas are not up to date. In addition, because practitioners make assumptions about children's learning, they do not know what stage they are at. As a result, planned learning is not focused to securely promote children's learning in the prime areas. Together, these inadequacies affect how well children can progress with their personal, social and emotional development. Practitioners do not have a thorough understanding of the procedures to follow should they have concerns about children, adults or the operation of the pre-school. This means children's safety and welfare is not supported at all times. Nevertheless, they demonstrate they have a suitable understanding of the steps to take to

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

keep children safe during play. Children are shown how to assess risks for themselves when using outdoor play equipment. As a result, they are in general, learning strategies for keeping themselves safe.

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

Practitioners are appropriate role models and they demonstrate respectful relationships towards the children and each other. By using simple, clear explanations practitioners teach children to share, resolve disputes and play cooperatively. This supports them in developing secure relationships with their peers. Children receive consistent messages, which support their developing understanding of right and wrong and, overall, children's behaviour in the setting is good. Children enjoy time in the outdoor area everyday and they enjoy healthy snack and drinks. This contributes to their overall health and well- being.

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

Despite the weaknesses in the key-person system, practitioners understand children's need for additional emotional support during transitions. Short introductory sessions, which they enjoy with their parents, help them to settle and provide some continuity in their care. In general, children receive suitable levels of support to get them ready for the move to the local nursery school and this means they are emotionally prepared for the changes to come. Key persons take them to visit the school they are moving on to. This helps them to understand school routines and they become familiar with teachers. When the time comes for them to move on to the next stage in their learning, they are welcomed by an adult they know. In general, children develop self-care skills as they learn to dress themselves, wash their hands and develop independence in using the toilet. As a result, most children can attend to their own personal care needs when they move on to

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provision

Disclosure and Barring Service checks are obtained for all practitioners and appropriate recruitment procedures ensure practitioners are suitable to work with children. However, the provider does not keep records of all practitioners' qualifications. This means she is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Induction for new practitioners makes them aware of essential policies and procedures, such as the use of mobile telephones and cameras are explained to them. However, the provider does not make sure that all practitioners understand the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child, an adult, or the operation of the pre-school. This means children are not protected at all times and their safety is not assured. The majority of practitioners have completed safeguarding training to improve their knowledge and they demonstrate a suitable understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse. However, the key-person

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provision

system is not robust to ensure detailed information about children's well-being is shared between practitioners. Consequently, the pre-school cannot guarantee children are protected at all times.

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provision

Nevertheless, children are generally kept safe in the physical environment because practitioners complete risk assessments to minimise hazards and ensure the premises and equipment are safe and suitable for them to use. Seven practitioners hold a current first- aid certificate and the provider ensures there is always a member of staff on the premises who can give appropriate treatment if there is an accident to a child in their care. Children's attendance, including when they arrive and leave, is recorded. This shows that required adult-to-child ratios are maintained. Accidents and medications administered to children are recorded in line with the legal requirements and details are shared with parents. This contributes to maintaining children's general well-being. Policies and procedures are shared with parents, which mean they have some understanding of the service on offer to them.

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provision

Self-evaluation offers little information with regard to the provider's assessment of her service or any action plans to addresses weaknesses and drive improvement. Some of the weaknesses in practice identified at previous inspections have not been successfully addressed. As a result, planning for children's learning is not adequate to ensure their development needs are met. Although the provider completes appraisals, she does not monitor practitioner's performance. Her understanding of the learning and development requirements is poor and so does not accurately identify weaknesses in practice. The provider has not recognised that assessments of children's progress are not up to date or accurate. The provider has also not recognised that overall, the quality of teaching is poor and practitioners do not deliver well-planned, purposeful activities that promote children's learning. The provider does not have an accurate overview of the pre-school's strengths,

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provision

or gaps in the provision and this means the pre-school is not improving to benefit children who attend.

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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:

 train all staff on the written statement of procedures to be followed to safeguard children from abuse or neglect (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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY376725 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 858394

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 46 Name of provider Norton Community Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 14/11/2008 Telephone number 07944363809

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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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