Early Years @ St. James'

Early Years @ St. James' St James C Of E Primary School, Crossfield Road, Rochdale, OL12 9JW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 7 October 2016 Not applicable

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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:

 Risk assessments of the outdoor area are not consistently carried out by staff.  The safeguarding policy for the setting does not include an explanation about the use of mobile phones in the setting.  Staff do not include enough information for parents when completing the progress check for children aged between two and three years.  The manager is not sufficiently aware of the strengths and weaknesses of staff practice. This means that improvements are not always identified or acted upon swiftly and the quality of teaching is variable, overall.  Planning systems are in their infancy and need embedding in practice to ensure children's individual needs are effectively met.  The manager does not consistently gather the views of parents and children when reflecting upon the effectiveness of the setting. She has not clearly identified new priorities for future improvements.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff regularly monitor the progress made by individual children. They put appropriate interventions in place to support them when needed. This supports children to make progress from their starting points in learning.  The staff's relationships with the children are caring, sensitive and kind. They take time to settle children into the nursery and make sure children's care needs are met.  The manager is working closely with other professionals to help drive improvements in the setting. For example, local authority advisers and the school headteacher are offering support, training and guidance to the staff team.

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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

 ensure that risk assessments identify areas that need to be checked on a regular basis and all reasonable steps to remove, minimise and manage risks are taken, with particular regard to the outdoor area 21/10/2016

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Due Date

 include information in the setting's safeguarding policy about the use of mobile phones 21/10/2016

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Due Date

 identify areas where children's progress is less than expected, strategies to address concerns and how this this can be supported at home when completing the progress check for children aged between two and three years. 31/10/2016

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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

 improve the monitoring of the practice of staff and raise the quality of teaching to be consistently high  embed planning systems further to create highly challenging activities for all children  gather the views of parents and children when reflecting on the effectiveness of the setting and use these to help identify priorities for improvement, evaluating the impact of any changes made on children's learning and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager and headteacher. The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as staff supervisions, policies and procedures, children's assessment information and planning, and the setting's self-evaluation.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a suitable knowledge of child protection issues. They understand what action to take if concerned about the welfare of a child in their care. However, staff do not always check the outdoor area sufficiently well. For example, there are bits of rubbish in the playhouse and the water tray is dirty. Staff understand what the dangers could be of parents, staff or visitors having access to their mobile phones in the setting. However, the safeguarding policy and procedures do not include how this will be effectively managed. Staff have relevant childcare qualifications and attend professional development opportunities. The manager has completed training about staff supervisions. However, these have just been implemented. Observations of staff practice are not yet frequent enough to help drive the quality of teaching to a consistently high standard. Self-evaluation processes are not rigorous enough to identify

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

priorities for improvement and are not informed by the view of parents and children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The quality of teaching is variable. Some staff engage the children well, for example, enthusiastically encouraging them to listen carefully to the noise, as they shake a large container full of pine cones. However, there are missed opportunities to further children's learning. For example, children use their imagination to paint the playhouse with water and brushes, yet without interaction from staff they lose interest in the activity. Staff complete observations of children's play using an online system, which summarises the progress children are making. Staff are beginning to use this information to identify gaps in children's learning and plan activities that are better targeted to children's needs. Staff complete a progress check for children aged between two and three years. However, this does not identify areas where children are not making expected progress or how they can be supported with what they need to learn next.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

The indoor environment is stimulating and welcoming for children. However, the outdoor area is not fully checked by staff before the children go to play, resulting in some areas being unclean. Generally, children behave well. However, younger children lose concentration when sat in a large group for singing or while waiting for parents to arrive. Children enjoy making obstacle courses, practising their balancing skills and completing trails around the school grounds. This helps to promote their physical well-being. Children develop their growing independence. For example, they pour they own drinks at snack time and persevere to take their own coats off.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children make some progress from their starting points in learning, including children who have special educational needs or disability. However, the quality of teaching and assessment requires improvement, in order for children to make good, or better, progress. They learn about sounds, letters and numbers. They learn how to cooperate with others and take turns. They grow in confidence and self-esteem. This helps them to develop some key skills in preparation for school and their future.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY487467 Local authority Rochdale Inspection number 1009386 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 3 Total number of places 34 Number of children on roll 24 Name of registered person St James' C of E Primary School Governing Body

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01706 378268

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reference number

Early Years @ St. James' was registered in 2015. They operate from a portable building on the site of St. James C of E Primary School. The nursery employs three members of childcare staff. All of these hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or 3, including the nursery manager who has early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.50am until 11.50am or 12.20pm until 3.20pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery also cares for children who have special educational needs or disability.

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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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