The Oval Pre-School

The Oval Pre-School Wallasey Cricket Club, The Oval, WALLASEY, Merseyside, CH45 6UX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 February 2015 3 July 2012

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3

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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 Requires improvement 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:

 Staff do not always provide activities which take into account children's individual needs and learning styles, or make effective use of the outdoor area. Consequently, some children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are not always effectively challenged or motivated in their learning.  Staff do not always use effective or appropriate strategies to manage children's behaviour. As a result, not all children are supported to develop an understanding of the boundaries of the pre-school.  The provider's arrangements for supervising staff and organising training are not sufficiently focused on improving the quality of teaching to enhance the existing knowledge and skills of staff.  Parents are not asked to contribute to children's initial assessments. Consequently, staff do not always obtain a balanced view of children's existing skills when they begin attending the setting.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff have an appropriate focus on helping most children develop the skills required to prepare them for school, for example, by using music and songs to help them learn about phonics.  Children are happy attending the pre-school. They enter confidently and enthusiastically greet their friends and the staff team.  Children's good health is well supported, following the pre-school's recent health promotion award. Children independently follow suitable hygiene routines and enjoy regular physical exercise and healthy snacks.  Management have implemented systems for self-evaluation which consider the views of parents and have identified some accurate priorities for improvement.

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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 the needs of individual children are met through appropriate and effective behaviour management strategies and by providing meaningful and challenging learning experiences based on their individual interests  develop the arrangements to monitor staff and the effectiveness of their practice, and promote continuous improvement through support, coaching and training to enhance staff's existing knowledge and skills.

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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

 make more effective use of the outdoor area by providing a variety of resources and activities to engage children in meaningful play  develop the assessment arrangements further by including the views of parents in initial assessments of children's skills to gain a balanced view of what they already know and can do.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with managers to discuss the self-evaluation form and sampled operational documents including policies, procedures and learning records.  The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times and observed activities in the indoor and outdoor area.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.  The inspector sampled staff qualifications including paediatric first aid and reviewed evidence of their suitability to work with children.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Staff do not always consider children's individual learning styles or interests when planning activities. As a result, some children do not always receive learning experiences which are sufficiently challenging to engage and motivate them. Despite this, most children are supported to make basic progress in their learning through the appropriate educational programmes. Most children enjoy playing group games in the large outdoor area. They dress up in traditional costumes as they explore different festivals. Children's communication and literacy skills are well supported as they enjoy learning about phonics and letters. They enjoy taking on the role of the teacher in their independent play and staff sit on the carpet to enhance their game. Parents are kept well informed of their children's progress and assessments are shared with them termly.

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requires improvement

Staff do not always effectively manage children's behaviour, as sometimes they do not attempt to redirect children's focus and instead move certain resources out of children's reach. As a result, children's understanding of staff's expectations and the boundaries of the pre-school are not fully supported. Staff sometimes do not make effective use of the outdoor area to enable children to follow their own interests and engage in meaningful play. Consequently, some children are not motivated during outdoor play. However, staff know children well as they ask parents for relevant information about children's routines and preferences. This helps children to feel settled at the pre-school. Staff help children to become emotionally prepared for school by supporting them to develop their independence through daily routines. They provide children with consistent messages about how to keep themselves safe.

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provision requires improvement

The provider's understanding of her responsibility to meet the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements is secure. Staff access some training and are occasionally observed by the provider. However, staff do not benefit from a regular system of coaching and support to improve their personal effectiveness and to develop their knowledge further. The provider has implemented appropriate procedures to keep children safe from harm. For example, the indoor and outdoor areas are risk assessed daily to identify and minimise hazards. The provider monitors the educational programmes through children's progress assessments and group tracking sheets. This enables staff to identify areas of learning which are less than expected and secure interventions, where appropriate. However, parents' views are not yet included in children's initial assessments, in order to provide a balanced view of children's existing skills. Staff have appropriate systems in place to work

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provision requires improvement

in partnership with external agencies to promote a consistent approach to children's development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 306446 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 1003535

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 23 Name of provider Heather Joy Williams Date of previous inspection 3 July 2012 Telephone number 01516300433

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Type of provision

The Oval Pre-School was registered in 1996. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am until 11.45am, from Monday to Friday and then 12.30pm until 3pm on a Wednesday. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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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