Christopher Robyn Pre-School

Christopher Robyn Pre-School St Alban's Church Hall, St Simon's Close, Offerton, SK2 5AG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/09/2014 13/09/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The safeguarding and welfare requirements are well understood by the manager and her staff through clear policies and procedures, which are embedded into the daily routine, to ensure children are kept safe.  Staff work hard to build up strong partnerships with parents, which are well established. This ensures that each child's care is well met throughout their time in the setting.  Children develop strong attachments with staff. As a result, children confidently explore the environment as their emotional well-being is well supported.

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It is not yet good because

 The recent changes to the ways in which staff observe, plan and assess children's learning is yet to be fully implemented and so the impact of these on children's progress is not yet clear.  There are fewer opportunities provided in the outdoor environment for children, to build on their literacy and numeracy development.  The newly introduced programme to observe, supervise and train staff to improve their practice has yet to be embedded into 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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Inspection activities

 The inspector toured the whole of the indoor area of the preschool. She observed activities in the playroom, in the garden outside and the interaction and learning between staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with the children and the providers understanding of self-evaluation and improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documents which cover the learning and development requirements including observations, planning and assessments. She also viewed emergency contact information, enrolment forms and written risk assessments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager. Discussions took place between staff, children and the inspector at appropriate times during the inspection. The inspector took into account the feedback of the parents.

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Information about the setting

Christopher Robyn Pre-School is owned by a private provider and was registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register. It operates from two rooms in St Alban's Church Hall in the Offerton area of Stockport. The pre-school serves the local and wider area. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9.30am until 3.30pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 23 children attending who are in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It employs seven staff who work with the children, of whom six hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 or above and one member of staff has a qualification at level 2. The pre-school works closely with the local authority and is supported by Stockport Borough Council.

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must:

 embed and evaluate the recently improved methods of observation, assessment and planning in order to understand and raise the overall levels of achievement and identify the learning styles of children

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must:

 put into place appropriate arrangements for the supervision of staff to support, coach and train them to continue and advance their professional development.

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

 enhance and build on children's literacy and numeracy development, for example, by providing print and numbers in the outdoor environment.

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who attend

Children make suitable progress at this pre-school. This is because the manager and staff have an appropriate understanding of the development of children. Staff have an acceptable knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn. Children take part in activities based on their interests during adult-initiated activities. For example, children learn literacy skills by recognising the letters in their name. They count numbers using their fingers as visual aids. Children eagerly put their hands up to answer questions in order for them to 'have a go' at answering correctly. Staff use language appropriate to the ages of different children. For example, they use 'more than' and 'one less' to encourage mathematical development and extend language skills. As a result, children sufficiently acquire the skills to develop and learn for their next stage of learning.

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who attend

The manager gathers basic information from parents when children first start at the pre- school which helps children settle. Learning journals build up a picture of children's progress and any gaps in learning are recognised. Observations and photographs are used to identify children's achievements and their next steps in learning are beginning to be identified. However, the system for observations, planning and assessment is not fully embedded throughout the pre-school. The manager has made recent changes to the ways in which children's progress is recorded and planned in order to more easily see if they are making progress that is appropriate. However, this has not been in place sufficiently long enough to assess its impact on the planning for children's learning. Staff understand the unique situations children are in and appreciate that children progress at their own individual rate. Children play with jigsaws encouraging their fine motor skills, or build

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who attend

using the different construction pieces. They play with dinosaurs in the sand or read a story in the quiet area. Consequently, children make steady progress towards the early learning goals and reach their expected stage of development.

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who attend

The pre-school operates in a big hall which has a large amount of space to play in. The room is set out attractively to encourage children to learn. Children can play freely and choose from the resources, which are readily available from height appropriate furniture. Boxes are labelled to ensure that children know what toys are available inside. This encourages children to become independent. The pre-school provides resources, which are appropriate for the ages of the children that attend and cover the seven areas of learning. Staff are deployed appropriately to ensure children are supported and encourage them to engage with the task in hand. The outside area is fully grassed and gives children the opportunity to engage in physical play. Children climb up and slide down slides or investigate the natural resources around the grounds. They can play in the play house or kick a ball. However, the outdoor area is not rich in print, to encourage literacy skills, or

