Kennet Valley Pre-School

Kennet Valley Pre-School Holybrook Centre, Carters Rise, Fords Farm, Calcot, Reading, Berkshire, RG31 7YT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 May 2017 15 November 2016

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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:

 Although staff have received some relevant teaching support since the last inspection, the quality of teaching still varies. For example, not all staff plan group activities well and some staff do not give children sufficient time to think and respond to questions in order to help develop their critical thinking.  Staff do not maintain an accurate record of children's attendance.  At times, staff miss opportunities to encourage and support children's ongoing independence skills in everyday tasks and activities.  Self-evaluation processes are not used effectively to identify and target all weaknesses, in order to provide a high-quality provision.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff make good use of opportunities to extend children's physical development. For example, children explore with foam, ribbons and creative materials.  Parents and other professionals involved in children's care praise the regular information they receive on children's achievements in order to support continuity in care.  Recruitment and appraisal procedures are in place and all staff undertake the required checks to ascertain their suitability to work with children.  Staff monitor children's development well and regularly track and identify next steps in learning to assist children's progress.

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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

 ensure the daily record of attendance contains the names of the children being cared for on the premises and their actual hours of attendance 03/06/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff use good teaching skills to improve outcomes for all children's learning. 03/06/2017

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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

 create more ways to help children manage and build upon their independence skills  develop the use of the self-evaluation to identify all weaknesses and raise the quality of the provision to a higher level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed activities and learning experiences available to children.  The inspector spoke to some parents about their views and opinions of the provision and considered these.  The inspector observed interactions between children and staff and spoke to children.  The inspector asked staff questions about their work and observed practice with the registered provider.  The inspector sampled documentation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. The management team has made some positive improvements since the last inspection. For example, staff have completed safeguarding training and now have a satisfactory understanding of their roles and responsibilities to protect children's welfare. However, accurate records of children's attendance are not maintained, which compromises their safety in the event of an emergency. Staff supervision is in place and training is identified to help promote outcomes for children. The manager monitors and tracks the progress of individuals and groups of children. However, self-reflection is not effective in identifying targets for improvement.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Generally, children are happy and receive a positive experience at the pre-school. Staff welcome the children and they settle into the routine well. However, staff give insufficient consideration to each child's individual needs and interests when planning group activities. For example, not all children are included in group discussions, and at other times staff do not give children sufficient time to think and respond to questions they ask. Despite this, some staff talk to the children during some activities well, supporting their mathematics vocabulary. For example, while children explore with foam, staff talk about the textures and quantity and introduce number concepts.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Weakness in leadership and management has a negative impact on children's development and welfare. Staff support children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they remind children how running in the pre-school is dangerous and talk about safe ways to walk down the hill from the outside play area. Staff encourage children's health and well-being well. For example, all children know to wash their hands prior to mealtimes. Staff support children's behaviour well and offer a good amount of praise and encouragement.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children develop some positive skills needed for their next stages of learning. For example, they learn how print carries meaning and trace the letters of their names. Children are able to make suitable choices about what they would like to play with throughout the sessions. For example, they can choose to draw, explore with vehicles and track or take part in imaginative play. However, children are not well supported in their independence skills. For example, staff put on and fasten children's coats for them and pour their drinks at mealtimes.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 110710 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 1078809 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 3 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Kennett Valley Community Association Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 15 November 2016 Telephone number 07884028715

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reference number

Kennet Valley Pre-School registered in 1991. It operates from the Holybrook Centre in Calcot, near Reading. The pre-school opens five days a week during school term times. Morning sessions are from 9am to 11.45am and afternoon sessions are from 12.30pm to 3.15pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and on Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 12.25pm, including a lunch club. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. There are five staff members who work with the children, three of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification.

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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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