Little Jimmy's Pre-school

Little Jimmy's Pre-school St James Church Hall, Tower Road, Clacton On Sea, Essex, CO15 1LF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 November 2017 4 July 2017

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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:

 The manager is not yet fully effective in monitoring and coaching staff to address all the inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and their interactions with children.  Staff in the pre-school room do not organise routines well enough to ensure that children can persevere, play without interruption and continue exploring an activity.  The impact of additional funding on children's learning is not yet measured effectively to help ensure that outcomes are improving more rapidly for these children.  Children have fewer opportunities to develop their understanding of basic technology.

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It has the following strengths

 The manager and staff have worked hard to ensure that the majority of the actions raised at the last inspection have been addressed. They have worked closely with the local authority advisers and are now beginning to improve the quality of the provision.  Staff get to know the children well. This helps children to settle and become confident. Children develop trusting relationships with their key person and the other staff.  Partnerships with parents and carers are strong. Staff use effective methods to share information and offer helpful ideas for activities to support children's learning at home.  Parents say they are happy with the pre-school and speak positively about the staff. They are consulted about their views, and any suggestions are valued and acted on.  Children benefit from a safe and stimulating outdoor environment where they can play energetically and investigate and explore a broad range of activities.

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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 supervision and performance management of staff further to thoroughly evaluate the quality of teaching, identify how staff can improve their personal effectiveness and provide them with appropriate support, coaching and training. 20/12/2017

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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

 extend opportunities for children in the pre-school room to follow their interests, persevere and make choices in their play without interruption  measure more closely the impact of additional funding, including the early years pupil premium, on children's learning to help make sure that outcomes for these children are improving more rapidly and they are working towards making good or better progress  extend opportunities for children to explore basic technology and learn about the different ways it can be used.

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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 carried out two joint observations with the manager and viewed a sample of the children's development records.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff and children.  The inspector reviewed evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the staff, action plans, risk assessments and policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from the written comments obtained by the pre-school.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Although many improvements have been made since the last inspection, the systems to manage the performance of staff are not fully effective. The manager does not carry out frequent observations of staff practice and provide supervision meetings to evaluate and swiftly act on weaknesses in teaching. There is an action plan for further improvements, including some further training to build on the level of staff's qualifications. However, this is yet to be fully effective in raising all practice to a good enough standard. Safeguarding is effective. Staff complete safeguarding training and know what to do if they have a concern about a child in their care. Robust recruitment procedures help to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff carry out thorough risk assessments, and the hazard previously identified in the outdoor area has now been removed.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff have made positive changes in the provision for younger children. However, staff do not use their teaching skills consistently or organise routines thoughtfully to extend older children's learning. Staff have reflected and improved the range of activities to help cover all areas of learning. However, older children have fewer opportunities to select resources and use different types of technology. Staff complete regular assessments of children's achievements and broadly plan for the next steps in their learning. Some improvements have been made regarding the monitoring of the progress of the different groups of children. However, the manager does not check that additional funding is used wisely to help make a significant impact on children's development. Most children are steadily developing their language skills, including those who speak English as an additional language. Staff engage children in singing their favourite songs. They help them to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

describe their understanding of messy and sensory materials in their play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff do not always ensure that the older children are given enough time to concentrate or persevere with an activity of their own choosing without interruption. This means that not all children are fully supported to respond to challenge, extend their own ideas and build on existing skills. Staff manage children's behaviour appropriately. They encourage them to show care and respect towards others. Children are supported to lead a healthy lifestyle and become increasingly confident in managing hygiene routines independently.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Due to the weaknesses in teaching, not all of the older children make good enough progress. Nevertheless, the majority of children gain the basic skills they need for starting school. Children are happy, active and inquisitive in their play. They chat to staff and like to ask visitors questions. Children learn to use good manners and begin to share and take turns. They enjoy doing things for themselves and look at books for pleasure. Children count, sort items by colour and shape and explore the properties of magnets.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY415398 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1108581 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 40 Number of children on roll 39 Name of registered person Little Jimmy's Preschool Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 4 July 2017 Telephone number 01255427629

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reference number

Little Jimmy's Pre-school registered in 2010 and is run by a limited company. There are 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold a relevant early years qualification at level 4, four hold level 3 and three hold level 2. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 8.45am until 11.45am, with lunch from 11.45am until 12.30pm, and afternoon sessions are from 12.30pm until 3.30pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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