St Wilfrid's Pre-School

St Wilfrid's Pre-School Greenbank Lane, Hartford, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 1JW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/11/2014 07/07/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Practitioners consistently apply their thorough knowledge and understanding of how young children learn. Teaching is, therefore, good and all children make good progress.  Partnership between the pre-school and the school ensures excellent continuity for children's care and education when they start school.  Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents feel informed about, and involved in, their children's learning. Parents are welcomed to 'Come and Play' sessions and this helps them to continue their child's learning at home.  Children are safe in the pre-school because practitioners implement robust safeguarding and child protection procedures. Everyday risks are managed well because children listen well and respond to instructions that keep them safe.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasion, next steps for some children's learning are not sharply focussed enough to ensure that all children always make the best possible progress in their learning.  The manager does not always fully link the already good supervision arrangements with observations of teaching, in order to promote an even higher quality of teaching.

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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 pre-school.  The inspector observed activities in the pre-school classroom and outside area.  The inspector met with the manager.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documents including those used for assessment, planning and observation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and the qualifications of all members of the committee and practitioners working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and in documents that included completed questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

St Wilfrid's Pre-school opened in 1987 and is managed by a voluntary committee. The pre- school is registered on the Early Years Register. It operates from a classroom within St. Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School, Hartford, Northwich, Cheshire. The pre-school serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. It opens five days a week, from 9am until 3.15pm, term time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 43 children in the early years age range. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. There are currently six staff working directly with the children, five of whom have an appropriate early years qualification. The pre-school receives support from the local authority and it is

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Information about the setting

a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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

 enhance the already good planning, so that next steps for every child are always sharply focused and consistently support children's best possible progress

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

 build on the already good supervision arrangements, by linking performance targets for practitioners more closely to observations of teaching, in order to promote an even higher quality of teaching.

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who attend

Teaching is good. Practitioners have a thorough understanding of how to promote children's learning through well-planned, high quality and continuous provision. When children arrive each day they settle quickly into rich and varied activities. For example, children dip conkers in autumn-coloured paints and roll them around in trays to make marks on paper. Practitioners explain how this creative activity promotes children's physical development and is linked to the current topic about autumn. They support individual children, including two year olds, so that they understand what they have to do to make the conkers roll about. The session is organised to fully promote a balance of adult-led and child-initiated play and learning. As a result, children have extended opportunities to become involved in activities that they are interested in, indoors and outdoors. Practitioners skilfully interact with children as they play and, therefore, extend

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who attend

children's thinking and active learning even further. Practitioners attach photographs and written observations of children's learning into a learning journal. The accuracy of practitioners' assessments is checked by the manager, to ensure that children make good progress. Practitioners demonstrate good knowledge of what their key children need to learn next. However, on occasion, this knowledge does not lead to extremely sharply focused next steps for children's learning, in order to ensure that all children always make the best possible progress. Children who are learning English as an additional language are consistently supported as they play. Practitioners understand how to use words in context to promote communication and language. For example, when children have fun blowing bubbles in the water tray, practitioners say 'pop, pop' as they burst each bubble with their finger. Children with special educational needs and/or

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who attend

disabilities make good progress, because their needs are identified early and addressed effectively, with the knowledgeable and timely support of the special educational needs coordinator.

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who attend

Parents contribute to initial assessments of children's development when children start at the pre-school. They report that they feel well informed about their children's learning. Parents are encouraged to continue their child's learning at home. For example, parents are invited to 'Come and Play' sessions and find out about play and learning activities that they can introduce at home. Children acquire the key skills they need to start school. For example, the daily routines ensure that children learn to listen and to speak confidently in small key groups and as part of whole group activities.

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

The key-person system is well established in the pre-school. On arrival, children find the card with their picture and name and attach it to their key-group flower on the wall. They confidently say which colour group they belong to. Children, therefore, form secure attachments which ensure their emotional well-being at pre-school. Practitioners are very good role models. They are calm and happy and they set clear boundaries for children's behaviour. As a result, the atmosphere in the pre-school is always calm and happy and children behave well. Children learn to stay safe. For example, when they go into the kitchen to melt chocolate in the microwave oven, they know that the cooker they have to stand next to is switched off and will not burn them.

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

Well-established routines promote children's independence. For example, at snack time, children collect their plate and cup, find a seat and serve themselves with fruit, toast and milk. When they finish snack, children wash their plate and cup in the sink. They, therefore, learn to cooperate in completing necessary tasks as part of a group. Children become independent in their self-care because practitioners are alert to their individual needs. For example, children who are not yet independent are praised when they begin to communicate that they need to go to the toilet. Practitioners remind children about why they must wash their hands after using the toilet. Children demonstrate that they have learned to wash their hands. They use the soap and rinse their hands properly. They learn to make healthy choices in their diet. For example, practitioners and parents work in partnership to ensure that children's packed lunches are healthy. Children have good

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

opportunities to be energetic and to learn about how their bodies work. For example, children join in with regular sports sessions in the school hall. The sessions include a warm up and then children feel their heartbeat.

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

Children are emotionally well supported when they start pre-school and when they move to school. For example, practitioners visit children at home before they start to attend and, therefore, children are already familiar with their own key person. When they move to school, children just move next door to a space that they already know well. Resources are of very high quality and are always used effectively to support the seven areas of learning and development, and to promote the characteristics of effective learning.

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provision

Leadership provided by the manager and the voluntary committee is good. Systems for administration are efficiently supported by the school office team. This enables the pre- school manager to concentrate on leading practice in the pre-school classroom. Recruitment of new practitioners is safe and well managed. All new employees undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks and references are obtained. A revised induction process for new practitioners ensures that they quickly become effective team members who understand their role. All practitioners understand what they must do if they are concerned about the welfare of a child in their care. This is because safeguarding training is given high priority in the pre-school programme of professional development. For example, all practitioners recently attended a training session to refresh their awareness of safeguarding procedures.

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provision

The manager monitors the planning of the educational programme. She checks the accuracy of assessment. She ensures that, when concerns about children's progress and development are raised, children are given extra support for their learning. The quality of teaching is good. Regular supervision is supportive of practitioners' individual professional development. However, the manager does not always fully link supervision with observations of teaching, in order to set targets for improvement that lead to an even higher quality of teaching. The manager recognises the importance of professional development for her team. She evaluates the impact of training courses. For example, she describes how a mark-making course led to practitioners providing more varied opportunities for children, especially boys, to write and draw.

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provision

The manager gathers the views of parents, practitioners and children in order to continuously improve the pre-school. Examples of improvements are displayed on the 'you said, we did' board in the pre-school cloakroom. Recently, the pre-school committee took the decision to enrol two year olds to the pre-school. This change was managed carefully. For example, the layout of the school's foundation stage unit was altered in order to make the pre-school classroom self-contained and secure for the younger children. New resources were carefully chosen and the possible risks of existing resources for younger children were assessed. The result of the careful improvement planning is that two year old children are happy, confident learners at the pre-school. Partnerships with parents are strong. This ensures that children settle quickly into their learning each day. Partnerships with other professionals are active and effective. For example, when children have special

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provision

educational needs and/or disabilities, the special educational needs coordinator seeks timely advice and support. Partnership with the school is integral to the work of the pre- school. Children benefit greatly from the excellent continuity when they move to school.

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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 305335 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 867587

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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 43 Name of provider St Wilfrid's Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 07/07/2010 Telephone number 01606 288022

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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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