Stantonfields Pre-School

Stantonfields Pre-School c/o Wood End First School, Redbridge, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, MK14 6BB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 January 2017 6 June 2013

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3

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:

 The manager has some arrangements to monitor staff but these are not effective in identifying inconsistences in the quality of teaching.  At times, staff complete tasks for children and do not recognise opportunities that arise to encourage children to develop their independence.  Staff do not make the most of opportunities for children to learn how to stay safe.  The manager does not use self-evaluation sufficiently to identify areas where improvement is needed.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff have positive partnerships with parents to help provide consistency of care. Staff develop links with schools to ease children's move to school.  Children are keen to practise their early reading skills. For example, children handle books confidently and respond to events in stories read by staff.  Staff are friendly and provide a warm welcome to children who are settled, happy and well-behaved.  Staff provide an interesting range of opportunities for children to be physically active. For example, children use climbing equipment, and have music and movement sessions.  Staff are effective in helping children learn about the wider world. For example, they plan a variety of activities to raise children's awareness of the community they live in and provide a range of images and resources to reflect diversity.

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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 the arrangements to monitor the quality of teaching to target support as precisely as possible for staff to raise teaching to a consistently good level. 06/02/2017

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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

 increase opportunities for children to complete tasks for themselves to provide further challenge and promote their independence  create more opportunities for children to increase their safety awareness  make effective use of ongoing self-evaluation to identify any breaches of legal requirements and target areas for future improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching practices and the impact these have on children's learning.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff, children and parents.  The inspector read some of the setting's documentation including the safeguarding policy and procedures.  The inspector sampled children's development information and records.  The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a secure understanding of child protection and have a clear understanding of the process to follow should they need to report any child protection concerns. The manager has arrangements to support staff, for example, by providing guidance and training. However, monitoring arrangements are not strong enough to identify inconsistencies in the quality of teaching among the staff team. Staff work together with other professionals to devise plans to help children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The manager involves staff and parents when reviewing the provision. However, self-evaluation is not accurate enough to identify all the weaknesses in practice and make improvements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Overall, staff use observations and assessments of children effectively to plan for their future learning. However, some activities lack challenge. For example, some planned activities provide limited opportunities for children to explore their own ideas. Staff are not vigilant enough to recognise when some children are not engaged in their learning. For example, some children sit for long periods of time waiting to use equipment and do not take part in purposeful play. Despite the inconsistencies in teaching, overall, children enjoy a range of activities on offer. For example, children focused and persevered as they attempted to free objects frozen in ice. Staff support children's physical development, for instance, as children used tools to break ice and spoons to scoop oats into cups.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff effectively teach children about good hygiene practices but do not encourage them to consider all aspects of staying safe. At times, toys and resources that children have finished using create a cluttered environment and become potential tripping hazards. Overall, staff support children's independent skills such as collecting equipment and pouring drinks. However, this is not consistent and some staff complete tasks that children can manage for themselves. Staff support children's social skills effectively. For example, children work well together and learn to share and take turns.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children develop some useful skills to assist them in the next stage of their learning but they are not all suitably challenged or motivated to learn to make consistently good progress. Children develop their early mathematical skills. For example, they are keen to join in with games such as hopscotch and recognise some numbers. Children develop their vocabulary and communication skills. For example, they talk confidently about constructions they make and conversation topics that interest them.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 141805 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 1061461 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 - 4 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 62 Name of registered person Stantonfields Pre-School Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 6 June 2013 Telephone number 01908 322304

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reference number

Stantonfields Pre-School registered in 1996. It operates within the main building of Wood End First School in Stantonbury, Milton Keynes. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4.15pm during term time. There are nine staff and, of these, five hold qualifications at level 3 and three are qualified at level 2. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education to 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

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

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