Belgrave Pre-School Playgroup

Belgrave Pre-School Playgroup The Community Centre 55-57 Ashes Road, Westminster Park, Chester, Cheshire, CH4 7QS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/12/2014 11/12/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Partnerships with parents and other local agencies ensures that staff have a good knowledge of the children attending the playgroup. This means they are able to meet their needs.  Staff show some skill at engaging and questioning children and they encourage children's confidence through praise. Consequently, the children learn some valuable skills in readiness for school.  Caring staff get to know the children and families well. This helps children form secure emotional attachments and promotes their well-being effectively.

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It is not yet good because

 The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of changes to management committee members as required, which means the required suitability checks have not been carried out to ensure children are safeguarded at all times.  The manager has not made best use of systems for performance management such as embedding the use of peer observations. Therefore, staff do not regularly share and evaluate their practice to consistently provide high quality learning experiences for every child.

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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 talked to children and staff and held discussions with the manager during the inspection.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager of the pre-school.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and at their learning journals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed the planning documentation, evidence of staff suitability, safeguarding policies and procedures and a range of other supporting documentation

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Belgrave Pre-School Playgroup is managed by a committee of parents and is registered on the Early Years Register. It was registered in 1973 and operates from Westminster Park Community Centre which is part of Belgrave Primary School, Chester. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 12pm. On Wednesdays it is also open between 12pm and 3pm. A lunch club is provided on Tuesday and Friday between 12pm and 1pm. The pre-school operates during term times only. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 37 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age range. The pre-school supports children who speak English as an additional language. There are six members of staff who work directly with the children. Of these, one holds Qualified Teacher Status, two members of staff hold a qualification at level 3 and two hold a qualification at level 2. The pre-school provides funded early education for

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Information about the setting

two-, three- and four-year-old children and receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 develop the management committee's knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities, to ensure statutory requirements are adhered to, including informing Ofsted of significant changes.

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

 enhance staff performance further, for example, by using peer observations to develop their individual skills and encourage them to evaluate the impact of their practice on children's learning.

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who attend

Staff have an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and understand how young children learn. There are effective systems in place to observe and assess children's development. Staff track children's progress towards the early learning goals and plan activities to help them make progress, by identifying their next steps in learning. However, staff's teaching skills are variable. Sometimes they are not effective in engaging all children in activities. For example, younger children sometimes become a little disinterested as not all staff are skilled in interacting with them, to help them maintain their concentration. Consequently, children are not yet making good progress in their learning. The progress check for children aged between the ages of two and three years is completed and shared with parents. Staff implement plans for individual children, such as those who speak English as an additional language. This ensures their

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who attend

Children's communication and language skills are promoted and they are learning to listen and follow simple rules. This is because staff give straight forward instructions. Children are occupied and demonstrate that they enjoy their time at the nursery. They have opportunities to participate in a range of activities across the seven areas of learning. For example, all children listen to stories and enjoy singing their favourite songs and rhymes. Older children learn to listen to instructions and work cooperatively together, looking after the younger children who attend. Children enjoy role play activities, such as, when they wrap Christmas presents. They laugh and giggle and enthusiastically use scissors to cut paper and wrap boxes. When outdoors, children energetically and competently manoeuvre the wheeled toys around the playground and develop their skills further, weaving in and out of adults. Children's communication and language skills are suitably promoted,

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who attend

because staff initiate conversations during daily routines and small group discussions. Additionally, older children are encouraged to describe what they are building with the construction resources. The concept of maths is introduced as they say how high or tall their towers are and as they describe and talk about colour, shape and number. Children have opportunities to be creative and imaginative and to explore using their senses. They immerse their hands in a snowy 'winter wonderland' scene, which contains reindeers and sleighs, and talk to staff about what they are doing.

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who attend

Staff encourage parents to share what they know about their children's starting points on entry. This information is then used to aid children as they settle in and contributes to the initial assessment process. Parents receive appropriate updates on their children's progress, including a regular written summary, and talk to their child's key person daily. In addition, parents are encouraged to share information about their child's ongoing learning at home, such as, sharing children's new interests and achievements.

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

The key-person system is effective and staff are sensitive to the needs of all children. As a result, secure attachments are formed, which promote a sound level of well-being. Children demonstrate confidence and self-esteem. Children show that they feel safe as they move freely around the pre-school, cooperate with peers and are keen to share their activities with staff. However, their sense of safety is not fully supported, as the management committee have failed to notify Ofsted of changes to its members. This means that suitability checks for all individuals who hold responsibility for the pre-school have not been completed.

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

Children's behaviour is generally good and their sense of belonging is demonstrated by their increasing familiarity with routines. Children help to tidy away, which shows they are displaying a good awareness of responsibility within the pre-school. Staff encourage children to explore their environment, so that their early investigative skills and curiosity are promoted. Children begin to develop good self-help skills, such as, washing their hands after messy play and before eating snack. They have healthy choices at mealtimes, as they enjoy fresh fruit and with milk or water. They energetically join in with physical exercise when playing outside. This provides children with firm foundations for developing a healthy lifestyle. The well-resourced environment and knowledgeable staff supports children's development effectively and contributes to their growing independence skills. This is especially important as children become older and prepare to move into school.

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provision

The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of changes to the management committee members. This means Ofsted has not been able to carry out the required suitability checks on committee members and represents a breach in the requirements of the Early Years Register. However, this does not have a significant impact on children's safety and well- being. This is because the committee members do not have unsupervised contact with children during the pre-school sessions.

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provision

There are appropriate recruitment procedures in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. The manager carries out induction procedures, so that new staff are clear of their role and responsibilities. Staff implement safeguarding procedures so that unchecked adults, volunteers, visitors or other helpers are not left alone with children at any time. All staff have completed safeguarding training and have a sound understanding of child protection procedures, including the possible signs that a child may be at risk of harm. Staff know and understand the importance of recording and reporting concerns. Staff also have a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements. The manager is passionate about the pre-school and has a clear drive for the continuous development of the provision. The pre-school carefully monitor the educational programmes to ensure they cover all areas of learning in both the indoor and outdoor

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provision

learning environment. They use effective monitoring systems to track the progress of individual children and groups of children. As a result, any gaps in children's learning can be effectively targeted by staff.

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provision

There are suitable systems in place to support staff in their professional development. Recent and future training plans help staff to build their skills in working with young children. However, these are not yet fully effective to ensure that the quality of teaching is always good. Some staff are more skilled than others in ensuring that children are engaged in activities. Therefore, there is room to enhance staff performance by encouraging staff to reflect on their own and other staff members teaching techniques, for example, through the use of peer observation.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents, carers and others involved in children's care help staff to meet the individual needs of children well. For example, staff liaise with other professionals, so that children receive any additional support they need. Parents and carers comment positively about the knowledgeable, caring staff, and appreciate the advice they receive to continue their children's learning at home. Parents and carers state that their children are happy and enjoy attending the pre-school. Parents and carers receive detailed information about the pre-school through the notice boards, newsletters and verbal exchanges on a regular basis. Staff establish links with the host school and other schools that children will attend, liaising with teachers to help prepare children to get ready for their move on 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 304974 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 864800

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 37 Name of provider Belgrave Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 11/12/2009 Telephone number 01244 671243 01244676898

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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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