Littleport Community Pre- School

Littleport Community Pre- School Parsons Lane, Littleport, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 1JT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 October 2016 16 October 2015

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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 committee, managers and staff have worked hard to address the weaknesses identified at the last inspection. Planning, observations and assessments have been strengthened significantly. Effective support for staff means they are gaining confidence in their teaching skills.  Children are made very welcome in this friendly pre-school and arrive with smiles and enthusiasm. New children receive positive support from staff to help them quickly settle.  Staff use their knowledge of individual children's achievements to plan enjoyable activities that help children to make good progress in their learning. Additional funding is used well to help those children who need extra support to catch up with their peers.  Staff and parents work closely together to extend children's learning and ensure their well-being. Parents welcome positive ideas on how to help their children learn more at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Managers and staff are not yet confident in critically evaluating teaching practice, in order to focus professional development more precisely and raise the quality of teaching to an outstanding level.  The monitoring of differing groups of children is not yet used as effectively as possible to understand where areas of the provision need further improvement to raise all the children's achievements.

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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

 extend ways to support staff to critically evaluate their own and each other's teaching skills and raise them to the highest level, in order to promote outstanding achievements for all children  enhance the monitoring and evaluation of the progress of differing groups of children to more precisely identify and close any gaps in children's learning, drive improvement and help all children to make the best possible progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching and spoke to staff about how they plan for children's progress.  The inspector looked at the premises and the resources available to the children, indoors and outside.  A range of documents was looked at by the inspector, including evidence of staff suitability and training, some policies and procedures and children's records. The pre- school's self-evaluation was looked at and discussed with the provider.  The inspector discussed safeguarding arrangements with staff, the manager and a representative of the management committee.  Discussions were held by the inspector with a number of parents, and their views and comments were taken into account. The results of a recent parents' survey were reviewed.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The new manager has worked tirelessly to improve the provision. She has used advice from other agencies to help her to raise the quality of the provision. Staff have willingly embraced the many changes and demonstrate enthusiastic attitudes. Committee members are well informed and supportive. They enable staff to attend training and have improved their own understanding of their management roles. Safeguarding is effective. All managers and staff regularly attend child protection training and understand how to respond to any signs of abuse or neglect. The pre-school provides children with a safe and secure environment. Ongoing self-evaluation helps managers to identify and prioritise what needs to be done to improve. Swiftly developing partnerships with other settings help to promote continuity in children's care and learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff successfully use information gathered from observations and assessments to plan activities tailored to children's individual learning needs. They listen to the children and provide activities that interest them, such as learning about skeletons. Children play exuberantly in the well-equipped outdoor areas and use their imagination in the outdoor play kitchen. Indoors, children use a range of technologies, for example, they play mathematical games on an interactive whiteboard or make up tunes on a keyboard. Staff expertly promote children's communication and language skills. They engage children in spontaneous story times indoors and outdoors. Children are encouraged to listen to, and repeat, the sounds they hear in their play. Older children are encouraged to form letters and many identify their name cards independently.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff develop an in-depth understanding of children and their families. They work closely with parents to find out about their home languages and children's interests. Staff provide warm praise for kind and caring behaviour, and children quickly show an aptitude for sharing and turn taking. Children learn about their own community through walks around the village and talking to visitors. They develop their understanding of the wider world as they look at the diverse communities and countries they originate from. Staff teach children about healthy foods and lifestyles. They help children to grow herbs, harvest apples, and prepare fruits and vegetables for meals. Children have daily opportunities for enjoyable active exercise. Staff encourage children to learn about safety procedures as, for example, children help to carry out visual safety checks of the garden.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are sociable and make firm friendships. They develop their mathematical skills as they compare the milk levels in their drinking glasses or build with bricks of differing sizes and shapes. A broad range of writing materials helps to promote an interest in making marks, such as using paints and chalks. Children frequently visit the classrooms and use the grounds of the host school. They take part in joint reading events with the Reception classes. This helps to prepare them for the next stage of their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 221721 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 1031121 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 26 Number of children on roll 70 Name of registered person Littleport Community Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 16 October 2015 Telephone number 01353 860235

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reference number

Littleport Community Pre-School was registered in 1992 and is managed by a voluntary committee. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff, including the manager, seven of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3. The pre-school opens between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time only. It provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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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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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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