Pangbourne Valley Pre-School

Pangbourne Valley Playgroup Kennedy Drive, Pangbourne, READING, RG8 7LB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28 April 2015 28 November 2014

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is inadequate

 Leaders and managers have not been able to sustain improvements or make the necessary changes. For example, staff have failed to promptly refer and seek advice from relevant child protection agencies in order to keep children safe.  Staff have failed to identify risks to children throughout the setting and to take steps to reduce and minimise these risks. Children are not taught to keep themselves safe. As a result, children's safety is compromised.  Staff are not deployed well throughout the day. They do not recognise when they need to make adjustments to where they are placed to meet the individual needs of children and ensure their safety.  Leaders and managers have failed to effectively monitor the educational programmes. There are delays in seeking specialist support for children when needed. This weakness impacts on the progress some children make and their readiness to start school.  Staff have not taken relevant action to ensure that all children make progress in their

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This provision is inadequate

learning and development, especially boys, and children who need extra support with their communication and language skills.

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It has the following strengths

 Children know the routines of the day and confidently choose their own activities. The pre-school’s daily routine enables children to be independent and make choices.  Staff help children to deal with conflict by encouraging them to use their ‘kind hands and feet’. This enables children to learn how to share and take turns.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following enforcement action:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

We will issue a welfare requirements notice requiring the provider to:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

identify signs of possible abuse and neglect at the earliest opportunity and respond in an appropriate and timely way

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure that staffing arrangements meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety at all times

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

take all reasonable steps to ensure that risks are identified and steps are taken to reduce or minimise risks

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

support staff to undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to ensure that they offer a high quality learning and development experience for children that continually improves the quality of early years provision

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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 the individual needs of all children are met through the planning and delivery of the educational programmes by taking account of each child’s interests, stage of development and capabilities  ensure that leaders effectively monitor educational programmes to ensure that each child, and groups of children, make progress from their initial starting points  improve arrangements to ensure that when there is cause for concern about a child's progress, staff seek specialist support in a timely manner  improve the programmes for physical development by teaching children how to keep themselves safe throughout their daily routines  improve the arrangements for assessing how well children learn by ensuring that staff use information they know about identified gaps in the progress different groups of children and address this through relevant planning, especially the provision for boys, and those children who need extra support with their communication and language

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

skills. To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure that the lead practitioner responsible for safeguarding children acts on any indications that a child may be suffering harm in a timely way (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  take all necessary measures to minimise any risks to the health and safety of the children and staff (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  take all necessary measures to minimise any risks to the health and safety of the children and staff (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed the quality of teaching and the impact on children's learning, both inside and outside.  The lead inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The lead inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspectors held meetings with the senior leaders and the nominated person for the committee.  The inspectors sampled a range of documentation, including records of children's learning, safeguarding policies and logs, suitability checks and staff files.  The inspectors spoke with staff and children at suitable times throughout the inspection.

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who attend. This is inadequate

The quality of teaching is too variable. Staff understand what children are interested in and ensure resources provide children with opportunities to explore, investigate and make choices. However, staff do not sufficiently challenge and extend children's development, particularly in the outside area. For example, children's learning is not extended when using windmills in the garden or when they identify insects. As a result, not all children are absorbed in their learning and they become bored and distracted. Staff do not deploy themselves well and they fail to respond to some children's specific needs. This means that they are not available to support the individual needs of some children. Children are not reminded to use the toilet. Consequently, they have accidents which staff do not notice. This impacts on children's confidence and social skills. Staff do not use the information they know about how children learn and the different levels of progress they

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who attend. This is inadequate

make. For example, some groups of boys dominate and take over activities such as riding the bicycles. Staff have identified this; however, they have failed to ensure that these children take part in a full range of other activities to support their learning in other areas. This oversight means this group of children are not fully prepared for the next stage in their learning. Staff accurately assess children’s progress when they start at the setting. However, there are unnecessary delays in seeking professional support for individual children. Staff have introduced measures to support children’s communication and language. However, staff do not use these strategies effectively for individual children, such as the use of signs and symbols to help children communicate. This hinders the progress children make in other areas of development. As a result, there is insufficient focus on closing the gaps in all areas of development.

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inadequate

Children’s safety is at risk because leaders do not have sufficient understanding of how to identify and manage potential hazards. Staff have not identified risks and taken steps to remove or minimise these. For example, string hanging down on the back of bicycles, low- hanging blind cords within children's reach and fire extinguishers placed where children can easily pull them onto themselves. Staff do not promote children's sense of personal safety and they do not deploy themselves well to ensure children are safe. For example, they allow areas inside to become cluttered and hazardous. As a result, children and staff have trips and falls. In addition, children are not supervised well when using large outdoor apparatus. Staff do not notice when children's safety is compromised. For example, children stand on outside tables and climb on home corner equipment.

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provision is inadequate

Leaders do not have a sufficient knowledge of the statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage and procedures to keep children safe are weak. A change to the leadership of the setting has affected the management team’s ability to sustain improvement. Supervision and training arrangements have been implemented; however, they are not yet fully effective. The management committee is beginning to understand its leadership role and responsibilities. There are temporary management arrangements in place; however there is insufficient monitoring of this role. While there has been a greater focus on making improvements, leaders have failed to accurately identify the weaknesses in practice and monitor progress. As a result, progress is not sustained and there are new areas of weakness. For example, safeguarding procedures have not been properly implemented or followed, and risk assessment arrangements are weak. Leaders and

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provision is inadequate

managers have not ensured that educational programmes are effectively monitored. Consequently, there are weaknesses in planning, staff practice and assessment arrangements. These weaknesses impact on children’s progress and result in staff failing to meet the individual needs of all children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 110733 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 1009104 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 40 Name of provider Pangbourne Valley Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 28 November 2014 Telephone number 0118 9841661

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Setting details

Pangbourne Valley Playgroup registered with Ofsted in 2001, following transfer from local authority registration since 1998. It is situated within the grounds of Pangbourne Primary School in purpose-built premises and is run by a management committee. The setting opens from 9:00 to 3:15 Monday to Thursday, and 9:00 to 11:30 on Friday during West Berkshire term times. The setting offers a lunch club, which runs from 11.30am to 12.45pm, Monday to Thursday. The setting receives funding for children aged two, three and four years. A team of eight staff work at the setting, five of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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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