St Christopher's Pre-school

St Christophers Pre-school St Christophers Church Centre, Pepys Avenue,Thornhill, Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 6PJ

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 March 2015 25 June 2009

p.1

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff implement the role of key person highly effectively and this is a significant strength of the setting. Children are nurtured by staff who acknowledge and value their individuality.  All staff make effective use of observations on children to regularly assess their abilities and plan further activities that underpin the children's good progress.  Children play with a wealth of resources both inside and outside, which staff use well to promote children's learning in all areas.  Experienced staff use their teaching skills well to promote children's learning. They offer children interesting and exciting activities; for example, activities linked to the solar eclipse. Such activities encourage children to join in.  The management inspires successful team working. Management has good staff support systems. Management encourages staff to undertake regular training to develop their teaching skills and knowledge.

p.1

This provision is good

 Partnership with parents and others is exceptional and is a significant strength of the pre-school, promoting a shared approach to children's learning.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 At times, when children are in a large group, staff do not engage all children well, so some lose interest because the activities do not match their stages of development.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 review times when children work together in large groups to ensure that these meet the differing needs of the children participating.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the children's activities and the quality of staff teaching.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector sampled the information kept on the children, including observations, assessments and monitoring.  The inspector spoke to the children, staff and parents.

p.2

who attend. This is good

Children show motivation and a willingness to explore and investigate the activities and good-quality resources provided. The good teaching skills of the staff promote children's learning, particularly when children play individually or learn in small groups. Staff encourage children's language development by introducing new words, such as 'eclipse', and pronounce them slowly and clearly to help children say them properly. The children enjoy choosing whether to play indoors or outdoors. Staff are skilled at using resources in both areas to encourage children to develop skills and knowledge. Partnership with parents is a real strength of the pre-school. Staff keep parents fully informed of all aspects of their children's learning. They provide support so that parents can continue children's learning at home.

p.3

outstanding

Staff form secure attachments with children for whom they take special responsibility. However, all staff have an excellent understanding of each child's care and learning needs. Staff build children's confidence and self-esteem so that they are emotionally extremely well prepared for their next stage of learning. Children respond well to adult's high expectations; they play together happily and cooperatively. Staff handle times of change sensitively to meet the needs of each child, for example when they start at the pre-school. This means children settle quickly. Staff are effectively deployed so there is a constant focus on the learning and well-being of all children.

p.3

provision is good

Robust procedures promote children's safety and well-being. Team working includes not only staff but also parents and children, who all contribute to evaluation methods. This enables management to assess the provision's strengths and identify any areas for improvement. All the staff are passionate and knowledgeable about their work. Staff have precise knowledge of the learning programmes and use this information to plan for children as they track the progress of every child carefully. The provision is carefully monitored to maintain good outcomes for children.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 131564 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 836311 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider St. Christopher's Playgroup Thornhill Committee Date of previous inspection 25 June 2009 Telephone number 07748 226933

p.4

Setting details

St Christopher's Pre-school is opened in 1970. It registered with Ofsted in 2001. It operates from St Christopher's Church, in the Thornhill area of Southampton. The pre- school is open Mondays to Thursdays from 9am until 3.30pm, and on Fridays from 9am until 12 noon, during school terms. There are six staff who all hold appropriate early years qualifications.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

Setting details

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’.

p.5

Setting details

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

p.5