Sacred Steps Preschool Playgroup

Sacred Steps Pre-School Scout Hut rear of 58 Browning Road, Wyken, COVENTRY, CV2 5HS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 March 2015 20 February 2012

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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

 Children are very happy and settled in this pre-school. Older children show empathy, kindness and warmth towards the younger children in the group.  The quality of teaching is good and children's language skills are effectively enhanced. Outdoor and indoor play space is exceptionally well organised. The activities provided engage the children very well and successfully stimulate their natural curiosity as learners.  There is good capacity for continuous improvement. The manager and her staff accurately identify what they need to do to improve outcomes for children and their families.  Staff establish good partnerships with parents at the onset of care. They obtain information from the parents that helps them to provide care tailored towards their children's individual needs.  The manager and staff work very well together as a team. The manager is very supportive of their continual professional development.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently encourage the children to be involved in setting-up and preparing the activities. Therefore, on occasions, their independence and learning opportunities are not maximised.  Staff do not consistently exchange information about children's next steps with other settings that children may attend.

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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

 extend and enhance children's learning further, for example, by involving them in setting-up and preparing the activities  share information more effectively with other settings children attend, in order to provide a more collaborative approach to children's care and learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playroom and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted observations of the activities and evaluated the teaching methods with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, policies and procedures and a range of other documentation.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the provider's self-evaluation form.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from documentation completed by them.

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who attend. This is good

The quality of teaching successfully supports children in making good progress. Children are keen to engage in a very good range of activities. They love to role play and create imaginary games. In the outdoor area, they pretend to go camping and put out 'fires' with plastic hoses. Indoors, they participate in acting out characters from well-known rhymes, such as the queen of hearts, the king and the knave. Children are helped to understand the process of change, through mixing ingredients together to make dough. However, the staff do not always fully build on the children's learning as the activities are fully prepared for them. Younger children's vocabulary is wonderfully extended. Staff introduce them to words, such as, circular, edge, and stretchy, and repeat the names of ingredients they use. These activities help them to develop the skills they need in readiness for school.

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good

The staff and the pre-school environment are very welcoming to children, their parents and visitors. Children share strong relationships with their key person and the adults who care for them. Children show care and concern towards the staff. For example, children ask staff who have been absent if they are better now and if they saw a doctor. Sensitive settling-in periods support children's emotional security. Staff prepare activities they know the new starters are interested in, such as creating a very long train track on sheets of paper. This helps children to settle and values the information that parents share about their children's current interests. Staff promote good behaviour by using positive reinforcement and praise. All children are praised for their achievements regardless of their age and ability. Younger children are praised for identifying the first letter sound in their names and older children for sharing their experiences at home. As a result, children

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good

are confident individuals who ooze with positive self-esteem.

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provision is good

Children are safeguarded. The manager is knowledgeable about her responsibilities as the lead practitioner. Staff are also clear about the reporting procedures they must follow in the event of an allegation being made. Children are cared for by a consistent team of staff who really enjoy working at the pre-school. They are exceptionally well supported by the manager who values each staff member's individual qualities. Staff are currently accessing higher level qualifications and they use their new-found knowledge to enhance practice. This has a positive impact on the quality of the service they provide. Partnerships with parents are secure and staff effectively provide suggestions that help parents to support their children's learning at home. However, partnerships with other providers are not always consistently established to achieve a more collaborative approach to children's care and learning. Consequently, at times children are not fully supported to make the best

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provision is good

possible progress. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection describe the pre-school as 'excellent'. They state that they especially appreciate how friendly and knowledgeable the staff are and are aware of the great progress their children make.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY429883 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 853035

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider Mary Margaret Pickering Date of previous inspection 20 February 2012 Telephone number 07958745649

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Type of provision

Sacred Steps Pre-School Scout Hut was registered in 2011. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 11.30am and 12.30pm to 3.30pm, term time only. 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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