Whittington Under Fives

Whittington Under Fives Station Road, Whittington, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 4DA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 January 2015 4 March 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Staff provide imaginative and challenging activities that are well planned, which supports children to make good progress in their learning.  Children are developing good technology skills. They are able to independently use the computer and operate simple computer programs, which they demonstrate to staff.  The pre-school works well with a range of partners to improve outcomes for children. They seek advice from a speech and language therapist in order to adapt their teaching for children who speak English as an additional language.  Children are independent and are learning how to manage their own needs. Staff remind them to wipe their nose, and children go to the toilet by themselves.  Children are well behaved and are able to follow the pre-school rules. Children work together to tidy up, in order to keep the environment safe.  Staff prepare children extremely well for school. Children visit the host school on a

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This provision is good

fortnightly basis, and become familiar with school staff through shared outdoor play opportunities.  Staff are very knowledgeable and highly skilled. They attend regular safeguarding training. This means they are able to protect children from possible abuse or neglect.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always maintain the concentration and interest of all children during large group times.  Leaders have not yet identified strategies to seek detailed information, from all parents, about their child's prior achievements and learning, in order to give an in-depth view of children's starting points.

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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

 enhance children's learning and engagement at large group times through limiting the number of children in each group, to allow all children to contribute  strengthen the identification of children's starting points across all seven areas of learning, through seeking more information from parents about children's prior achievements.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main room and in the outdoor area.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection, and held a meeting with the leaders of the pre-school.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with one of the leaders.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at a sample of children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff and committee members working and managing the provision, and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures to safeguard children's welfare.

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who attend. This is good

Staff provide a wide range of activities and experiences that are well matched to children's interests and next steps in learning. As a result, all children make good progress across the seven areas of learning. However, large group times do not fully enhance all children's learning. Too many children are in each group, which means they do not all get to take part. As a result, they sometimes lose interest. Parents are well informed of children's progress and comment that they are kept up to date on their child's achievements. This means they are able to extend their child's learning at home. However, staff do not seek detailed information about what all children have achieved at home, prior to them starting at the setting. Therefore, starting points do not fully reflect children's prior achievements. Staff support children's mathematical development well. For example, children are able to recognise the number of spots on the dice. Staff extend this learning as they ask them to

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who attend. This is good

match the number to the printed numeral, then find the same number of bean bags. As a result, children develop good mathematical skills.

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good

Staff have created a welcoming and stimulating environment. Children have warm and caring relationships with their key person. For example, a child becomes frustrated when he is unable to link two trains together; he asks his key person for help and then gives a cuddle to say thank you for helping. Children develop a good range of physical skills through using their imagination. They dance and move their bodies to their favourite songs as they make up dances. Children go outside on a daily basis; staff remind them why it is important to get fresh air even when it is cold. Mealtimes are social times, which also encourage children to be healthy. Children serve themselves healthy snacks as they talk with others about going on holiday. Children learn about the wider world through celebrating different festivals. For example, staff support children's understanding of Chinese New Year through food tasting.

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provision is good

Leaders all have a secure knowledge of how to promote children's learning and development, and keep children safe. They implement robust recruitment and vetting procedures. This means all those who work at the pre-school are suitable. Staff meet with leaders on a regular basis to review their practice, which contributes to the ongoing improvement of teaching and care. Staff complete regular training linked to areas for improvement. As a result, all staff are skilled in meeting the needs of the children who attend. Leaders are able to effectively evaluate the quality of the pre-school. They use the views of others to identify strengths and weaknesses; this means the pre-school has made good progress since the last inspection. Monitoring systems are effective in identifying how well children are progressing in their learning, and what each member of staff needs to do to improve learning for their key group. There are effective partnerships with the

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provision is good

local community, as the staff support the delivery of the on-site children's centre group.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 224222 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 864318

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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 Whittington Under Fives Committee Date of previous inspection 4 March 2011 Telephone number 01691670127

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Type of provision

Whittington Under Fives was registered in 1993. The pre-school employs nine members of childcare staff, eight of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children.

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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