Fenstanton Pre-School

Fenstanton Pre-School The Mobile, School Lane, Fenstanton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 9JR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 February 2016 12 February 2009

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The provider has not provided Ofsted with relevant information of new committee members to enable full suitability processes to be completed. In addition, the required records relating to the recruitment and vetting of staff were not made available for inspection. This means that children's safety cannot be guaranteed.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Staff performance is not reviewed on a regular basis to ensure any weaknesses in teaching are identified promptly.  Staff do not use information gained from their observations of children to provide them with meaningful learning experiences. Children are not adequately challenged or fully supported to extend their learning and make even more progress.  Strategies used to encourage all parents to be involved in the assessment process and to share information about their children's learning at home are not yet successful.  Some links with other nurseries where children also attend are established. However,

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This provision is inadequate

these are not sufficiently focused on sharing information to complement and support children's ongoing development.  Systems to enable the provider to evaluate the provision are not yet rigorous enough to identify areas for development and establish a plan to drive improvements.

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It has the following strengths

 Children are visited by teachers from the local school. This helps children to know what to expect and contributes to them being supported emotionally for school.

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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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Due Date

 provide Ofsted with information about new members of the committee, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks to enable full suitability processes to be completed 27/06/2016

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Due Date

 seek agreement from Ofsted to store records off the premises and ensure that all required documentation is made available upon request, including evidence of recruitment and vetting procedures 14/03/2016

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Due Date

 implement procedures to regularly check staff practice, in order to improve the overall teaching and consistently coach and support staff to improve their individual effectiveness 29/08/2016

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Due Date

 make use of information gained from assessment to plan more effectively for individual children, including those who learn best outdoors to effectively support them to achieve at a higher level 04/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that there is an effective two-way flow of information between the pre-school, parents and other setting that children may also attend is established so that precise information is consistently shared, in order to provide children with continuity in their learning and development 29/08/2016

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Due Date

 implement effective systems to fully involve parents within their child's learning and provide them with examples of how they can support their children's learning at home. 29/08/2016 To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 build upon the current self-evaluation systems to ensure all aspects of the provision are rigorously reviewed and take prompt action to address key weaknesses, enabling all children to make best possible progress

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning, both inside and outdoors.  The inspector spoke with staff members and children during the inspection.  The inspector held meetings with the committee chair, the pre-school administrator and the pre-school manager.  The inspector carried out a joint evaluation of staff interactions with the manager.  The inspector looked at children's records and the provider's process for self-evaluation.  The inspector spoke to a selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their written views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Leadership and management are weak. The arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective. The qualified and experienced manager demonstrates a lack of understanding regarding her role and responsibility to meet the statutory requirements. This has resulted in notifications to Ofsted not being completed adequately and documentation not being made available during the course of inspection. In addition, there is irregular supervision of staff and inconsistency in the quality of teaching and planning. However, staff hold current Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Staff demonstrate an adequate understanding of the procedures to follow should they have concerns regarding a child's welfare. Current self-evaluation systems used by the pre-school are not effective. Weaknesses in practice have not been identified. However, the manager is keen to improve. Staff are encouraged to undertake some training to update their knowledge and

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

skills, though this is not always used effectively in practice.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Children generally enjoy their time at the pre-school. Staff instinctively provide a broad range of activities for children which covers all areas of learning. However, activities are often mundane and do not offer children appropriate levels of challenge. Staff join in children's play, offering them support and encouragement. Some staff intuitively ask children probing questions that promote their critical-thinking skills. They involve children in purposeful conversations about their families and shared experiences. Parents are able to speak with staff during the course of the day. However, strategies to encourage parents to become fully involved in their children's learning are not effective. In addition, practices to gather and share information with additional settings that children also attend are not always successfully implemented. This means that the staff are not provided with additional information to plan further experiences that complement the children's learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

or emerging interests. Parents speak well of the pre-school and its staff. They believe that their children have made progress since starting at the pre-school, especially in their communication skills and self-confidence.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The pre-school does not meet all of the safeguarding requirements and, therefore, children's welfare is compromised. That said, children happily enter the pre-school, leaving their parents with ease. Staff gather basic information from parents about their children on entry. They demonstrate adequate knowledge of individual children, who form secure attachments to them. Children's individual care needs are well known and met by the caring staff. Children have regular access to the outdoors and enjoy being physically active. However, due to the lack of planning undertaken by staff to extend children's interests and learning, children often wander and occupy themselves. New children settle well and are beginning to form friendships with others. Staff offer children praise and encouragement for their efforts.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children are working within the range of development that is typical for their age. They are developing some basic skills for future learning, such as school. For example, children confidently seek out staff when they require assistance. Older children encourage their friends to use good manners, reminding them to say please and thank you. However, breaches of the statutory requirements, identified at inspection have a significant impact on children's safety and well-being and the learning and development of children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 221819 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 854599 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 3 - 4 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Fenstanton Pre-School Date of previous inspection 12 February 2009 Telephone number 01480 496 156

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Setting details

Fenstanton Pre-School was registered in 1992. The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. 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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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