St Michael's Pre School

St Michael's Pre School Village Hall, Whaddon Lane, Hilperton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 7RN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 January 2018 14 May 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 Good 2

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Children's welfare is put at significant risk because there are weaknesses in management's safeguarding and child protection knowledge. As a result, they do not consistently follow procedures for reporting and sharing allegations made against staff with the local social services and Ofsted.  The provider has failed to inform Ofsted of all changes to the committee members within the required timeframe.  Although staff use information well overall to plan for children's learning, they do not plan whole-group activities as effectively, to precisely match children's needs.  The manager does not have a clear picture of how well different groups of children, such as boys and girls, who attend the pre-school are progressing, to identify any gaps in achievement.  The provider and manager do not use the evaluation process fully effectively to identify and target all areas of weakness and breaches in requirement.

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It has the following strengths

 Children enjoy their time at this friendly pre-school. The caring staff help children build strong relationships. Children are confident, highly independent and eager learners.  Staff use training well to develop their good teaching skills. They extend children's play effectively so that all make good progress, including those needing additional help.  Staff work closely with parents. They regularly discuss children's progress and give parents useful advice to help them support their children's learning at home.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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Due Date

 implement an effective policy and procedures, in line with the guidance of the Local Safeguarding Children Board, to ensure that an appropriate and prompt referral is made to deal with allegations against staff 22/02/2018

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Due Date

 provide Ofsted with the required information to carry out suitability checks on all committee members within the required timescale. 22/02/2018

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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

 review whole-group activities to ensure activities are tailored as precisely as possible to children's learning needs  monitor the progress of different groups of children, such as boys and girls, more precisely, to be able to target teaching to help all children consistently make the best possible progress  improve the evaluation process to identify and target all areas of weakness and breaches in requirement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and children's learning indoors and outside.  The inspector held meetings with the management team of the pre-school.  The inspector spoke with several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector sampled the pre-school's documentation, including records of children's learning, case notes, policies and procedures, evidence of staff suitability and the self- evaluation record.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. They discussed how she monitors the quality of provision.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. The provider and staff do not have a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures. They have not informed the local social services of concerns regarding the safety and welfare of children. This significantly compromises children's welfare. However, the provider, staff and parents have worked tirelessly to secure the new premises, and ensure children settle quickly and enjoy learning in their new stimulating environment. The manager checks the accuracy of staff assessments regularly to ensure they identify quickly gaps in individual children's learning. Staff use the information well to plan activities or secure additional support to help every child make good progress. Parents praise the staff team and find them warm and approachable. The manager and staff work closely with parents and other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, paediatricians and other settings that children attend. They share information

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

effectively to help them improve children's outcomes. Although self-evaluation has not identified major weaknesses and breaches in requirements, recommendations from the last inspection have been met.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff support children's learning skilfully because they know the children's needs well. They provide a wide range of stimulating activities that captures children's interests. For example, children are fascinated by model sea creatures that staff freeze into a sheet of ice, and they add ice cubes to extend play. Children use rich language as they play. They are amazed to see ice melt into water. They make links with frozen puddles and later they see how lard melts as they make birdfeeders. They gain a good understanding of the world around them. Children confidently develop their own play. For example, they mix ice into mud cooking and move obstacles to jump over. Children develop good physical skills. Interesting resources encourage children to play creatively and to talk about what they are doing. Staff support children's speech very well. They have lively conversations with children about things that are important to them, such as family outings.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children's welfare is at significant risk due to inadequate safeguarding arrangements. However, the warm and attentive staff help children feel secure. They are good role models, treating others with kindness and respect. Children learn from this and behave very well. They learn to recognise and manage small risks. For example, they put on helmets when riding a bicycle, saying 'in case I bang my head'. Staff encourage children to do things for themselves. Children hang up coats, use the toilet and put on boots to go outside, needing little help. They play energetically every day, and enjoy healthy snacks and sociable mealtimes, which benefits their good health. Children are involved in charitable causes, and visit the church and the allotments. They learn about other people and their local community.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are confident, highly independent and articulately express their views. They use their growing understanding of mathematical ideas as they build, count and sort, and solve problems. They enjoy making marks and give them meanings. Older children begin to recognise and link some letters with the sounds they represent. They listen avidly to stories. Children are developing the skills they need in readiness for starting school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 145821 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 1089713 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 59 Name of registered person St Michael's Pre School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 14 May 2015 Telephone number 07849722670

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reference number

St Michael's Pre School registered in 2001 and opens during school terms only. It has sessions for three-and four-year-olds on weekdays from 9am until 3.45pm, and for two- year-olds on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am until 11.30am. The pre-school committee employs six members of staff. The manager holds an early years degree, three members of staff hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and two are unqualified. The pre-school receives funding to provide free 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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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