Nicholson Hall Pre-School

Nicholson Hall Pre-School St Andrews Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 1QA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 May 2017 30 March 2015

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Good 2

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The registered provider has not informed Ofsted of all changes to the committee, so that the necessary suitability checks can be carried out to ensure their suitability for the role.  The manager has not identified that the risk assessment procedures are not robust. Some potential risks in the environment have been overlooked.  The manager does not effectively monitor all aspects of her provision during the self- evaluation process. She has not met a number of legal requirements.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are good at extending children's knowledge. For example, they ask appropriate questions and give them time to fully consider their response. Children are eager to engage in conversation. They communicate well and are very sociable.  Staff teach children about the life cycle of plants and animals. Children gain scientific knowledge, they talk about nature and enjoy discussing their own experiences.  The key-person system works very well. Children have formed good attachments to their key person and always ask for support when they need it. New children settle very quickly into the daily routine.  Staff work well with other professionals. For instance, they follow advice about how to give good support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Additional funding is used very effectively so that all children make good 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 that Ofsted is notified of all changes to committee members, and all required paperwork is completed to allow Ofsted to carry out suitability checks 03/06/2017

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Due Date

 improve risk assessment procedures to ensure that all potential risks are identified and minimised. 11/05/2017

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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

 improve the methods used to self-evaluate the provision to identify weaknesses in practice and breaches to the statutory requirements.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed interactions between staff and children in all areas of the pre- school.  The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation.  The inspector spoke to parents.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She explained how she evaluates the provision she offers parents and children.  The inspector spoke to staff about safeguarding policies and the procedures they follow to keep children safe.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The provider has not shared all required information about committee members with Ofsted. Without this information Ofsted has been unable to complete the required suitability checks. The manager's self-evaluation process is limited. Although she does reflect on some areas of her practice, she has not identified some weaknesses. Safeguarding is effective. Staff are familiar with the safeguarding policies and understand the procedures to follow to keep children safe. Although risk assessments are not robust because some potential risks have been overlooked, the manager took swift action to address this during the inspection. Staff are well deployed across the setting, and children do remain safe. The manager makes sure that staff remain suitable to carry out their roles, and they discuss individual training needs. Recently, staff have accessed courses on improving children's early talking skills. The provider has lowered the starting age of

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

children at the pre-school. Their new knowledge about early communication has been particularly useful with the younger age group.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff support children to fully use their creative skills, for example, as children make marble art. They have great fun using their physical skills to control the marbles as they splash paint around. Children compare the different effects on their paintings. Staff have good relationships with parents; they talk about what children like to do and how they can help them make progress. Staff work well with different ages of children. For example, older children draw shapes and count coloured pegs. Younger children make playdough cakes and use different sized pens and brushes to make marks. Children are proud of the achievements they make and all children attain well. The manager monitors children's progress well.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

The breaches in requirements have a minimal impact on children's personal development and welfare. Committee members are always supervised with children at pre-school. Children learn to assess risk but staff are a short distance away if they require help. Staff encourage children to be caring towards others. For example, they are good role models and show children how to safely pass tools to friends. Staff give children opportunities for physical play. For instance, they climb, run and move their bodies in different ways.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress. Children identify a range of letters and write letters that are familiar to them. They display good levels of self-motivation and make choices about how they want to play. Children are independent and well prepared to make the challenging move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 507941 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1091142 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 24 Name of registered person Nicholson Hall Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 30 March 2015 Telephone number 07754 101 965

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reference number

Nicholson Hall Pre-School opened in the 1960s and registered with Ofsted in 2001. It is managed by a voluntary committee and has charitable status. It operates from rooms in a church building in the Gosport area of Hampshire. The pre-school is open on Monday to Thursday from 9am to 3.30pm and on Friday from 9am until midday. The pre-school employs six members of staff to work with the children. Four members of staff hold a qualification at level 3 and one member of staff holds a qualification at level 5. The pre- school receives funding for free early education sessions 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

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

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