St Mary's Pre-School (Marlow Bottom)

St Mary's Pre-School (Marlow Bottom) 141 Marlow Bottom Road, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 3PJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 February 2018 9 December 2014

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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 provider has failed to notify Ofsted of changes to committee members and the manager to ensure that all required suitability checks are completed.  The manager does not monitor teaching practice or children’s progress closely enough to identify areas where staff need support. The quality of teaching is not consistently good.  Staff do not plan activities well enough to meet all children’s individual needs and next steps in learning effectively. Not all children make good progress from their starting points.  Staff miss opportunities for older children to develop a greater awareness of letters and the sounds they represent to support their literacy development.  The new manager recognises some of the weaknesses in practice. However, reflection is not rigorous enough to identify all areas for improvement.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff form positive relationships with the children in their care. Children feel safe and secure, which supports their emotional well-being effectively.  Staff support children to behave well. Children learn to respect others and play cooperatively. Children’s behaviour is good.  Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak highly of the staff and are happy with the level of care their children receive.

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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

 provide Ofsted with required information, including changes to the committee and manager, in a timely manner so that all suitability checks can be completed 14/02/2018

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Due Date

 provide effective monitoring, support, coaching and training for all staff to ensure the quality of staff practice and teaching is consistently good or better 08/03/2018

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Due Date

 plan effectively for children's next steps in learning in order to help all children make good or better progress. 08/03/2018

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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

 increase the opportunities for older children to develop a greater awareness of letters and the sounds they represent  improve the use of self-evaluation to accurately identify all weaknesses and to take appropriate action to enhance the quality of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in the inside and outside areas.  The inspector spoke with parents, children, staff and committee members to gain their views.  The inspector examined a sample of policies, documents and children's records.  The inspector completed a joint observation of an activity with the manager and evaluated the quality of teaching.  The inspector discussed the self-evaluation procedures with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The new manager has yet to make effective use of self-evaluation. She does not monitor staff practice rigorously enough to identify what support or training staff need to improve the quality of teaching. Nonetheless, the manager ensures that staff complete mandatory training, such as first aid. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are clear about what action to take if they have concerns about a child's welfare. However, the provider has not informed Ofsted of changes to some members of the committee and the manager. These committee members neither work nor have contact with children, so this has minimal impact on children's safety. Only those committee members who have been checked undertake the recruitment of staff. Disclosure and Barring Service checks have been completed on all staff members. Risk assessments are thorough.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff complete regular observations and assessments of children. However, they do not always provide sufficient challenge or plan effectively to help children meet their next steps in learning. For example, older children pick up writing resources and quickly move on as some staff do not inspire them or increase their interest and focus. Children enjoy moving to music and looking at books together with staff. Staff update parents about their child's development in a variety of ways. For instance, through daily discussions and summaries of progress. When teaching is better, staff provide children with a range of activities that they enjoy; for example, water play and exploring different textures.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Some weaknesses in teaching and learning mean that, at times, staff do not skilfully engage children fully in activities. Despite this, children gain some understanding of keeping themselves safe, such as through taking part in regular evacuation drills. Staff support children to gain an awareness of the world around them. For example, through trips to the library and woodland walks. Staff support children's health effectively and teach them about good hygiene practices. Children develop good independence skills. They make independent choices in their play, behave well and know the routines.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are happy and settle quickly, but not all children make good enough progress. For example, some children are slower to develop key skills, such as large physical movements, which are not planned for consistently well and others make less progress with literacy. Nonetheless, children develop some skills in preparation for school and their future learning. For example, they gain an awareness of counting and begin to form friendships. Children enjoy imaginative play and being creative.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 116672 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 1070163 Type of provision Full-time 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 26 Number of children on roll 15 Name of registered person St. Mary's Pre-School (Marlow Bottom) Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 December 2014 Telephone number 07948220306

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reference number

St Mary's Pre-School registered in 1992. It is located in St Mary's Church Hall in Marlow Bottom, Buckinghamshire. The pre-school operates during term time only, Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school employs eight staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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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