Epsom Playhouse Pre-School

Epsom Playhouse Pre- School Concorde Hall, Epsom Air Scouts, Off Horton Hill, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8SR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 January 2017 14 April 2016

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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:

 Teaching is not consistently good. Some staff do not make the most of opportunities to support and sufficiently challenge children in their learning. As a result, not all children achieve as well as they could.  Systems to asses what children know and can do are not rigorous enough. Staff do not use this information to plan next steps in children's learning effectively. Consequently, not all children are challenged appropriately and engaged in their learning.  Staff do not have systems in place to complete the required progress check on all children aged two years. Consequently, appropriate support and intervention may not be obtained swiftly enough to help children make progress.  The environment limits opportunities for children to become curious and investigative learners. It does not support children's early reading and writing skills, nor their understanding of mathematical ideas and ability to solve problems.

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It has the following strengths

 Children develop secure attachments to staff and build strong relationships with their friends. Staff know children and their families well. Staff work together with parents to help younger and new children settle with ease into the routine of the pre-school.  High priority is placed on ensuring children's safety. Staff help children to understand how to take safe risks in their play. Staff conduct robust risk assessments. They implement secure procedures, for example as children arrive and leave the setting, to ensure children are kept safe.

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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

 introduce systems to monitor the quality of teaching in order to identify and address ways in which teaching can be improved so that it is all of a consistently good standard 24/04/2017

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Due Date

 make better use of the information gained from assessment so that staff have an accurate understanding of what children need to learn next; use this to plan activities that are sufficiently challenging and engage children 24/04/2017

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Due Date

 ensure the progress check for children aged two years is conducted for all children and identifies any concerns so that appropriate support and intervention can be sought at an early stage 24/04/2017

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Due Date

 improve the system to monitor the curriculum to ensure children have a wide range of opportunities to investigate and explore; to develop their early reading and writing skills and their understanding of mathematical concepts. 24/04/2017

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's progress both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector spoke with staff and children at suitable times throughout the inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager during the morning session.  The inspector spoke with parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including evidence of staff and committee suitability checks, some policies and procedures and records of the progress children make.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Systems to monitor the quality of teaching, the planning of the curriculum and the effectiveness of assessment are not sufficiently robust. As a result, some gaps in children's learning, and some aspects of the curriculum, have not been given sufficient enough focus. The new leadership team are aware of the areas for development within the provision and have sought support in order to develop staff's knowledge in areas that need improving. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Recent training means that all staff have a secure knowledge of their responsibilities to protect children within and beyond the setting. New recruitment and induction procedures have been developed with clear expectations of the skills and knowledge required to join the team. Leaders show good commitment to improving the quality of the provision and have a shared vision for the pre-school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The weaknesses in the assessment of children's progress, including when children first start attending the pre-school, mean they are not always sufficiently challenged in their play. Insufficient priority is given to tackling areas where children's progress is not as good as might be expected for their age. This impacts on how well children are prepared for school. Children are happy and enjoy expressing their imagination as they use their rockets they have built to travel to space. Staff introduce language to children and talk to them, listening and valuing their ideas. Staff know what children enjoy and incorporate this into the planning. For example, children's interest in space has led them to making aliens and creating space rockets. Staff promote children's personal and social skills well.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Although children make choices about their learning, they have insufficient opportunities to develop their curiosity and learn to solve problems with their friends. Children are confident and show a good sense of belonging to the group, for example by helping to put together a new piece of equipment. Children show good independence. For example, they go to the bathroom to wash their hands and then serve their own drinks and food from the new snack bar. They enjoy spending time with their friends and laugh together as they participate in action songs and rhymes, singing faster and faster. Children's behaviour is good and they show high levels of self-esteem.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Although all children make progress, some do not achieve as well as they could because the quality of teaching varies. In particular, older children have fewer opportunities to develop their early literacy and maths skills that are key to their future learning. Children make choices about where they play and what they do. They wait patiently for their turn as they play a game in a group. Children talk about the different features of the aliens they build and make suggestions about what they are called, what they eat and how they move.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY423536 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 1080098 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 29 Name of registered person Epsom Playhouse Pre - School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 14 April 2016 Telephone number 07759 980927

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reference number

Epsom Playhouse Pre-School registered in 1996. It is located in Epsom, Surrey. The pre- school is open from Monday to Thursday from 9am to 3pm and from 9am to 12 noon on a Friday. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school employs five staff who work with the children; of whom, four hold relevant qualifications at level 3.

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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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