Whirlybobs Pre-School

Whirlybobs Pre-School 1st Sticker Scout Hut, St. Stephen Road, Sticker, St Austell, Cornwall, PL26 7HA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 January 2018 9 June 2015

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The manager does not provide staff with the support and coaching they need to tackle weaknesses in their practice and improve the quality of their teaching. Training is ineffective to improve staff skills. At times, staff stand around and do not engage with the children.  Observation, assessment and planning are weak. Staff do not know what children need to learn next or how to link this to the planning of activities. Their interaction with children is poor overall, and activities lack challenge to help children make the progress they are capable of, particularly outdoors, to help extend their thoughts, ideas and skills.  Although staff have some links with outside professionals, the system is not fully effective to ensure staff work with those who share the care of children, to promote continuity in their care and learning.  The provider has failed to maintain continuous improvement of the provision. They

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This provision is inadequate

have not taken sufficient action to address previous recommendations, which hinders children's ability to progress as well as they can, especially in mathematics.  Outdoors, staff limit children's experiences to explore the environment safely and fully, and do not help them to understand and learn about taking safe risks.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff help support children's confidence and self-esteem. For example, they praise their achievements.

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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

 monitor staff practice effectively to identify weaknesses in practice, and provide the appropriate support and training to improve their knowledge, interaction and teaching skills, to help children reach their full potential 19/03/2018

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Due Date

 improve the observation, assessment and planning process to ensure staff use what they know about children's interests, abilities, and next steps to plan meaningful and stimulating activities, particularly outdoors, to help children move on to their next stage of development 19/03/2018

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Due Date

 provide children with focused challenges, particularly in mathematics, to help extend their thoughts, ideas, discussions and understanding, and consistently help children to count, solve problems and recognise numbers 19/03/2018

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Due Date

 develop a good two-way flow of information with all outside professionals involved with the children, to ensure their needs are consistently met. 19/03/2018

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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

 develop effective methods to evaluate the provision, to identify key weaknesses and address these promptly to help improve the provision for children  help children identify and understand potential risks, to help them explore, investigate and play safely outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of staff teaching inside and outside, and assessed the impact it has on children's learning and development.  The inspector held a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector engaged with children, and spoke to parents about their views of the provision.  The inspector held an interview with the manager and nominated person to discuss aspects of leadership and management.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including safeguarding policies and staff suitability, children's assessment records, staff supervision procedures, and the planning of activities.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Since the last inspection, management has identified weaknesses in practice through the self-evaluation process. However, it has not taken sufficient action to address these, including addressing previous recommendations, to help maintain the previously good standards. Staff supervision procedures are not robust enough and the quality of teaching is weak. The manager does not provide staff with the necessary support, for example, to ensure they use their training knowledge to provide children with effective learning opportunities, to help build on what they already know. Although staff attend regular training, they do not use this to improve their skills, such as helping children to learn about mathematical concepts when outdoors. The system to work with other settings that children attend is not fully secure to meet all children's individual needs consistently. The manager does not monitor observation, assessment and planning processes carefully

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

enough to oversee the progress children make. Breaches of the learning and development requirements have a significant impact on children's future progress. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a competent understanding of child protection arrangements, to help protect children from harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Children do not receive adequate support from staff to help them reach their full potential. Although staff obtain information from parents to provide activities that follow children's interests, they do not demonstrate that they have the knowledge or expertise, to help children make rapid progress. Staff make frequent observations and assessments of children's development, but these do not accurately reflect children's current level of learning and next steps. Staff do not plan activities that challenge children based on their interests and next steps. For instance, children 'wash' and 'dry' plates, however, staff provide little interaction and encouragement, as they do not know the purpose of the activity or how to meet children's needs during it. Adult-led activities are not fully effective. Staff provide spontaneous activities, but they do not ensure they link closely to children's current skills. The combination of weak teaching, poor planning and staff

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

inability to use what they know about children's abilities, hinders children's capability to learn and make good progress when at the pre-school.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Significant weaknesses to leadership and management, and staff skills and knowledge limit children's motivation, interest and ability to learn well. The outdoor area is not stimulating, and does not provide children with sufficient activities or challenge. Staff do not make good use of the learning opportunities or let children explore their outdoor environment. They do not enable children to manage their own risks, or develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe through challenging physical activities. Children do not receive sufficient experiences to support their physical and emotional well- being. Nonetheless, staff encourage children to share and develop their independence, and are kind and caring towards the children.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children are predominately self-motivated in their learning. They learn to make up their own activities, such as driving toy cars through muddy puddles. Although they enjoy their play, activities and poor staff interaction do not provide them with the challenge and encouragement they need. The skills and knowledge children have acquired do not correspond to the teaching that they receive from the pre-school staff. They do not receive adequate support to help them move forward in their learning, and eventual move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY432091 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 1095007 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 26 Number of children on roll 14 Name of registered person Whirlybobs Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 June 2015 Telephone number 01726 67779 / 07900872035

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reference number

Whirlybobs Pre-School re-registered in 2011. It operates from the scout hut in the village of Sticker, near St. Austell, Cornwall. The pre-school is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 3.30pm, and on Thursday from 9am to 12.30pm. On Wednesday afternoon, the pre-school runs a baby and toddler group from 1.15pm to 2.45pm. The pre-school operates during term time only and provides free early education funding to children aged two, three and four years. There are eight members of staff, seven of whom hold early years 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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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