See-Saw Pre-School Playgroup

See-Saw Pre-School Playgroup Moreton Road, Upton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 6LL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 December 2015 11 December 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The manager is enthusiastic and committed to providing a quality service. Since the last inspection she and the staff have worked extremely hard to develop the service they provide for children. Working closely with the local authority and parents, well-chosen plans for improvement have been implemented to ensure all requirements are met.  Children have formed secure attachments with their key person. Staff know their key children well and respond attentively to their needs. This helps children to settle and supports their confidence and emotional well-being.  Staff use many successful strategies to help children develop their language and communication. Playful activities encourage children to make shapes with their mouths and to make connections between letters and sounds. This helps children develop muscles which support their speech and provides the foundations for the start of early reading and writing skills.

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This provision is good

 Staff ensure that the playroom and the outdoor area are well resourced with plenty of equipment, which is easily reached by the children. This helps children to be active and exploratory learners.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always share their initial assessments of children's learning with parents, so as to gain the most comprehensive overview of children's starting points.  On some occasions, adult-influenced creative activities lessen children's opportunities to more freely represent their own ideas and interpretations.

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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

 support staff to more swiftly share with parents any initial assessments they make so as to gain the most comprehensive overview of what children can do when they first start  refine the organisation and types of materials provided during adult-planned creative activities, so children can more freely create their own interpretations and representations.

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Inspection activities

 Prior to the inspection, the inspector viewed the previous report and information held by Ofsted.  The inspector viewed activities in the playroom and in the outdoor play area. He observed teaching and interactions between the staff and children.  The inspector spoke with members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. He also took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector held meetings with the nursery manager and a representative of the local authority. He also spoke to a member of the committee and discussed the self- evaluation arrangements and plans for future improvement.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector looked at children's registration records and planning documentation. He checked the evidence of the qualifications and the suitability of staff working in the setting, and also looked at a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked the arrangements for first-aid trained staff and their deployment.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The pre-school is well organised and safe. All staff hold relevant childcare qualifications and receive ongoing support and training, which has a positive impact on children's learning. For example, staff have created interesting areas indoors and outside to encourage children's use of language and which are eagerly used by children throughout the day. This has helped raise the quality of teaching, so that it is consistently good. Safeguarding is effective. All staff have a robust understanding of the child protection procedures and how to report a concern about the well-being of a child. Parents speak highly of the staff and are provided with a wealth of good information. They are invited regularly to meet with the committee. The manager securely monitors the quality of assessment for children's learning on a regular basis.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

All children are eager and confident explorers of their world. They thoroughly enjoy testing out things, such as how water travels through tubes or typing their name on a visitor's laptop. Younger children enjoy their good access to pencils and pads, which they use to imitate adults as they play outside. Staff have a clear understanding of the different ways that children learn and what they can achieve. They observe effectively to identify children's interests and regularly plan activities to help children make progress in their learning. During discussions and children's free play they ask questions to help children think, such as, 'Why do you think the two trains are different?' Staff encourage children to check how many passengers they have put in the car and whether it matches the number on the front of the car. This helps children to develop their thinking and concentration skills. These approaches help children gain the key skills which support their future

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

learning and prepare them well for school.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Good links with schools and secure systems for engaging other professionals are in place. This means children's achievements are shared effectively and helps staff support them to make the best progress based on their unique needs. Children demonstrate they feel safe. They are keen to share their news and will seek solace from their adults when a dispute arises. Staff talk gently with the group, helping them to understand the impact their actions are having on their friend. This approach is consistent across the staff team. Adults are polite and provide children with a positive model of how to behave well. This helps to promote children's early citizenship. Staff are particularly adept at using games, discussions and daily routines to reinforce messages about hygiene and healthy choices. Toys, books and adult-led creative activities, such as those linked to Diwali and Christmas, help children gain an awareness of differences within their wider world.

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Outcomes for children are good

Adults support children to be motivated to learn and confident to try. Children enjoy being part of a group and sharing their knowledge, such as counting and literacy skills. All children take part in a range of well-planned activities that help them each to make good progress in all areas of their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 306483 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 1032293 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 3 - 4 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider See-Saw Pre-School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 11 December 2014 Telephone number 0151 677 7900

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Setting details

See-Saw Pre-School Playgroup opened in 1983. The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, one had Early Years Practitioner status and five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2, 3 or 5. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, during term time. Sessions are from 8.45am until 3.30pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for 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

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Setting details

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