Priory Park Pre-School

Priory Park Pre-School Community Hall, Upper Brook Drive, Locks Heath, Southampton, Hampshire, SO31 6PT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 November 2016 8 December 2015

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff do not have a clear understanding of their responsibilities to keep children safe. Those in charge of child protection have not completed relevant training for their role. Staff are not fully aware of what criteria makes them unsuitable to work with children.  Staffing arrangements do not always meet the needs of very young children or those who are new to the pre-school.  The head of the pre-school does not monitor staff practice closely enough to identify the weaknesses in teaching.  Supervision meetings are not used well enough to help staff improve their practice.  Staff do not monitor children’s learning effectively. Although staff carry out observations, they do not use this information to consider precisely what children need to learn next.  Senior staff do not check children's learning records closely enough to make sure that any gaps in children's learning are closing. The required checks on children's progress

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This provision is inadequate

when they are aged between two and three years are not always carried out.  Committee members lack understanding of their role in managing the pre-school and supporting staff to make ongoing improvements.

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It has the following strengths

 Parents are happy with the pre-school and praise the work of the staff.

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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

 make sure staff with lead responsibility for child protection undertake a relevant training course designed for lead practitioners 23/12/2016

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Due Date

 ensure all staff fully understand, and can implement, the pre- school's child protection policy and have up-to-date knowledge of all safeguarding issues, including the Prevent duty 23/12/2016

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Due Date

 make sure all staff are fully aware of the criteria which may make them disqualified, or disqualified by association, from working with children 23/12/2016

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Due Date

 make better use of supervision arrangements for all staff, including the head of the pre-school, to identify more clearly the weaknesses in staff practice and address training needs 17/02/2017

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Due Date

 review the key person system to make sure staffing arrangements meet the needs of individual children, especially when they are new to the group 23/12/2016

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Due Date

 improve the quality of teaching to make sure it is consistently good or better and takes account of all children's individual needs and abilities 17/02/2017

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Due Date

 carry out a check on children's progress within the prime areas of learning when they are aged between two and three years and share this information with parents 17/02/2017

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Due Date

 improve assessment arrangements to more closely monitor children's learning and development and set accurate and precise next steps so that each child continues to make good or better progress 17/02/2017

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Due Date

 improve the use of assessment to help staff monitor all children's progress and make sure any gaps in children's learning are closing. 17/02/2017

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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

 make sure committee members have a better understanding of their legal responsibilities to enable them to contribute more effectively to the development and improvement of the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the support for children's learning during activities inside and outside.  The inspector assessed how well staff understand the pre-school safeguarding policies, and how they monitor children's learning.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the head of the pre-school to assess how well senior staff monitor the quality of teaching.  The inspector talked to a small number of parents and committee members during the inspection and took their views into account.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation including confirmation of staff training and children's learning records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is not effective. Not enough action is taken to keep children safe. Staff lack confidence in knowing how to report any concerns about children. They do not always know the role of the different child protection agencies and have not updated their knowledge of new safeguarding guidance. The deputy manager who shares responsibility for safeguarding has not completed relevant training. This puts children at risk and means any concerns may not be referred quickly and to the correct agencies. The head of the pre-school and staff lack awareness of what criteria may make them disqualified to work with children. Therefore, when they sign a declaration to say they are suitable, they have not taken into account all the necessary criteria. Supervision sessions and team meetings are not used well enough for staff to reflect on their practice and update their knowledge of revised guidance and regulations. Staff have limited access to training and development

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

opportunities. The head of the pre-school has not carried out accurate observations of practice to identify the weaknesses in teaching. The lack of close monitoring and accurate self-evaluation means that breaches in legal requirements have not been identified. Although the management committee are very supportive in raising funds for the pre- school, they do not fully understand their role in supporting the head of the pre-school to make improvements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The quality of teaching is too inconsistent. Some staff lack up-to-date knowledge of how to carefully monitor children's learning. Although they complete observations of what children are doing, and share these with parents, they do not use this information to check children are making the progress that is typical for their age. This lack of accurate evaluation means staff do not always plan activities that will challenge children and help them to make expected progress. Checks are not always carried out when children are aged between two and three years. This is a breach in legal requirements. When children are identified as needing extra support with their learning, staff rely too much on information provided by other agencies. This means staff do not accurately monitor children's progress within the early years foundation stage and precisely evaluate children's learning needs. Although some children are in receipt of funding, this is not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

always used to best effect as staff do not always have an accurate knowledge of what each child knows and can already do. When teaching is better, staff value what children are doing and saying. The current theme of 'aliens' has been planned in response to children's interests in different stories. Many activities have been planned around this theme. For example, on the day of inspection, children enjoyed creating alien figures out of play dough. Partnerships with parents are well established. Information is shared about weekly topics and themes and children enjoy bringing items from home to support planned activities. Links with the local infant school are also used well and staff work closely with the Reception teacher to share any relevant information.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The weaknesses in safeguarding put children at risk. Not enough consideration is given towards making sure staffing arrangements meet children's needs. For example, the head of pre-school had not recognised that it was the non-working day of both of the two staff who had got to know a new child well. Other staff lacked a detailed knowledge of the child's individual needs. This weakness impacts on children's emotional well-being. Children behave well within the pre-school. Older children quickly remind others when they are not following the 'rules' of different games. Children of mixed ages play well together and show kindness and respect for one another. Staff encourage children to become independent within the daily routine. For example, children make their own choices and take care of their needs. There are many opportunities for children to develop their physical skills and benefit from fresh air and exercise to support their healthy

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Weaknesses in teaching mean staff cannot be sure that children make good progress. The lack of accurate assessment means that not all children are challenged well enough. Activities are not always carefully planned to match each child’s abilities. There are no systems in place to check that all groups of children achieve well. Therefore, senior staff cannot monitor whether any gaps in children's learning are closing. Despite this, children do enjoy their time at pre-school. They arrive happily and enthusiastically and show interest in their learning and the activities available to them. Children are beginning to develop a keen interest in numbers and the sounds letters represent. This helps them to gain some of the skills they need for starting school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 511089 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1037410 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 29 Name of registered person Priory Park Pre-school Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 December 2015 Telephone number 07549155651

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reference number

Priory Park Pre-School has been established in the Locks Heath area of Southampton since 1991. It operates from a community hall in a residential area. The pre-school is open every day except Wednesday from 9.15am to 3pm. On Wednesdays, sessions run from 11.45am to 2.45pm. A team of seven members of staff work with the children, all of whom hold early years qualifications. Funding for early years education is accepted for children aged two, three and four years.

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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

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