St. Brendans Nursery

St. Brendans Pre-School St. Brendans RC School, Brookfold Lane, Bolton, Lancashire, BL2 4DZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 July 2015 8 December 2011

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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

 Staff are well-qualified and have access to training to aid their good teaching.  Children of all ages are eager to learn and discover new skills. They are supported by staff who offer challenging and engaging play experiences. Therefore, children make at least good progress in their learning.  Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning and the move on to school. Documentation to support this time of change, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is used effectively. This ensures that their care and learning needs are fully met.  Staff help children understand how to keep themselves safe, how their bodies work, and the importance of fresh air and exercise. Meals are healthy and nutritious, and children are well supported to understand how to make healthy choices.  Partnerships with parents and outside agencies are secure. Parents speak highly of the

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This provision is good

management team, staff and the service they provide. The management team work closely with a range of outside agencies to ensure that staff, parents and children receive support and guidance when needed.  Management and staff have a very good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, including how to keep children safe. They are secure in the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child's welfare and the details for the relevant outside agencies.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Very occasionally, larger group activities are a little too large, which results in some younger children becoming restless. This means the older children can at times be distracted. Therefore, their learning is not extended to the optimum level.  The organisation of some daily routines occasionally interrupts children's play and learning unnecessarily.

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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 organisation of larger group activities so that all children are fully engaged and receiving the very best learning outcomes  enhance the organisation of some daily routines so that children's play and learning are not interrupted unnecessarily.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the pre-school with the supervisor.  The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching in all three age groups inside and outside.  The inspector spoke to members of staff, parents and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held meetings with the owner and supervisor.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the supervisor.  The inspector looked at a sample of children's assessment records and discussed the systems for planning children's play experiences in all three age groups.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with the children and the provider's procedures for self-evaluation.

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who attend. This is good

Children of all ages benefit from a good balance of planned adult-led activities and child- chosen play experiences. Staff provide a range of activities. Children under the age of two years begin to learn and master new skills, such as walking and talking. They explore their senses and discover friendships as they play alongside each other. These children have a secure foundation and are ready for their next stage in learning. Staff build on what they already know the children can do. When they reach the age of two to three years, learning through good quality play is still the focus. Children enjoy developing their own ideas and questioning how to do things. Staff assess children's play to ensure they provide them with a rich and varied environment. Pre-school children are well prepared for school. Children delight in demonstrating their achievements as they routinely count numbers, recognise shapes and sound out letter sounds in their play. All children enjoy group

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who attend. This is good

sessions. However, very occasionally these sessions are too large in numbers of children. There are varying age groups, which means some of the younger children at times become restless. This is a little distracting for the older children, which means their learning is not fully reaching the optimum level.

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good

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the pre-school. Children are happy, secure and confident. They build good relationships with their key person, which effectively promotes their emotional well-being. Children's behaviour is managed well. Staff reinforce good behaviour during activities, using lots of positive encouragement and praise, therefore, promoting children's confidence and self-esteem. Staff encourage older children to resolve their own conflict and think about the consequences of their actions. As a result, children learn to play well together. All children are effectively supported to develop their self-help skills. Pre-school children begin to understand the need for some structure to their day in readiness for school. However, some routines for the other age groups are a little too structured, which results in their play being disturbed.

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provision is good

The provider, supervisor and the staff team are motivated to drive improvements forward. They all speak enthusiastically about providing children with good quality care and learning. Staff receive supervision meetings which are successful and identify areas to enhance their practice. Observation and assessment systems are in place and these have been reviewed so that they now offer a more precise outcome. The manager regularly meets with staff to discuss and review children's progress. As a result, any gaps in children's learning are quickly identified, including specific groups of children. Children in receipt of early years funding are benefiting from accessing a good quality provision. Their progress information shows that they are reaching expected levels of development for their age. Parents and children are fully involved in reviewing the provision, which promotes a cohesive approach.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 315954 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 865082 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 1 - 5 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 91 Name of provider Maureen Grundy Date of previous inspection 8 December 2011 Telephone number 01204 303010

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Setting details

St. Brendans Pre-School was registered in 1984. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, excluding bank holidays and a week at Christmas. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school employs 15 members of staff, including the supervisor. 13 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including one member of staff with Qualified Teacher Status.

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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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