Park Town Pre- School

Park Town Pre-School Parktown Community Centre, Bailey Street, Luton, Beds, LU1 3DU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 December 2016 13 March 2013

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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 well-qualified staff team makes regular assessments of children's development and uses this information to plan for their next steps in learning. The progress of individual children and groups of children is tracked and any concerns are swiftly addressed. The impact of extra funding received for individual children is consistently evaluated.  Support for the large number of children who speak English as an additional language is good. Staff use highly effective strategies, such as speaking clearly and using simple sign language to help children develop their confidence and engage in learning.  Staff develop highly effective relationships with other professionals. This helps them to effectively meet the needs of children who have special educational needs or disabilities. They work very closely with local children's centres in order to offer support and guidance to parents and children's wider families.

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This provision is good

 Staff help children to learn about each other's backgrounds and cultures. They encourage parents to lead cooking sessions with children. Staff also research how festivals, such as Christmas, are celebrated in the many different countries that children come from. They introduce these traditions into the pre-school's celebrations.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always gather in-depth information from parents when children first start at the pre-school in order to make highly accurate assessments of children's starting points in learning.  Staff do not always give children opportunities to extend their creativity through exploring different textures and materials as they take part in adult-led activities.

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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

 gather more information from parents about children's achievements at home, so that children's starting points in learning can be more accurately assessed and learning planned for at the earliest opportunity  extend opportunities for children to freely explore the different textures and materials available to them during adult-planned activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities both indoors and outside.  The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the day and held a meeting with the manager.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the practice manager.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, information about the nursery's self-evaluation, evidence of suitability of staff and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have a secure understanding of how to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse. They know the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child. Recruitment and vetting procedures are robust. New staff are supported well through their induction and they quickly gain a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The staff benefit from supervision meetings, where their professional development is given high priority. Staff confidently talk about the positive impact training has on their practice. For example, they have learnt how to use sign language to help improve children's communication skills. Self-evaluation is effectively used to drive continuous improvements. The manager and staff are working hard to develop even more ways to involve parents in children's learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff are very aware of children's interests and use these to help motivate them to learn. For example, staff use pictures of trains as discussion topics to help children who speak English as additional language to learn words in English. Staff give children plenty of time to engage in their own choice of play and learning, both indoors and outside. Children enjoy watching what happens when they add water to soil. They describe it as a muddy puddle. After further discussion and stirring they delight in asking staff if they want some mud soup. Staff have recently refurbished the book area to make it a more comfortable place for children to sit and look at books. They spend a great deal of time sharing books with children. Children show their developing literacy skills as they predict what might happen next and recall the sequence of events. Staff are encouraging parents to use books at home with their children by introducing a lending library.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff work hard to ensure they meet children's individual needs. They provide a wide range of nutritious food to help children make healthy choices. Children are highly independent. They are able to serve themselves snacks and competently pour their own drinks. Children's behaviour is good. They play together well and develop effective friendships with others. Staff are aware that many children have no space outside at home in which to play. Every day they transform the space available to them outdoors into an effective learning environment. Children skilfully ride bicycles and scooters, negotiating their way round each other. They laugh as they chase their friends, showing their sheer delight of playing outside.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff quickly identify where development is less than expected and put in place strategies to help children catch up. Staff use small-group times to help children to learn about the world and to promote mathematical skills. Staff encourage children to make marks to represent their names as they dip their fingers in paint. Children enjoy learning and this gives a strong foundation on which to build their ongoing education and prepares them well for their eventual move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY453921 Local authority Luton Inspection number 1066369 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 40 Name of registered person Pre-School Learning Alliance

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 March 2013 Telephone number 07553348487

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reference number

Park Town Pre-School was registered in 2012. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, from 9am until midday and 12.30pm until 3.30pm, term time only. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school supports children who have special educational needs or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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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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