Holmes Chapel Community Preschool

Holmes Chapel Community Pre- School Holmes Chapel Primary School, Middlewich Road, Holmes Chapel, Crewe, Cheshire, CW4 7EB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/01/2015 04/03/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The provider has not notified Ofsted of a change of nominated person and of new individuals on the committee. This means Ofsted has not been able to assess the suitability of these people for the roles, which places children at risk. This failure to notify is a breach of requirements.  Records are not available to verify that Disclosure and Barring Service checks have been undertaken for all committee members. This means that children's safety and well-being cannot be assured.  The safeguarding procedure does not include clear guidance on the safe use of cameras at the pre-school. This does not fully protect children from inappropriate use.  The managers do not always sufficiently focus supervision sessions on developing teaching practice to continually develop the quality of children's learning experiences.

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It has the following strengths

 Practitioners liaise effectively with parents and professionals to meet the needs of children with special educational needs, so that they are well supported in their learning and development.  Children are happy, settled and ready to learn. This is because there is a key-person system in place to ensure children's emotional needs are met.

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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 observed activities in the classroom and the outside play area.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with one of the managers.  The inspector held meetings with the managers.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked for evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and her improvement plan.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Holmes Chapel Community Pre-School is run by a voluntary parent committee. It was registered in 1985 and is on the Early Years Register. It operates from one large room within a self-contained mobile building, in the grounds of Holmes Chapel Primary School, in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire. The pre-school opens each weekday, from 9am to 3pm, term time only. The setting receives funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are nine members of staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualification at level 3, including one with Qualified Teacher Status.

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must:

 develop understanding of the requirement to notify Ofsted of changes to the committee, to ensure that the correct procedures are followed to enable Ofsted to carry out checks on all individuals connected with the pre-school

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must:

 ensure all committee members undertake Disclosure and Barring Service checks to demonstrate their suitability for their roles and keep records to demonstrate that these checks have been completed

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must:

 improve the safeguarding policy and procedure to include clear guidance for staff on how cameras are used at pre-school, to ensure the safety of children.

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

 sharpen the focus on teaching in supervision sessions, in order to share practitioner's knowledge and good practice, so that children's achievement rises to the highest level.

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who attend

Teaching is good. Practitioners provide children with varied, interesting activities and resources. All areas of learning are promoted. Children are given the opportunity to explore outdoors, where they learn and play in a mud kitchen, and investigate sand or soil with different tools and equipment. All resources are accessible to children and they are encouraged to make their own decisions in their learning, by selecting activities of their choice, either indoors or outdoors. This builds children's self-esteem and confidence. Practitioners plan first-hand experiences for children. For example, children learn about exotic fruits, such as coconuts. They introduce new vocabulary as they describe the fruit, ask open questions to help children develop their thinking skills and solve problems together with them when the coconut proves difficult to open. This teaches children to persevere with tasks. Children develop mathematical skills and language as practitioners

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who attend

supports them to learn how to count in fun ways, using their bodies and singing rhymes, such as 'this little piggy'. As a result, children are engaged, motivated to learn and show concentration in tasks and play.

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who attend

Practitioners gain knowledge from parents about their children when they start at pre- school. They use this knowledge, and their own observations and assessments of children, to plan activities and experiences that support children to meet their next steps in their learning and development. Children who have special educational needs are also supported. Starting points are identified as practitioners liaise effectively with parents and other professionals. Practitioners then agree targeted plans and activities with parents and professionals to focus on specific areas of learning and development. Consequently, children with special educational needs benefit from a consistent approach and make good progress in their learning given their starting points. Children who are identified as gifted are provided with daily tasks to challenge them. For example, children are provided with tape and supported by practitioners to measure the room by placing the tape on the floor.

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who attend

The children count how many feet it measured and record this on paper. Children learn how to estimate length and record results. They are secure, confident and enjoy their play and learning. Consequently, they are keen to seek out new experiences and learn. This prepares them well for their transition to school.

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who attend

Progress checks for children aged between two and three years are completed successfully and shared with parents. Parents are supported to help their children learn at home. The pre-school provides 'borrow bags' with resources and parents can borrow books from the library to share at home. Practitioners share information with parents daily regarding children's experiences of the day. Additionally, parents are invited to look at their children progress each term, in more depth, by exploring their learning journeys. Parents report that they find this informative useful and that they feel involved in their child's nursery experience.

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

Disclosure and Barring Service checks are carried out for practitioners but are not in place for all committee members. As a result, children's safety and well-being cannot be assured. Practitioners' knowledge and understanding of child protection is generally sound. They have attended recent training for safeguarding. However, the pre-school has not implemented a robust procedure to protect children from the use of cameras. Therefore, their safety is undermined. Practitioners undertake first-aid training to ensure they can respond to a medical emergency appropriately. Steps are taken daily to ensure that the play areas are safe for children by conducting a daily check and the gates are bolted closed.

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

Children are happy, confident and settled at preschool. There is a key-person system in place and children readily approach their key person when they need comfort. Practitioners respond to meet children's needs. For example, a child takes a little time to settle in after a holiday, and the practitioner provides cuddles and stays close until this child is ready to play. Consequently, children's emotional needs are met. Children's behaviour is appropriate at pre-school. Practitioners help children to resolve disputes by introducing strategies to help them play fairly. For example, practitioners show children how to use a sand timer to take turns with popular equipment.

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

Practitioners support children to become healthy and independent, by encouraging them to select their own fruit and pour drinks at snack time. Children begin to learn about healthy and unhealthy food, as they are encouraged to eat the savoury foods in their pack lunch before sweet treats. Children learn further about healthy foods during adult-led activities. For example, children make their own smoothies using fresh fruit and yoghurt. Children get lots of opportunities to play in the fresh air during the pre-school day.

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provision

The provider has not met all the legal requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Ofsted has not been notified of changes to the nominated person and of changes to the individuals who form the committee. Additionally, Disclosure and Barring Service checks have not been completed for new committee members. This is also a breach of the Childcare Register. The pre-school also does not have a clear procedure in place to ensure that the use of cameras does not put children at risk of harm. As a result, children's safety and well-being cannot be assured. The managers ensure that the pre-school gains important information regarding children's medical, dietary or allergy requirements. She puts procedures in place and training as necessary, to care for children effectively and support their well-being.

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provision

The managers understand their responsibilities to meet the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is a system in place to monitor children's progress and to identify if there are any variations in groups of children. This information enables managers to identify who may need extra support in their learning and, thus, closes the gap for the most vulnerable children. Additionally, it will identify those children who need more challenge. Where necessary, the managers engage with other professionals to gain support to meet children's individual needs. There is a self- evaluation procedure to improve the quality of the pre-school. This involves practitioners, parents and children. The managers have identified areas of strength and weakness. For example, practitioners recently attended training courses to improve their practice for two- year-old children. Activities and learning experiences have recently improved as the result

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provision

The managers hold regular meetings with practitioners, including supervision sessions and annual appraisals. However, there is scope to improve the supervision sessions to enhance the quality of teaching further, in order to raise children's attainment to the highest level. The managers recognise the importance of partnerships with parents and have established some strategies to keep parents informed of their children's progress. Parents are invited in each term to look at their children's learning journeys. They are encouraged to provide information about their children and their achievements. Daily conversations ensure changing care needs are also shared and understood. Consequently, parents feel involved with their children's learning and report that they are happy with the service they receive.

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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 305107 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 867571

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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 28 Name of provider Holmes Chapel Community Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 04/03/2010 Telephone number 07773489720

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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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