St. Paul's Pre-school (Basildon) Ltd

St. Pauls Pre-School (Basildon) Ltd St. Pauls Methodist Church, Ballards Walk, BASILDON, Essex, SS15 5HL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 March 2015 8 July 2014

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Previous inspection: Requires Improvement 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:

 The performance management arrangements and training for staff are not sufficiently focused on the quality of teaching. Consequently, staff's teaching strategies do not effectively guide younger children's play to support them to explore and think about problems. As a result, interactions between staff and children do not always challenge learning and promote good progress.  Children do not have sufficient opportunities to experience all areas of learning outside in order to enhance their progress and promote individual learning styles because staff do not enrich the outside learning environment.  Opportunities for young children to explore and use different media and messy materials so they can express themselves through sensory exploration are not always freely available.

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It has the following strengths

 Parents are kept informed about children's progress through daily discussion and termly meetings with their child's key person. Some parents share observations of children's learning from home, which enables staff to follow these interests in pre-school.  Children are supported to develop early reading skills as they use the pre-school library to take books home and read with their parents.  Staff are well trained in safeguarding and child protection and have a good understanding of how to recognise signs which may give rise to concerns.

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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

 improve performance management processes so that they support staff to develop their teaching strategies by, for example, making regular observations of staff's interactions with children.

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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

 improve the outside area to give children more opportunities to experience all areas of learning outside in order to enhance their progress, for example, by enriching the environment with visual images reflecting the prime and specific areas of learning  increase the range of sensory materials and natural resources available for the younger children, so that they use all their senses to explore and discover in their play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching.  The inspector looked at activity planning, records of children's learning and a selection of policies and records.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with a member of the management team.  The inspector held a meeting with the management team.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of staff working with children and the provider's procedures for self-evaluation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Staff use observations and assessments of children's achievements to plan some relevant learning experiences across the seven areas of learning. This helps children to make suitable progress. However, variable teaching practice means they do not always make as much progress as they could. For example, staff are generally more confident in their interactions with the older children than the younger children. Staff support the older children as they begin to learn about the letters in their name and how to write them, which develops an understanding of early literacy. As a result, children are learning some of the skills they will need when they move into school. The staff team provide older children with good opportunities to explore colour and texture. For example, children take part in constructing large models in a group junk modelling activity. Staff engage them in conversations during play, where children enthusiastically discuss their models and use an

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who attend. This requires improvement

assortment of paints to decorate them. However, the resources available for the younger children do not always foster their explorative nature through sensory exploration and mess making using natural materials and media, such as sand, water, paints and dough.

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requires improvement

The friendly and nurturing staff are skilled in forming affectionate and secure bonds with children. Care practices are sound and children display growing levels of confidence and emotional well-being. The suitable toys and resources inside help children to become confident learners. However, the outside area does not always offer the same suitable experiences and activities to enhance their learning. The environment is safe and welcoming. Staff support children to learn how to take risks and manage their own safety appropriately. For example, they remind children how to play on wheeled toys, such as scooters, safely. The key-person system is effective. Staff are aware of their responsibilities to protect children's health through the implementation of good food hygiene practice.

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provision requires improvement

Managers have a sound understanding of their responsibilities. The pre-school has good systems to check that staff are suitable to work with children. Since the last inspection, the pre-school has benefited from support from the local authority. Action plans have been developed to drive improvement forwards. Weaknesses have been addressed to improve children's learning. For example, the management team ensures staff make use of suitable methods to observe, assess and plan for children's continuing development. However, while there are clear performance management processes in place, these do not include focused and detailed observations of staff's interactions with children. As a result, staff are not challenged to further develop their teaching strategies to effectively guide children's play and extend their learning. The manager has established effective partnerships with other settings that children attend. This includes the gathering and sharing of appropriate

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provision requires improvement

information to promoting continuity in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY471652 Local authority Essex Inspection number 982963 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider St. Pauls pre-school (Basildon) Ltd Date of previous inspection 8 July 2014 Telephone number 01268 542022

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Setting details

St. Pauls Pre-School (Basildon) Ltd was registered in 2013. It is open Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 8.55am until 11.55am Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 12noon until 3.45pm on Monday and Thursday, and 12noon until 3pm on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. The pre-school employs 12 staff, nine of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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