Victoria Road Pre-school

Victoria Road Pre-school Tilehurst Village Hall, Victoria Road, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG31 5AB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 March 2018 29 March 2017

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The new manager works closely with the committee and her staff to provide children with a good-quality learning environment. Since the last inspection, leaders have taken effective steps to improve the pre-school's provision and all actions and recommendations have been addressed successfully.  Staff place a strong focus on supporting children's mathematical skills. Children enjoy a good range of interesting activities to develop their confidence in counting and recognising numbers. All children make good progress in relation to their starting points.  Children develop good relationships with staff who are kind and caring, and support their emotional well-being effectively. Children are happy, confident and enjoy spending time at the pre-school. Outcomes for children are good.  Parents speak positively about the pre-school. Parents of younger children say their children have grown in confidence since being at the pre-school. They say that staff get

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This provision is good

to know the families well and go 'the extra mile' to help support their children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Although the manager supports the professional development of staff, this is not targeted effectively to help staff continually raise the quality of teaching to the highest level.  Sometimes, staff do not recognise when to adjust their teaching during activities to present even more challenge for older or most-able children.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 build on the programme of professional development so that it is more targeted and focused on raising the quality of staff's teaching to the highest level  support staff in adapting their teaching during activities to provide further challenge for older or most-able children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and children's learning, indoors and outside.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at convenient times during the inspection.  The inspector spoke to a small number of parents during the day and took account of their views.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of the staff and committee, confirmation of staff training, recruitment procedures and policies. She looked at a selection of children's records and discussed safeguarding procedures and the self- evaluation process.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective The manager, who is new to her role, has worked hard with the committee to successfully address weaknesses identified in the last inspection. For instance, the leadership team makes good use of recent training to improve recruitment policies and routines, which are robust. The team knows how to ensure staff and committee members are suitable to work with children and understands its responsibility to report changes of the manager or committee to Ofsted. Staff know how to keep children safe, including how to report concerns about children's welfare. The management team reviews children's progress effectively. Self-evaluation identifies future improvements to the pre-school. For instance, recent changes made to the outdoor play area have enhanced children's imaginative play and help support those children who prefer to learn outside.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff provide children with a wide variety of activities to support their learning. They join in with children's play and use good opportunities to support children's mathematical skills. For instance, children enjoy playing number bingo, as staff help them to count the spots on the ladybirds. They match these to the numbers on their bingo board and excitedly shout, 'I have got that one'. Staff help to support younger children's speaking skills well. For instance, they repeat words clearly for them to hear and introduce new words in their play. Staff make regular assessments of children's learning to plan for their next steps. They share children's achievements with parents regularly to keep them informed of their progress.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff provide children with a safe and secure environment in which to play and learn. They encourage children to take part in activities which promote their physical skills. For instance, younger children confidently climb the steps to the slide as they take turns with each other. Children behave well and develop strong friendships. Staff promote children's independent skills well. For instance, at snack time they encourage children to serve themselves and pour their own drinks, to help children learn to take responsibility for age- appropriate tasks. Children develop good levels of self-esteem from the very beginning and demonstrate a willingness to try new things for themselves.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those in receipt of additional funding make good progress and gaps in attainment close steadily. Older children gain good listening and attention skills during activities which motivate their learning. For instance, they learn that printed words carry meaning and begin to link letters and the sounds they make. Younger children build secure relationships with others and develop growing confidence in their own abilities. For instance, they explore the different textures of wet and dry sand as they build sandcastles. All children gain skills that prepare them well for future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 116836 Local authority Reading Inspection number 1096803 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 36 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person Victoria Road Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 29 March 2017 Telephone number 07989261637

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reference number

Victoria Road Pre-school registered in 1968 and is situated to the west of Reading. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday from 9.15am until 2.15pm, during term time only. The pre-school employs 10 members of staff. Of these, six staff hold appropriate childcare qualifications. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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

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

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