Footsteps St. Andrew's Church Playgroup

Footsteps - St. Andrews Church Playgroup St. Andrews C of E School, Graves Street, Radcliffe, Manchester, Lancashire, M26 4GE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 January 2015 11 December 2008

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3

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Requires improvement The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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3

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The planning of large group activities does not take into account the individual needs and interests of all the children. Consequently, the activities do not always support and challenge children to make the best possible progress.  Opportunities for staff supervision do not focus on monitoring the effectiveness of the quality of teaching. This results in occasional inconsistencies in practice, which are not swiftly addressed.  Self-evaluation lacks rigour and is not robust enough to fully monitor the quality of practice, or effectively identify areas for development that will improve learning opportunities for children.  Children are unable to concentrate or make a positive contribution during speaking and listening activities, due to the constant high volume of the CD player.

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It has the following strengths

 Partnerships with parents and other settings are strong. As a result, children's learning at home and with other providers is well supported.  Children develop secure attachments with the caring and friendly staff. As a result, they are confident, develop positive social skills and enjoy their time in the pre-school.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure group activities take into account individual children's needs and interests and provide all children with challenge to help them make the best progress possible in their learning and development  implement appropriate supervision and performance monitoring to identify variations in the quality of teaching and highlight individual training needs, to secure opportunities for continued professional development for staff.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 review the system for self-evaluation and the identification of strengths and weaknesses to identify further areas for development that will enhance learning opportunities for all children  reduce the noise levels in the room to allow children further opportunities to concentrate and communicate with staff and each other during activities, to further support their communication and language development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the pre-school and outdoors.  The inspector conducted a joint observation and held a meeting with the manager.  The inspector spoke to staff and gained the views of parents.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and reviewed the pre-school's self-evaluation and action plans.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Children have free access to a wide range of toys and resources that help them develop independence. Children enjoy projects, such as 'the weather', which help them to develop an understanding of the world. Staff promote their understanding by providing activities for children to explore ice and discuss concepts, such as 'how the sun melts the ice'. Furthermore, staff count as they compare the sizes of pieces of ice to enhance children's mathematical understanding. Staff make regular observations of children's play and use these to plan activities to extend children's learning in readiness for school. However, larger group activities are generic and are not adapted to support all children's individual interests and learning needs. Therefore, children do not make the best possible progress. Staff talk to children during activities asking purposeful questions to promote their communication and language skills. However, the loud volume of the CD player means it is

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who attend. This requires improvement

difficult for children to communicate with staff, resulting in missed opportunities to further extend their speaking skills.

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good

Children benefit from daily outdoor play opportunities. This supports their physical well- being as staff teach children healthy and safe practices. For example, staff remind children about tidying away toys from the floor, so they are not a hazard. Staff praise children, which promotes their self-esteem and self-motivation. For example, they acknowledge their achievements with a 'wow' ticket. Staff provide consistent rules and boundaries. As a result, behaviour is good. Children develop strong bonds with staff due to a strong key- person system. Parents share meaningful information with staff during flexible settling-in sessions, which means that staff are able to support children during the move from home to the pre-school. Consequently, children settle in with ease. Furthermore, when the time comes for children to move on to the larger environment of school, staff offer support by meeting with teachers to share relevant information. This further supports children's

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provision requires improvement

Managers have a reasonable understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and their responsibilities. They use a range of procedures and policies to support children's health, safety and well-being. However, checks on the quality of teaching, planning and assessment are not rigorous enough to support children's progress. Systems for evaluating what works and what needs improvement are shared with staff and parents. However, these do not focus on improving learning opportunities for children. Safeguarding procedures are clear and thoroughly understood by staff. Regular training ensures that staff understand child protection procedures and act appropriately to safeguard children. However, training is not focused sufficiently on improving the teaching skills of the staff. Parents are encouraged to participate in their children's learning and to complete assessments to better support learning at home.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 316846 Local authority Bury Inspection number 868387

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 49 Name of provider Footsteps - St. Andrews Church Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 11 December 2008 Telephone number 07967 714 534

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Type of provision

Footsteps at St Andrews Church Pre-school Playgroup has been registered since 1994. It is run by a voluntary committee, and operates from a pre-fabricated building located in the grounds of St Andrews Primary School in the Radcliffe area of Bury. The group operates from 9am until 3.45pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am until 12.30pm on Fridays. The pre-school employs nine members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3.

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Type of provision

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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Type of provision

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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