The Centre Pre-School

The Centre Pre-School Straight Road Community Centre, 329 Straight Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 9EF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 October 2016 4 November 2015

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Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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:

 Action taken to address weaknesses identified at the last inspection have not been fully successful. Systems for monitoring the quality of teaching have not focused sufficiently on identifying ways of improving children's learning experiences.  Performance management and supervision meetings do not provide staff with effective guidance and support to help them continually improve their knowledge and skills.  The pre-school has not developed fully effective ways of working with all other early years settings that children attend to ensure consistency in their learning and development.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff work closely with parents to ensure they support children's health care needs. Key persons gather detailed information from parents about what children know and can do when they first start. This information is used to inform initial assessments so that key persons can monitor children's progress from the outset.  The long-standing staff team works closely together to provide children with a caring and supportive environment. Parents value the pre-school for not being too structured and providing children with lots of choice in their play. They praise staff for being exceptionally caring.  Staff put a lot of effort into ensuring children have access to a wide range of different resources and activities each day, both inside and out. Children love being outside where they are active and enthusiastic in their play and interactions.

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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 systems of performance management to ensure all staff receive effective supervision to help them develop their practice and work together to identify and target areas for development to ensure the continuous improvement of the pre-school 29/11/2016

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Due Date

 improve information sharing with other early years settings that children attend to ensure that all parties can work together to promote consistency in children's learning. 29/11/2016

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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 systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning to ensure all staff identify and make effective use of available learning opportunities to promote children's good progress.

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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 manager. The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection. The inspector also spoke to a representative of the management committee.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as children's records and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre- school.  The inspector spoke to a small number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Although all staff hold a relevant qualification, they have not received effective guidance and support to help them continue to improve their teaching skills. Supervision meetings are not well established. They are not used effectively to foster a culture of continuous improvement. Instead staff are inclined to do things as they have always been done in the pre-school, without considering other ways of promoting children's learning. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have undertaken training to help them fulfil their roles and responsibilities to protect children from harm. They follow effective procedures to ensure children are safe and well supervised in the pre-school. The newly formed management committee is working with staff to develop some aspects of the pre-school. For example, they are in the process of improving the outdoor environment.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Although staff provide children with a wide range of resources and activities, they do not make the most of the learning opportunities available. Staff are well deployed to encourage children's play and enjoyment. However, at times they fail to identify the learning potential within routines and daily activities, such as during planned crafts sessions. Children who have special educational needs or disabilities receive good levels of targeted support. Staff work closely with parents to identify and plan for areas where children need additional support to start to close identified gaps in their learning. Key persons use observation and assessment to monitor children's progress and identify what children need to learn next.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Although staff work closely with parents and other professionals, partnerships with other settings that children attend are not as well established. This means that staff cannot ensure a fully consistent approach to promoting children's learning. Children settle well and form close relationships with their key person. Staff use lots of praise and encouragement to which children respond well. Staff place importance on ensuring children have good opportunities for physical play in the fresh air each day. Staff join in with children's play and respond to their interests in favourite resources, such as dinosaurs and play dough. Staff provide activities that help children develop good hand-to-eye coordination. Staff are careful to ensure that items provided at snack time meet children's individual dietary requirements.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are not making good enough progress. The quality of teaching requires improvement in order to raise the level of children's achievements overall. Children develop skills in some areas in preparation for school. They are learning to share and take account of the feeling of others. Children are happy and self-assured. They use their imaginations as they play with their friends. Children develop some independence skills in readiness for going to school. For example, older children take part in weekly physical education sessions. Among other things, these sessions help them learn to change into clothing that is more appropriate for physical activity.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 650148 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1032381 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 39 Name of registered person Centre Pre-School (Colchester) Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 4 November 2015 Telephone number 01206 573 341

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reference number

The Centre Pre-School was registered in 1973. It employs six members of childcare staff, who all hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until midday on Mondays and Thursdays with an optional lunch club until 1pm, and from 9am until 3.30pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who have special educational needs or disabilities.

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

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