West End Pre-School

West End Pre-School Hilldene Centre Annexe, High Street, West End Soton, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 3DU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/09/2014 09/02/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Children across the age range are making good progress in their learning and development. They have time to explore a stimulating environment and staff use some good quality teaching to extend children's learning.  The new leadership and management team has a clear understanding of the pre- school's strengths and are working to achieve better outcomes for all children in their care.  Staff know the children well and draw up effective play plans so that children can prosper and develop in this caring and nurturing environment.  The partnership between the pre-school and its parents is strong and there are many opportunities for them to become involved in their children's learning and achievements.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasions, staff are not always available to support children when they are learning new skills, such as cutting with scissors.  During story time, staff miss some opportunities to allow children time to think about what new words mean, and to offer their own ideas.

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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 and care routines throughout the pre-school and outdoor play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of policy documents and the pre-school's planning documentation

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day, and checked the complaints log.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with staff about their practice and sampled children's records and progress checks

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and the new manager designate and observed practice with the latter.

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Information about the setting

West End Pre-School registered in 1979. It is a committee run pre-school and operates from privately owned premises in West End, Southampton, Hampshire. Children have access to two enclosed outdoor play areas. The pre-school is open from 9am to 3.30 pm on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and from 9am to 12.30pm on Wednesday. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and there are currently 34 children on roll. The pre-school provides funded early education places for two-, three- and four- year-old children. The pre-school has a few children with special educational needs and /or disabilities on roll. There are 16 part-time members of staff who work with the children, 11 of whom are qualified in early years to level 2 and above.

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

 offer more adult-led opportunities for children to develop new skills, such as using scissors

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

 enhance children's literacy development by giving children time to think about what new words mean and respond with their own ideas.

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who attend

Children throughout all areas of the pre-school settle quickly to activities of their choice. They are keen to explore the welcoming play areas. Staff plan activities and experiences that reflect children's interests and excite and motivate them into getting fully involved. Staff make careful observations of and know their key children well which helps them to draw up effective play plans. This helps to ensure that all children make good progress in their learning. When children start, they attend with their parents and detailed information is obtained from the parents/carer so that the pre-school can help the child settle into the new environment happily. Sympathetic and yet thoughtful procedures were used during the inspection to encourage a child to adjust to the new setting.

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who attend

The pre-school has a system in place to complete two-year-old progress checks. Good information is provided to parents about their child's learning and the 'What did we do today' board with its suggested follow up activities provides clear opportunities for parents to become involved in their children's learning on a daily basis. Parents are fully aware of the records the pre-school keeps to monitor and support each child's learning and are welcome to see them at any time. More formal arrangements throughout the year provide opportunities for parents to share records with their child's key person in more detail. This helps them to feel fully involved in their child's learning.

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who attend

On the whole, staff engage well with children as they play. They stimulate their imaginations, provide positive role model examples and challenge their ideas and thinking through suitable interactions. New planning documents reflect the children's interests and adult-led focused activities ensure that the needs of all children are met. Activities which support learning in all seven areas are used by the children and are routinely evaluated, helping staff to make positive changes to improve children's experiences. Overall, children have easy access to a good range of toys, equipment and resources that support their learning. The rationalisation and new accessibility of resources ensures that the needs of individual children are met. Children benefit from being able to freely choose between indoors and two outdoor areas ensuring that they can play and learn in an environment which suits their needs.

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who attend

Staff are actively involved in developing children's communication skills. There are a number of children who speak English as an additional language and they are given every encouragement. All children attend the 'chatterbox' language group at least once during the week and some more frequently. Here, in a small group situation, they can gain the confidence to use language. The different circle time story provided the younger children with a similar opportunity to develop confidence in a small group and they were readily able to interact with the adults. For example, a member of staff engaged children in conversations about their age and birthdays while playing at the sand. This promotes children's language skills effectively through play. Children develop their mathematical skills as staff help them balance various toy bears. Staff help children learn concepts such as balance, heaviest and lightest, while they explore the scales and find out how they

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who attend

work. Younger children enjoy a number story, where staff give them lots of opportunities for counting and number recognition.

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who attend

Children have good opportunities to use and extend their physical skills through the adventure play area and activities in the other outdoor area. Children used ride-on vehicles around a circuit with control and obvious enjoyment. There were bats and balls and sand play to promote good physical development. Indoors there are opportunities for children to develop their small hand muscle skills by using a writing and gluing table. However, on occasions, there was no member of staff available to assist children in their attempts to use scissors. This meant at times, children were not always helped to persevere in learning and developing new skills. Children have lots of opportunities to practise their independence skills. They put on and take off their shoes and coats, and serve themselves snack, even washing their own dishes afterwards. These skills help children prepare for their next stage in learning, including school.

