St Anthony's Pre-School/Playgroup

St Anthonys Pre-School Playgroup St Anthonys Parish Centre Annexe, St. Anthonys Drive, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 3SQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 March 2016 24 September 2015

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The quality of teaching is variable which means that at times, children are not sufficiently challenged during some activities.  Opportunities for children to learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others are less well developed.  Self-evaluation could be enhanced by taking greater account of the views of parents, carers and children.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff have developed strong bonds with children and their parents and carers. This helps to ensure that children are emotionally secure and that there is a joint approach to their care and learning.  Children enjoy taking part in a range of activities that supports their early mathematical and literacy skills well.  Staff make best use of the sports hall and outdoor area to promote the importance of exercise and healthy lifestyles.

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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

 improve the educational programme by ensuring that all activities are challenging enough to enable children to make the best possible progress in their learning and development. 07/04/2016

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Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 further develop the use of self-evaluation by taking greater account of the views of parents, carers and children when reviewing practice  provide additional opportunities for children to explore the similarities and differences between themselves and others to further develop their understanding of the wider world  strengthen systems to ensure that staff receive regular supervisions to help to improve their practice.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector jointly observed and evaluated a movement activity with the nominated person for the playgroup.  The inspector spoke to parents to obtain their views about the playgroup.  The inspector reviewed children's progress by talking with staff, sampling children’s planning and looking at a wide range of documentation.  The inspector looked at policies and procedures and conducted an interview with the leaders and managers to assess their understanding of safeguarding and children's learning.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. The newly formed management team have made good progress in improving staff's understanding of broader safeguarding issues. As a result, children are well protected from harm. Since the last inspection the management team have provided staff with a range of training opportunities. This has helped staff to improve their knowledge and understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, staffs' practice with the children is steadily improving although, at times the quality of teaching is still variable. Leaders and managers use self-evaluation to identify the future developments needed to improve the playgroup. This could be enhanced even further by making better use of the views of parents, carers and children. The management team monitors the educational programme. This means that staff can easily identify when children are falling behind and source additional support for them

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Children enjoy counting and comparing groups of objects. This helps to support their early mathematical development well. Children have plenty of opportunities for mark making where they enjoy writing letters. The cosy book corner provides children with opportunities to look at books, which promotes their early reading skills and readiness for school. However, at times, children are not sufficiently challenged enough during some activities. As a result, opportunities are missed to support children to explore new ideas fully. Staff plan a range of activities that cover the seven areas of learning reasonably well. A wide selection of activities in the sports hall and outdoor area provides good opportunities to support children's physical development. Children enjoy celebrating a range of festivals. However, their understanding of the world is not fully promoted to help them to learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others. Staff

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

assess children’s progress regularly and share useful information with other settings that children in their care attend. This helps to ensure that there is a joint approach to children's leaning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Children are emotionally secure. This is because staff have developed strong bonds with the children in their care. Partnership with parents is good and those spoken to on the day of the inspection were complimentary. Children learn how to keep themselves safe because staff teach them about how to walk safely when outside of the playgroup and talk to them about topics such as stranger danger. Children behave well and have good relationships with their peers. Children enjoy a range of healthy snacks and plenty of opportunities for fresh air and exercise. This supports them to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are working within the range of development that is typical for their age. However, they are not always fully challenged during some activities which does not help them to make the best possible progress in their learning and development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 309463 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 1040379 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 38 Name of provider St Anthonys Pre-School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 24 September 2015 Telephone number 07503498222

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Setting details

St. Anthony's Pre-School Playgroup was registered in 1993 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is run by a committee of trustees and operates from a parish centre annexe in Fulwood, Preston. The setting has use of a large room with access to a kitchen area, a coffee area, a large hall, a small room and toilets. There is an enclosed outdoor play area. The setting employs six members of staff to work with the children. Of these, four staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. One member of staff is unqualified. The manager holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 5. The setting opens Monday and Wednesday mornings 9am to 11.30am, Monday 12pm until 3pm, Tuesday 9am until 12pm, Thursday 9am until 3pm and Friday 9am until 12pm.

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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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