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

Children's emotional needs are developed well. Their self-esteem is promoted because the staff praise and encourage them. Children sit with adults to listen to stories or if they feel sad. Children enjoy their time at the pre-school as they run around and laugh with their peers. Staff use positive reassurance, which supports children to achieve. Children have cuddles with the staff when they feel insecure and staff use encouraging words in order for children to become more relaxed. For example, when settling in new children, staff hold hands with them while they show them around the play areas. They engage in age- appropriate conversation in order for children to become confident. Children are encouraged to become independent during circle time by putting their hands up and waiting for their peers to finish before speaking. This encourages them to be ready for their next stage of learning and gather vital skills ready for school.

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

Children have good routines. Before snack time, they sing songs which teach them how to wash their hands properly. Staff use visual aids to promote this process. Children adopt healthy lifestyles as staff talk to them about big strong muscles and growing healthy bones. Lunchtimes are social occasions and the staff sit down with children to eat. They exchange conversation around nutritious food in order for children to begin to understand foods, which are healthy and good for them. For example, staff talk about the importance of eating lots of vegetables to stay healthy and have good healthy lifestyles. Staff have very strong relationships with parents and follow care routines carefully. For example, they follow parents' wishes during intimate care routines and potty training. Therefore, children's well-being is promoted effectively and children learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

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

Children engage in physical play both in the indoors and when outside in the garden. For example, they run around outside to get fresh air. They negotiate obstacles while riding bicycles or look for bugs in the long grass. Children take small risks by climbing on stepping stone stools indoors and staff talk with them to develop their understanding of safety. Daily checklists are used for both the indoor and outdoor area to ensure any hazards are eliminated. Staff are deployed appropriately in both the indoor and outdoor environment to ensure children are kept safe and secure. Children's behaviour is good. Children have good manners and share appropriately. They take it in turns when speaking and answering questions developing a strong sense of positivity. As a result, children learn the importance of developing good personal and social skills ready for school.

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provision

Safeguarding children is important to the manager. She ensures that all staff have been on safeguarding training and they understand what to do if a child discloses information or in the event of a child protection issue. Regular fire drills ensure children remain safe while playing. The manager makes certain that all statutory checks are undertaken on her staff and appropriate first aid training is in place. The manager has suitable knowledge of the welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Her written risk assessments show she has an appropriate understanding of how to keep children safe and secure. Policies and procedures are effective. There are systems in place to ensure that children cannot leave the premises unattended. All visitors sign a book upon arrival in order for the manager to know who is on the premises at all times. Consequently, children play in a secure environment, where safety is important.

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provision

The manager has a general understanding of the learning and development requirements. She has procedures in place to effectively recruit staff and induction training makes sure staff have a general understanding of the pre-school. However, although the manager has begun to observe the performance of her staff, she needs to put into place appropriate arrangements to support, coach and train them in order for them to continue and advance their professional development. The manager has a basic understanding of how to monitor the educational programmes in order to fulfil the learning and development requirements. The manager works in close partnership with a local authority adviser who supports and guides her knowledge to implement and develop better systems of monitoring. The manager has only recently introduced a programme to observe staff in order to provide constructive advice for improvement in practice. This has yet to be embedded to become

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provision

successful. The manager has effective self-evaluation. Taking into account the views of parents and her staff, the manager evaluates and reviews the pre-school on a regular basis in order to improve the outcomes for children.

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provision

The manager knows how to access support agencies in the local area if required. She regularly liaises with individual teams in order to gain the help required for specific children identified as having additional needs. Speech therapists and portage teams visit the pre-school when necessary, to help the staff support children and improve their life skills. The manager visits other childcare settings to exchange practice and learn from these. This helps her to develop the pre-school and improve on activities provided for all children. The pre-school receives visits from teachers of local schools who talk and read stories to children about their future transition to school. This encourages smoother transition between the two settings. Parent partnership working is secure. Parents are happy leaving their children at the pre-school and talk of the positive relationships children have with all members of staff. As a result, staff support children and improve their life

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provision

skills ready for their next stage of learning.

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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 EY399723 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 989579

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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 23 Name of provider Sharon Sandra Davies Date of previous inspection 13/09/2013 Telephone number 07855 627594

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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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