Willaston Pre-school

Willaston Pre-School St. Johns Methodist Chapel, Wybunbury Road, Willaston, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 7JF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/01/2015 15/11/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding as staff expertly support and extend children's learning at every opportunity. They encourage them to develop critical thinking skills and to become active learners. Consequently, children make excellent progress in all areas of their learning and development.  Children are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage of learning in school. This is because staff enable them to become competent in their self-help skills, develop their skills in literacy and mathematics, and teach them about social behaviour in group situations.  The friendly and community based ethos of the pre-school ensures that children quickly settle and develop excellent relationships with staff and each other. Therefore, their personal, social and emotional needs are extremely well met.  Excellent safeguarding policies and procedures are well known and implemented by staff, who place the utmost importance on ensuring children are extremely safe and

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This provision is outstanding

secure at all times.  Leadership is inspirational. Meticulous self-evaluation and reflective practice ensures that staff, parents and children are all highly involved in the setting's continual improvement, in pursuit of excellence.  Partnerships with parents, other settings and professionals are superb. This ensures that children's needs are quickly identified and that they receive targeted support appropriate to their individual requirements.

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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 and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision, the chair of the committee and spoke with staff and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in the pre-school's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Willaston Pre-school was registered in 1985 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in St. John's Methodist Church Hall in the Willaston area of Nantwich, Cheshire, and is managed by a voluntary committee. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from two rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including the manager who holds a degree at level 6 and Early Years Professional Status. The pre-school is open on Mondays, from 9am until 12pm, and Tuesday to Fridays, from 9am until 3pm, during term time only. In addition, there is an 'early fliers' session available from 8.30am if required. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 26 children attending who are in the early years age group.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance children's excellent literacy skills further still, for example, by enabling them to freely access individual name cards, to aid their independence in writing their own names on their drawings and artwork.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is outstanding because staff have an excellent knowledge of the learning and development requirements. The staff team are highly skilled and experienced, which is reflected in the very high expectations they have of themselves and the children. For example, at mealtimes, children have individual place mats which have their name and address on them. The children readily identify their names, and when staff ask where they live, the majority of children, even the youngest in the group, are able to accurately share this. This supports children's literacy skills excellently, alongside a range of additional opportunities to recognise their names. For example, during daily self- registration and at snack times, where children identify their names, placing them in the pot to acknowledge that they have had their snack. During adult-led activities, children are encouraged to write their names on their pictures. Staff excellently support those who are

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who attend

not yet ready to form letters, asking them to draw lines and circles, therefore developing future writing skills. This also demonstrates that staff have a superb understanding of how children learn and how to support children of all ages and abilities to achieve the best they possibly can in their learning and development. Children are enthusiastic in developing these skills and, during child chosen activities, spontaneously attempt to write their names independently. However, their excellent literacy skills could be enhanced further still, through enabling them to access individual name cards, to aid their independence in writing their own names on their drawings and artwork. That withstanding, children are highly motivated and engaged. They thoroughly enjoy their time in the pre-school, exploring the wide variety of high quality resources and activities provided by the staff, both indoors and outdoors. Consequently, children make excellent progress in their

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who attend

learning and are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage of learning in school.

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who attend

Staff gather information about each child's interests and skills from their parents when they first start attending. From this information and their own observations of the children during play, they ensure that excellent activities and learning opportunities are made available, based on the children's individual interests and identified next steps in learning. Staff undertake regular observations and precise assessments of the children, and use this information to plan for the individual next steps in their learning. Children's individual learning targets are also excellently supported through focussed group times with their key person. For example, a group activity where children glue shapes representing wheels and windows onto a car template, to support their knowledge of shapes. Children demonstrate excellent understanding as staff provide a wide variety of learning experiences to consolidate their learning. Staff also extend activities, such as these,

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who attend

through encouraging the children to draw someone in their car. This promotes a discussion about who the person is, what type of vehicle it is, such as a racing car or fire engine, and where it could be going. Opportunities, such as these, enable children to develop their thinking skills and imagination superbly. Staff complete a highly comprehensive progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, fully involving parents. As assessments are thorough and ongoing, any identified gaps in learning or delay in children's development are, therefore, identified and addressed, through early intervention and support from the staff and other agencies, to progress children's learning. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive outstanding levels of support from the highly experienced staff at the pre-school.