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who attend

A book box adjacent to the carpet area provides the children with opportunities to see print and letter shapes. Children use these resources independently and correctly. The writing table sees children holding and using a variety of implements correctly. The more able children are able to form letters independently and even write their names. Other children enjoy drawing pictures that include faces with features. Children enjoy listening to familiar stories and join in with repeated phrases. Children show they are engaged and attentive and enjoy making the animal sounds. Staff help children learn new vocabulary as they talk about the words, such as fierce and tiny. However, on occasions, staff do not give children time to respond to questions about the new words and give their own ideas about what the new words may mean to develop their language skills further.

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

Children are settled, secure and very happy at the pre-school. This is due to the strong relationships they build with their key person and other members of the staff team. The pre-school offers sound settling-in arrangements and supports new children effectively. This means that children are able to separate from parents and carers confidently and establish good relationships with adults and children in the pre-school. Children become increasingly independent in addressing their own needs. For example, they readily take out toys they require and can help themselves to snack. This increases their confidence in their own ability. Children are supported in developing good relationships with their friends and are learning how to work with them harmoniously. They often receive praise and encouragement for their kind and thoughtful behaviour from staff. This helps children learn good behaviours and how to treat others with respect.

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

Staff give safety and security a high priority. They carry out risk assessments and monitor safety daily by carrying out regular checks on the premises. This helps them to quickly identify any possible hazards to prevent accidents occurring. Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, staff ask them to move wet sand from the floor to prevent a slipping hazard and a child is asked to move a hoola hoop from around their throat.

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

The environment is well maintained and staff follow good practices to support children's health. Children enjoy healthy snacks provided by the pre-school and bring in their own packed lunches from home. Staff have discussions about healthy eating with the children, reinforcing good habits. Children have grown fresh fruit such as strawberries and vegetables such as carrots and beans in an outdoor area. The children have made a healthy carrot soup from their produce, helping them to gain further understanding of healthy options. There is ample opportunity for children to enjoy fresh air and exercise outdoors to further promote a healthy lifestyle.

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

The pre-school now operates from an open plan area which is bright and is well organised and resourced. The environment is engaging and there is free-flow access to the outside areas, which means that children can access a variety of learning opportunities both indoors and outdoors. Children explore all areas confidently, selecting activities of their choice from the wide range available. Easily accessible toilet and hand-washing facilities enable children to be increasingly independent. There is always a member of staff on hand to ensure correct hygiene procedures are followed and to offer help if required, so children gain understanding of the importance of personal care routines. This helps them gain skills needed in readiness for school.

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provision

The newly established management team is leading a team of dedicated and enthusiastic staff who are keen to adopt changes that will benefit the children in their care. Effective action plans and development plans are in place and under constant review. New systems are in place to plan for children's learning. Focus sheets help staff to ensure that there are no gaps in children's development and that challenging activities are supporting learning. The range of activities staff offer to children is stimulating and promotes effective learning. However, the leadership team accept that there are still adjustments and improvements to make to get to their desired standard. Staff use self-evaluation effectively to identify areas for development. For example, plans are in hand for effective staff monitoring to begin and a switch to online children's records in order that they are more accessible to parents.

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provision

This demonstrates the commitment to making ongoing improvements to benefit the children and families attending the pre-school. Education programmes are now of a good quality, with motivated staff keen to guide children to make consistently good progress in all areas of their learning and development. The staff team show a secure understanding of how children learn and implement good methods throughout their work.

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provision

The pre-school fully meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Leadership and management have a clear understanding of their roles in supporting and guiding staff with child protection issues. All members of staff have undergone training in safeguarding children and paediatric first aid. Procedures for recruiting, vetting and appointing new staff are robust with all new staff undergoing checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service. Induction programmes and regular staff meetings also ensure the safety and security of the pre-school is maintained. Overall, staff deployment is well planned, resulting in a high level of care and nurturing for children throughout the day.

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provision

Management and staff have a strong drive for improvement, which is evident in all they have achieved together to date. The pre-school has built strong partnerships with external agencies such as the speech and language service and portage, which helps ensure that all children reach their full potential. The management team is keen to participate in a range of new initiatives that will improve the service they offer to children and their families. They are constantly seeking parental views on changes they make via questionnaires, as well as reviewing practice in-house and implementing ideas which deliver improvement.

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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 507860 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 843302

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider West End Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 09/02/2011 Telephone number 023 80466764

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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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