Thursfield Pre-School

Thursfield Pre-School Thursfield Pre-School, Chapel Lane, Harriseahead, STOKE-ON-TRENT, Staffordshire, ST7 4JJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/12/2014 12/12/2013

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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

 Safeguarding arrangements are robust, with effective systems in place to identify and minimise risks to children's safety.  The indoor and outdoor environment is stimulating and well equipped. Outside space is particularly inviting for children, with a good variety of equipment to challenge their physical skills.  Staff support children's learning and development well. They establish positive and caring relationships with the children, which supports their emotional well-being.  The impact of staff training is monitored and evaluated, to help make sure it benefits the children and contributes to improving practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always make the most of mealtimes, in order to fully engage with the children at their level and enjoy experiences together.  Key persons have not fully explored how they can support all parents to share what they know about their children and contribute to initial assessments of their starting points on entry.

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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 voluntary and compulsory parts 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 two playrooms, the outdoor play area and conducted a joint observation with the deputy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with children, staff and parents, and held meetings with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and sampled a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled parent questionnaires and took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Thursfield Pre-School was registered in 1993 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a building situated on the grounds of Thursfield Primary School in Harriseahead, Stoke-on-Trent and is run by a voluntary management committee. The setting provides a pre-school and out- of-school club for children attending the school. It operates from two rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The setting employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications, including four at level 3 and one with Early Years Professional status. It opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm during term time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 130 children on roll. Of these, 52 are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children

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Information about the setting

with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 maximise care practices during mealtimes, so that staff spend more time sitting and talking with the children and sharing experiences together, such as peeling and chopping fruit

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

 strengthen the arrangements for key persons to further support all parents in contributing to initial assessments of children's starting points on entry to the setting.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is effective and consequently, children to make good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff consistently observe and assess children's development, and complete an accurate progress check for children between the ages of two and three. They plan activities and consider how enhancements can be made to play areas, to further support children's next steps in their learning. Staff organise the environment well, so that children benefit from a continuous provision of resources that support all areas of their learning. They have improved children's self-initiated learning. For instance, by placing photographs of resources on the cupboard door, so that children can see and choose additional equipment to play with. This has been particularly useful for older children attending the out-of-school club.

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who attend

Children are busy and engaged in the activities on offer. For instance, they enjoy making Christmas decorations and exploring sensory materials, such as sand, play dough and pine cones. They have free access to computers, which supports their understanding of technology. Staff organise games, such as number bingo, to develop children's mathematical skills, and they read stories that sustain the attention of the majority of the children. The outdoor area is very well equipped with an interesting range of resources to challenge children's physical skills. For instance, children carefully balance on the beams, throw balls through the hoop, and sing and dance to the sounds they make on the xylophone. These experiences contribute to preparing children to be ready for school.

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who attend

The key person for younger children in the toddler room talks confidently about their needs and how proud she is of their individual achievements. This enthusiasm helps children to gain confidence in their abilities. Some systems are in place to help staff gather basic information about how children like to play and learn at home. However, key persons have not fully explored how they can engage all parents in sharing information about what children know and can do on entry, so that parents are fully involved in contributing to children's initial assessments. Parents confirm that they are kept well informed of children's progress, for instance, through ongoing discussions and parent evenings. Some parents talk about being very pleased with their children's progress, for instance, in counting, singing and developing their confidence.

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

Children arrive eager and motivated to play and explore. They show confidence in the setting because they are well supported by caring staff who meet their needs effectively. The key-person system is in place and emotional attachments are clearly evident between staff and children. For example, children spontaneously give staff hugs and staff tell children that they have missed them. This helps children to feel valued, secure and ready for the move to their next stage of learning. Parents also talk about feeling 'at ease leaving their child because they know they are safe'.

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

Staff have clear expectations regarding children's behaviour and they manage any minor incidents quickly and effectively. They remind children to be kind to each other and use gentle hands as they play. Staff raise children's awareness of safety issues, for instance, when they remind them to sit properly on the chair in case they fall. They support children to take supervised risks during outdoor play, for example, when they encourage them to climb high on the ropes.

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

Children learn to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They see staff consistently cleaning tables and wearing aprons and gloves when they change nappies or serve food. Tissues are readily available and staff encourage children to wipe their own nose. There is much excitement during outdoor play and children squeal with delight, for instance, when they play chase games with staff. Children clean their hands with anti-bacterial gel before eating food. Parents provide a packed lunch for their children and staff offer healthy snacks, such as a selection of fresh fruit. However, occasionally during meal times, staff stand around and supervise the children, rather than sitting down to engage with them at their level. This means that they are missing opportunities to talk with children and share experiences together, such as peeling and chopping the fruit.

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provision

Since the last inspection, the manager has taken effective measures to improve the arrangements for safeguarding children. As a result, the procedures for assessing risks to children's safety are now more robust. For example, children are no longer taken off site as a whole group. Any visits to the adjacent school are carried out in small groups, so that staff can closely supervise the children. Detailed risk assessments are in place for all indoor and outdoor areas. Staff give careful consideration to specific activities, such as the forthcoming nativity play. This will now take place in the secure outdoor play area rather than in the school, in order to eliminate any risks to children's safety. Staff have completed safeguarding training and they are clear about the procedures for reporting concerns about children or adults. All staff complete necessary checks to ensure their suitability to work with children and new staff members receive appropriate induction and

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provision

The manager and deputy are both teachers. They work alongside the team each day, which enables them to observe and monitor the quality of teaching and children's learning. Informal team meetings and annual appraisals take place and staff attend a varied range of training to enhance their skills. The manager assesses the impact of training on the children's care and learning, which contributes to monitoring the effectiveness of the setting. She uses a quality improvement tool, to help evaluate practice and consider areas for further development. Ongoing discussions with staff and parent questionnaires also contribute to the self-evaluation process.

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provision

Staff liaise with parents and other professionals to make sure that children with special educational needs receive the support they need. For example, staff participated in specialist training to support a child with a health condition. They facilitate visits from local authority advisers and follow their guidance on how to manage children's behaviour. Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents express positive comments about the setting and particularly about the staff. They think parent evenings are informative and they say children are 'very happy here'.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 218157 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 962717

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 130 Name of provider Thursfield Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 12/12/2013 Telephone number 07816 532173

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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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