Christ Church [Cheltenham] Pre-School Playgroup

Christ Church Pre-School Playgroup Church Hall, Malvern Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 2JH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 March 2015 18 January 2010

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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 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 take account of children's stage of development, when planning activities and resources, to provide a sufficient level of challenge. Consequently, not all children engage well consistently.  Staff do not assess children fully from when they first start to promptly identify what children can do and the next steps in their learning, to help them make the best progress they can.  Staff do not consistently organise the routine of the day for pre-school children to minimise interruptions to their play so that they can always deepen their learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff positively support children's thinking as they use effective questioning techniques to help children explore ideas and make links.  Risk assessment of the environment and some activities, and staff's understanding of child protection issues, helps keep children safe.  The play leader seeks the views of other professionals and parents to help her make improvements that have a positive impact on children.

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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 that activities are enjoyable and meet the needs of all children to provide a good level of challenge so that all children make good progress  use observations, assessments and information from parents to obtain children's starting points, to accurately identify children's individual next steps in learning, to enable all children to make the best possible progress.

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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

 revise the routines for the pre-school children so that they have fewer interruptions to their play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play, activities and staff interaction with children in the playrooms, rest area and outside area.  The inspector held discussions with the play leader, staff and children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the play leader.  The inspector reviewed paperwork including children's records, samples of their work, policies, risk assessments and suitability checks on staff.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Overall, staff provide a range of play activities to promote children's learning and development across all areas. However, they do not always organise activities for the pre- school children effectively to offer children a good level of challenge. For example, during an adult-led mathematics activity, staff did not tailor the activity towards children's individual abilities to extend their learning. As a result, some children were not engaged in purposeful play. The majority of staff hold a good level of qualifications. Consequently, they know how children learn and teaching is generally appropriate as staff interact with children. They introduce toys, make suggestions, comment on children's play and question children. Staff are particularly skilled at promoting children's social play as they encourage children to develop conversations and consider others' views. Consequently, children collaborate well as they build on each other's learning. For example, two-year-old children

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who attend. This requires improvement

pretend to look after babies, and older children build complicated models together. Children gain early literacy skills and explore mathematics in a wide range of activities. Overall, children receive adequate preparation for school and the next stage in their learning as they make satisfactory progress.

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requires improvement

Children's behaviour is good. Staff promote children's independence in preparation for the next stage in their care. Children receive encouragement to do things for themselves, such as doing up the zips on their coats. This builds children's confidence and motivation. Staff organise resources so that children can make some choices about their play. However, the second half of the pre-school session is broken up into tidy-up time, snack time and then adult-led activity time. Consequently, staff expect some children to take part in a new activity when they are already fully engrossed in an activity. This interrupts a deeper level of learning. Staff support children's health as they play outside and practise good hygiene.

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provision requires improvement

The management and staff have an adequate understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They safeguard children and recruitment procedures are robust. Self- evaluation leads to clear targets for improvement. Regular staff supervision and peer observations promote consistent practice across the pre-school, and help staff understand their responsibilities. Generally, staff establish suitable working relationships with parents and external agencies to help them support children's needs. Information gained from parents helps children to settle well, but does not fully consider their development. Consequently, early assessments of children's capabilities are occasionally vague and staff do not always promptly identify gaps in children's learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 101464 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 839103 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 36 Name of provider Christchurch Pre-School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 18 January 2010 Telephone number 01242 578163 or 01452 548525

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Setting details

Christ Church Pre-School Playgroup is situated in the church hall alongside Christchurch Church, in a residential area of Cheltenham, and is within walking distance of the town centre. The group is open each weekday during school terms from 9am until 3pm. The pre-school closes for lunch between 12pm and 1pm. The team of seven staff work at different times during the week. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level three. The play leader holds a qualification at level five.

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Setting details

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

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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Setting details

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Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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