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who attend

Staff have an excellent ability to engage and enthusiastically interact with children, which results in them being highly motivated and eager to learn. Children demonstrate excellent communication skills as staff ask them appropriately challenging questions to develop their language and thinking skills. For example, following a favourite story, staff ask the children which character made a particular noise and more challenging questions, such as which room the clock was in. The children enthusiastically answer, beaming with delight when they receive praise for their efforts and achievements. This builds upon their confidence, and they successfully develop a 'can do' attitude. Staff engage parents, carers and others in children's learning and development, providing regular opportunities to discuss children's progress and next steps in learning. Parents are encouraged to provide regular information about their children's changing interests and abilities at home through

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who attend

home communication books. This information is used to provide a complete picture of children's overall development. Home learning is supported through sharing activity ideas and a library book system. Parents express high levels of satisfaction with the pre-school and how well their children are progressing as a result of attending. These positive partnerships and relationships ensure that there is effective information sharing and consistency for the child, and that those in need of additional support receive this to ensure that their needs are fully met. This joint approach supports the children extremely well to make very rapid and exceptional progress in their learning towards the early learning goals.

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

Staff create a very caring and welcoming environment for children in the pre-school, placing a high level of importance upon children being happy and emotionally secure. Children quickly and happily settle into the pre-school, through carefully planned settling- in sessions, where staff take time to get to know each child and their unique needs. All children have their own key person who takes great care to ensure they forge close working relationships and excellent communication with parents. Parents share information with staff about their child's care needs, interests and achievements on entry to the pre-school. This ensures that key persons have an extremely good understanding of each child's unique needs and routines. It also enables children to form exceptionally close bonds with them, which supports their emotional well-being exceedingly well. Consequently, children are exceptionally happy in their care, resulting in them being

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

extremely confident, independent and self-assured individuals. Parents comment that they have excellent relationships with all staff. They feel reassured that the staff are experienced and know their children remarkably well, enhancing their sense of trust and security in the quality of their child's care. As a result, children have strong and secure emotional attachments with the staff. This enables them to enjoy their time in the pre- school and make excellent progress in all areas of their development and learning, in a safe environment.

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

Staff create a very inspiring and enabling learning environment for children of all ages. High-quality toys and equipment are in good order and easy to find. The learning environment enables children of all ages to independently select resources of their choice, supporting them to extend their play and their developing imagination. For example, in the outdoor area, children confidently help themselves to an excellent range of resources from the storage sheds. They select large paint brushes and buckets, which they fill with water from the tap on the rain water butt, using this to 'paint' on the floor. The independence and self-sufficiency, which they demonstrate is exceptional, developing positive attitudes and providing them with valuable skills for the future. Children develop excellent independence and self-help skills, enhancing their progress in personal, social and emotional development. For example, children serve their own snacks, pour their own

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

drinks and clear away their cups and bowls afterwards. At mealtimes, children have packed lunches from home, which they open and unwrap independently. Staff sit with the children, discussing the foods that they have, reinforcing that the healthier foods, such as sandwiches and fruit, are eaten before anything sweet. Children thoroughly enjoy the social aspect of snack and mealtimes, talking to staff and their friends about their families and home activities. This supports the children very well to develop their confidence in social situations. Staff encourage the children to use good manners and give gentle reminders where children forget. As a result, the children are very sociable and polite.

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

Before outdoor play, children put on their own coats and when returning inside, remove and put them away on their coat pegs. Children enjoy fresh air and exercise and develop physical skills and confidence as they play on equipment, such as balancing beams and wheeled toys outdoors. The outdoor area provides children with a variety of opportunities to develop physical skills, be creative in the mud kitchen and to grow vegetables and flowers to develop their understanding of the world. Children are supervised closely by staff at all times but staff also encourage them to use resources, such as scissors, appropriately and to self-assess potential risks, such as how to move resources from one place to another outdoors. These opportunities enable children to take safe risks under adult supervision and support children in understanding how to keep themselves safe. Positive behaviour is highly evident and children happily play together in this calm and

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

caring environment. This is because the staff promote consistent behaviour expectations during group activities, such as good sitting, looking and listening. When music is played, this signals to the children that it is time to tidy away the toys and they do this enthusiastically. Staff ensure that children are emotionally well prepared when it is time for them to move onto school. Teachers from the schools that children move onto are invited to visit the pre-school, to meet the children. This enables the staff to share information about each child's skills and interests, to support continuity of learning.

