See-Saw Pre-School Playgroup

See-Saw Pre-School Playgroup Moreton Road, Upton, WIRRAL, Merseyside, CH49 6LL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/12/2014 02/12/2009

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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

 Children feel happy and confident as they have caring and secure relationships with staff.  Children have a secure understanding of healthy lifestyles as staff encourage physical activity and talk with them about healthy food choices.  The manager has devised sufficient systems to monitor the educational programmes. As a result, children receive experiences in all areas of learning and their progress is monitored to ensure interventions are secured where necessary.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not always consider children's individual learning styles when planning activities, or allow children time to follow their own ideas and reflect on their learning. As a result, children's progress is not fully supported.  Some staff are not confident in their knowledge of the correct procedures to follow in order to report concerns about children's welfare.  The manager has not devised a targeted training programme in order to address weaker aspects of practice. This means that her arrangements to support staff in developing their knowledge are not fully effective.

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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 conducted joint observations with the manager, observations of activities in the indoor and outdoor area and sampled children's learning records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with children and staff at appropriate times during the inspection and reviewed samples of their qualifications including paediatric first-aid.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed a sample of the setting's policies and procedures and met with the manager to discuss the self-evaluation form.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

See-Saw Pre-School Playgroup opened in 1983, and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is managed by a voluntary committee. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a designated room in St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in the Upton area of Wirral. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications, including one with Early Years Professional status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time. Sessions are from 8.45am until 3.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 42 children attending who 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 who speak English as an additional language and children

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Information about the setting

with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 develop the educational programmes further to ensure that all children consistently receive learning experiences which take into account their individual learning styles so that children engage with and are appropriately challenged by the activities provided

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must:

 improve the arrangements for staff training to ensure their continuous professional development, with particular regard to consolidating their knowledge of safeguarding procedures.

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

 provide more time and opportunities for children to reflect on their learning and extend their own ideas in order to support their critical thinking skills more effectively.

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who attend

Staff's knowledge and understanding of how children learn is sufficient. However, the quality of teaching is variable as staff do not always consider children's individual learning styles when they plan activities to engage them in learning which is meaningful and appropriate. For example, some staff skilfully re-shape tasks for children using effective questions. As children try to wrap cardboard boxes in paper, staff use appropriate mathematical language to encourage children to think about how much paper they might need to do this. However, not all staff allow children enough time to think about or respond to questions. This means that children do not always have sufficient opportunities to reflect on their learning and therefore their critical thinking skills are not fully supported. Staff also sometimes disrupt children's free play to engage them in planned activities. Staff direct and control children's play on occasions, which means that children

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who attend

are not always receiving appropriate levels of challenge and they sometimes become bored of the activities provided. Consequently, children are not always motivated and keen to learn.

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who attend

Staff plan a varied curriculum for children which means that they have opportunities to develop their skills in all seven areas of learning. Staff enhance children's understanding of the world by growing vegetables in the garden and by taking them on purposeful walks in the local area. For example, children walk to the local post office to purchase stamps to send their letters to Father Christmas. Children develop their physical skills using ride on toys or trampolines and have fun splashing in puddles in the outdoor area. They are animated as they pretend to cut and style their hair in the role-play area and sing familiar songs with enthusiasm. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children accessing free early education are generally well supported in their learning. This is because the manager has developed secure links with external agencies which means that most staff are aware of the strategies intended to support individual children. Staff

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who attend

also provide appropriate support for children who speak English as an additional language. Children learn Spanish from one member of staff, and enjoy greeting her and singing in Spanish. Staff are playful in their interactions with children during free play and children generally engage with the range of resources and experiences provided. This means that children are developing the basic skills they require to prepare them for their next stage of learning or a move to school.

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who attend

Staff record observations of children's play on a regular basis. They document each child's next steps in learning and all staff meet on a weekly basis to plan activities. However, staff do not always consider how they can change or adapt activities in order to make them appropriate for children's differing stages of development. Staff conduct initial assessments of children's skills by using the information shared by their parents and their own observations. They have appropriate arrangements in place to conduct the progress check for children aged between two and three years. Parents are kept informed of children's learning as they have regular opportunities to look at and contribute to their children's learning records. Staff monitor and track children's development using termly assessment summaries. They use their assessments and tracking of children's progress to identify if there are any areas where development is less than expected. This means that

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who attend

staff can secure interventions for children where appropriate. Consequently, children are supported by a consistent approach to their learning between the pre-school and their home.

