St. Oswald's Pre-School

St. Oswald's Pre-School St Oswald's Primary School, Padgate Lane, Padgate, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 3LB

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 November 2017 19 May 2017

p.1

3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

p.1

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

 Although steady improvements have been made, systems to monitor the quality of the provision, including staff performance, are not rigorous enough to drive improvement further.  Weaknesses in assessment, planning and the quality of teaching mean children do not always make good progress in some aspects of their learning.  Older children and rapid learners do not always receive the levels of challenge they need to help them stay focused and achieve.  Staff do not routinely discuss with parents when will be the most useful time to provide a summary of their child's progress, to fully support integrated working with other professionals.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 The manager took appropriate steps to address the issues raised in the last inspection to help ensure children's safety and welfare.  Children enjoy caring and affectionate relationships with the staff team, who works closely with parents to ensure children's individual care needs are fully met.  Children are happy and enjoy their time at the pre-school. They settle quickly and feel safe to access the full range of activities on offer.  Children benefit from some excellent opportunities to explore the outdoor areas.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

p.2

Due Date

 develop the programme for staff supervision and ensure there is a well-established programme of professional development, to coach and support staff to improve the quality of teaching and drive continuous improvement 01/12/2017

p.2

Due Date

 ensure staff regularly and accurately assess children's progress to plan purposeful and challenging activities that match their age and stage of development 01/12/2017

p.2

Due Date

 agree with parents when will be the most useful time to provide a summary of their child's progress at age two to further support integrated working with other professionals. 01/12/2017

p.2

Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

Due Date

 implement a rigorous process for self-evaluation that uses challenging criteria to improve the quality of the provision.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector jointly evaluated an activity and discussed the impact on children's learning with the deputy manager.  The inspector met with the deputy manager and spoke to the local authority adviser.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of adults working in the pre-school, looked at relevant documentation and discussed the pre-school's self-evaluation and plans for improvement.  The inspector spoke to and took account of the views of children and parents spoken to during the inspection.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. Staff are alert to indicators of possible abuse and have a satisfactory knowledge of how to respond to and report these. Designated staff have completed relevant training and are now able to respond appropriately should an allegation be made against a member of staff. Staff have also increased their understanding of wider safeguarding issues, such as potential extremism. Since the last inspection, the manager and the newly appointed deputy have welcomed the advice and support of the local authority. However, internal processes for self-evaluation are not rigorous enough. Furthermore, the leadership team does not monitor the quality of assessments of children's progress closely enough. As a result, some children's progress is not accurately assessed, which has an impact on staff's ability to plan effectively for future learning. A programme for staff supervision has been introduced but this does not focus

p.3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

sufficiently on professional development to further improve the quality of teaching.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The quality of teaching and learning is variable. Staff are very experienced. They use what they know about child development to help children learn new skills through a board range of experiences. However, weaknesses in planning mean staff do not consistently plan purposeful and challenging activities that fully match individual learning needs. Staff create a welcoming and accessible environment that promotes independent learning. Children enjoy a broad range of activities and confidently make meaningful choices about how they spend their time. Parents are generally well informed about their child's learning and are encouraged to share what they know about their child's development. However, staff do not talk with parents about the timing of the required progress check for children aged between two and three years so they are able to share details with other relevant professionals.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are caring, nurturing and promote children's emotional well-being very effectively. Young children spontaneously snuggle into staff as they listen to stories. During walks through woodland areas in the school grounds they explore confidently, reassured by the encouragement and presence of familiar staff. Older children excitedly collect the autumn leaves and enjoy climbing on fixed equipment. Self-care skills and personal independence are very well promoted. Snack times are utilised as a valuable learning opportunity. Children pour their own drinks and select their own snacks. Staff are positive role models who support children well as they learn to manage their behaviour.

p.3

Outcomes for children require improvement

Despite weaknesses in teaching, planning and assessment, all children make some progress. They enjoy learning new skills within a safe and supportive environment and are developing many of the key skills they need for school. Older children communicate confidently and listen with interest to short stories. They play with imagination, acting out real and imagined experiences. Children achieve high levels of personal independence.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 315247 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 1099449 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 19 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person St. Oswalds Pre-School Committee

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 19 May 2017 Telephone number 01925 825425

p.4

reference number

St. Oswald's Pre-School registered in 1991. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only, from 8.45am to 3.15pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

reference number

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

p.5