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provision

The pre-school is managed by an experienced and inspirational leader who continuously strives for excellence, motivated by a desire to provide each individual child with the best possible outcomes from their time in the pre-school. This strong, effective leadership enables all of the staff to feel empowered and inspired, resulting in staff being highly professional and dedicated to their role in meeting the children's learning and development needs. Robust recruitment and suitability processes are in place, to ensure that all staff are safe to work with young children. On appointment, staff participate in a highly effective induction process, which ensures that they are confident in their roles and have a thorough understanding of the policies and procedures that underpin the exceptional practice in the setting. Safety and security procedures are in place and followed by all staff meticulously, in order to safeguard the children from harm. For

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provision

example, the entrance into the building is secure and visitor's identification is checked before signing into the premises. Staff have a thorough understanding of their role and responsibility in safeguarding and promoting children's welfare. Staff receive refresher training and policies are frequently updated, so staff members are fully familiar with the child protection procedures in the local area and have confidence to follow these. Daily risk assessments of the indoor and outdoor environments are undertaken and any minor accidents which occur are recorded. All staff are first-aid trained, enabling them to meet any minor accidents or medical needs. All of these measures in place ensure that children's safety and well-being is extremely well promoted at all times.

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provision

The management and staff have a superb understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The outstanding quality of teaching by all staff results in children being animated, highly motivated and enthusiastic learners. Consequently, all children make excellent progress in their learning and development given their starting points. The quality of teaching is monitored by the manager through regular observations of staff practice. Feedback is provided to the staff on this and all other areas of their performance, through regular individual supervision sessions and annual appraisals, to discuss their professional roles and future development. The manager uses a detailed tracking system to monitor all children's progress each term. This helps to identify any children who may need additional support with their learning. In addition, it also supports the staff team in identifying areas of learning that require

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provision

additional planning or provision. The manager holds Early Years Professional Status, which demonstrates her ability to provide high quality care and education for the children in the pre-school. In addition, the majority of staff hold appropriate childcare qualifications. Staff continue their professional development by attending training opportunities and sharing what they have learnt with other staff during staff meetings. This motivates and inspires the staff and enhances the already excellent practice in place.

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provision

Comprehensive self-evaluation systems are in place, demonstrating that staff constantly strive to develop the provision and make positive improvements. Regular staff meetings within the pre-school, provide opportunities to reflect together on practice and to share their views and ideas. Improvements are identified as a result of this continual reflection on practice, putting the needs of the children at the heart of everything that they do. The pre-school actively seeks and welcomes parents' views on the provision, in order to continually review and improve practice. This is achieved through questionnaires for parents and suggestions made are implemented wherever possible. Parents are also invited to join the pre-school committee and participate in meetings with the staff. Partnerships between staff and parents are outstanding. The information obtained from parents on their child's individual care and learning, and communication between the staff

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provision

and parents, is excellent. Parents highly value the positive relationships they have with the staff and this ensures that they work exceptionally well together to meet the children's needs. Parents' comments are extremely positive and include examples, such as 'they are amazing', 'I cannot speak highly enough' and 'I am very pleased with my child's progress'. An extensive range of information is made readily available to parents through regular newsletters and a website, which keep parents up to date with pre-school news. This ethos of openness and joint working is exceptionally strong, which greatly benefits the children who attend. Partnership working with external agencies and professionals, such as speech and language therapists, the area special needs coordinator and teachers from local schools are excellent. They are very welcome to visit the children at the pre-school and staff follow through with any programmes of support which are identified. This joint

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provision

working is extremely effective in ensuring that children receive the best possible, consistent care and education.

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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 305438 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 867598

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 26 Name of provider Willaston Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 15/11/2011 Telephone number 01270 567431

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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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