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

Children are offered free-flow play between the indoor and outdoor area which motivates them and supports their independence. Children can freely access most resources which are stored at their level and enjoy looking at the interesting displays around the room. Staff have devised daily care routines which promote children's independence well. For example, children choose when they would like to sit down for their snack. Children demonstrate these routines are well embedded as they wait patiently while other children give out their plates and fill up jugs of water and milk. Staff remind children to clean their hands to enhance their understanding of being healthy, and talk to them about what they are eating during the social snack and lunchtimes. Children say they have 'big muscles' because they eat all of their dinner. Staff have adapted the snack menu as a result of a health promotion award. They also invite external providers to run physical exercise

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

sessions for the children to promote their good health. Staff offer children appropriate opportunities to develop their independence in toileting and hygiene routines as far as possible. This means that children's independence and understanding of being healthy is generally well supported. Children learn about keeping themselves safe and how to take safe risks, as staff supervise them appropriately and provide clear messages to remind children of their safety. For example, staff remind children to be careful when coming out from under the tables as they may bump their heads.

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

Staff praise children's achievements which supports their self-confidence and self-esteem. They use appropriate strategies to support children's understanding of good behaviour, for example, by asking them relevant questions about how they are feeling and redirecting their attention where appropriate. Staff are good role models for children as they support them with tasks, such as tidying up, to enhance children's understanding of their expectations. Children feel happy and confident as they have caring and secure relationships with staff. Staff ask parents to provide relevant information about children's routines, likes and dislikes when they first begin attending the pre-school in order to get to know them well. Children's emotional well-being is well supported by the procedures for settling-in and they are confident as they enter the welcoming pre-school setting. Staff build secure relationships with parents to share relevant information through the key-

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

person system, which is securely embedded. Where children attend other settings, staff use communication books in order to record meaningful information about children's care to ensure that they can meet their individual needs. Staff have secure relationships with the host school which enables children to become familiar with the environment and teachers. As a result, children receive appropriate support to emotionally prepare them for their next stage of learning and a move to school.

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provision

Some staff are not confident in their knowledge of the correct procedures to follow in order to report concerns about children's welfare. Although, they have received appropriate training and have a sound knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse. However, the manager has undertaken appropriate safeguarding training as the designated person and demonstrates a secure knowledge of safeguarding as she has implemented an appropriate safeguarding policy and additional measures to keep children safe. For example, staff are aware of the policies and procedures which control the use of mobile phones, cameras, recording devices and social media in order to safeguard children. Staff also risk assess the indoor and outdoor environment on a daily basis to identify and minimise hazards. The manager has ensured that all staff have a current paediatric first-aid qualification to enable them to respond effectively in an emergency.

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provision

She deploys staff effectively and the amount of staff present exceed the statutory ratio requirements to ensure that children are appropriately supervised. This means that children are kept safe from harm.

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provision

The manager has not devised a targeted training programme in order to address weaker aspects of practice. Although, her arrangements for the supervision of staff are sufficient as she has identified some relevant areas which require improvement. However, she generally does not use her observations of staff practice to implement targeted strategies to help them develop their knowledge and skills. Although the manager ensures that all staff have received statutory training, for example paediatric first-aid, the arrangements do not effectively address weaker areas of practice. This means that staff's continued professional development is not always well supported. The manager has completed a self-evaluation form, which has identified some general areas for improvement. She has taken into account the views of parents and children through regular consultations. For example, the manager secured a grant to improve the outdoor provision following the last

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provision

inspection. She arranged surveys, questionnaires and observations of parents and children in order to plan the outdoor provision to effectively meet their needs. This demonstrates the committee's aspiration and commitment to improve the pre-school further.

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provision

The manager has devised sufficient systems to monitor the educational programmes. She meets with the staff team regularly and all staff discuss and complete planning together. Due to the level of involvement the manager has in this process, she is able to ensure that children receive experiences in all areas of learning. The manager has also devised appropriate systems to monitor children's progress. Staff have a secure understanding of this which enables them to identify areas of children's development which may be less than expected and secure interventions where necessary. The manager has developed appropriate partnership working with parents and other professionals to promote a consistent approach to children's learning. Parents express their satisfaction that their children are comfortable and happy at the pre-school.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

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

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that the registered person trains all staff on the written statement of procedures to be followed to safeguard children from abuse or neglect (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).

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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 306483 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 864858

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 42 Name of provider See-Saw Pre-School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 02/12/2009 Telephone number 0151 677 7900

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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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