Little Fishes Pre-School

Little Fishes Pre-School Furze Platt Memorial Hall, Furze Platt Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7NG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 June 2016 29 January 2016

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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

 Leaders do not fully meet the early years learning and development requirements. While they share useful information with parents about their children's achievements, they do not complete the required progress checks for all two-year-old children.  Leaders do not effectively check how well staff accurately assess and observe children, to ensure all make consistently good progress.  Children do not have enough awareness of simple everyday technology, to help extend their learning and understanding.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are kind and caring. They value and respect all children. Clear expectations and boundaries help to ensure children's good behaviour.  Children enjoy a range of activities that extend their speaking and listening skills well. For example, children are interested in books and listen to familiar stories, as staff repeat words clearly and help them understand what they have heard.  Staff support children's good health effectively. Children can do things for themselves and they learn about good hygiene practices.  Leaders and staff use self-evaluation to review practice and set targets. They have improved some aspects of provision since the last inspection. Parents like the 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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Due Date

 provide parents with the required written summary of their children's progress in the prime areas when they are aged between two and three years 15/07/2016

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Due Date

 use the systems for observation and assessment to accurately identify children's progress and to plan activities for the next steps in their development. 15/07/2016

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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

 strengthen children's confidence to use and understand modern technology to aid their wider learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main base room and garden.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager, and checked evidence of the suitability checks and qualifications of staff working with children.  The inspector sampled relevant documentation including children's learning records, planning, and a selection of the pre-school's policies.  The inspector held meetings with the manager, the chairperson of the committee and spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Since the last inspection, leaders have made some positive changes to improve the pre- school. For example, they provide all necessary details of children's attendance, accidents or injuries, to ensure the safe running of the service. However, leaders do not check staff's observations and assessments closely enough. This means that the right help needed is not routinely or quickly identified to enable every child to make the best possible progress. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff and committee members have a secure understanding of their role and responsibility to safeguard children, including what to do if they have concerns about a child's welfare. Staff are establishing partnerships with local schools, to ensure children experience a smoother transfer when the time comes. Leaders have established effective ways to provide parents with day-to-day information about their children to help build upon their learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff have recently begun to introduce new systems to check children's progress, but leaders have not ensured that the written progress check for all children between the ages of two and three years is completed. Despite this, staff have begun to plan activities more suited to children's needs. Staff typically organise themselves well to support children's learning and to ensure that children are motivated throughout their time at the pre-school. Children develop their early writing skills, for example, by having access to a variety of writing resources to make marks and develop their pencil control.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

The key-person system is effective, allowing parents, children and staff to form close bonds. Staff are skilful in praising children when appropriate. They teach children to respect others and the environment. Children are kind and friendly to staff and others. Children are involved in taking decisions, making choices and learning to keep safe. They enjoy healthy snacks and they have many opportunities to keep active and develop their physical skills indoors and outdoors; for example, through regular woodland walks to boost their activity levels further.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are happy and settled, but they do not make consistently good progress. For example, they do not gain enough awareness of how to develop their information, communication and technology skills. They generally gain the basic writing, reading and number skills needed to prepare them for their move on to school. Children develop independence, understand how to stay safe, and know which foods are better for you than others.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 108462 Local authority Windsor & Maidenhead Inspection number 1039484 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person St Peter's Furze Platt Little Fishes Pre School

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 29 January 2016 Telephone number 07855572336

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reference number

Little Fishes Pre-school opened in 1995. It operates from Furze Platt Memorial Hall on the outskirts of Maidenhead, Berkshire. The pre-school is open five days a week from 9.15am to 1pm during term time, which includes a lunch club from 12.15pm to 1pm. The pre- school employs six staff; of these, three staff hold appropriate qualifications at level 3.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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