St Francis Pre-School

St Francis Pre-School Valentine Primary School, Valentine Avenue, Sholing, Southampton, SO19 0EQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21 March 2018 23 October 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

 Leaders and staff do not have a secure understanding of all their safeguarding responsibilities. They do not implement a robust system for recording and monitoring concerns about children. This places children's safety at risk.  Staff receive insufficient induction, supervision and support. Leaders do not focus sharply on monitoring staff's knowledge and practice to identify and target any weaknesses in teaching and training needs.  Leaders have some procedures in place to assess staff's suitability to work with children but do not record details of their recruitment processes sufficiently well to demonstrate they have carried out all the appropriate checks.  Leaders do not meet the learning and development requirements well enough. While they share some useful information with parents about their children's achievements, they do not complete the required progress check for all children aged between two

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This provision is inadequate

and three years.  Leaders and staff do not identify the progress made by specific groups of children.  Self-evaluation is not routine or robust enough to effectively drive improvement.

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It has the following strengths

 Children play outdoors daily. They enjoy physical activity, regular fresh air and exercise.  Staff support children well as they arrive at the setting and as they move on to other settings. Staff are well deployed to organise the transition between activities. This helps to promote children's emotional well-being.

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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

 ensure the setting's policy and procedures on child protection are implemented effectively to safeguard children, with particular reference to systems for recording and monitoring concerns about children 06/04/2018

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Due Date

 establish an effective system for the induction and supervision of staff, which provides staff with targeted professional development opportunities to ensure children receive effective support and good-quality learning experiences 06/04/2018

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Due Date

 improve the procedures for recording checks conducted during the recruitment process, including those related to vetting of staff suitability, so these are readily accessible when required 06/04/2018

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Due Date

 make sure that the written progress check for children aged between two and three years is completed, and that it is used effectively to identify any early signs of delay, ensuring that parents are provided with a summary of their child's progress in the prime areas of learning. 06/04/2018

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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

 monitor the outcomes of the different groups of children more effectively and address any differences in achievement  strengthen the systems for self-evaluation to identify weaknesses and continually target new areas for improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main base room and garden.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager and checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including planning and a selection of the setting's policies and children's records.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and the deputy manager. She spoke with children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. Leaders show a weak understanding of any systems for recording and monitoring any concerns raised about a child's welfare. Despite this, staff have a suitable understanding of the potential signs that a child may be at risk of harm. There are appropriate ratios used in the pre-school. However, leaders do not implement effective recruitment procedures. They do not ensure that records to verify staff's suitability are maintained, although proof was supplied of Disclosure and Barring Service checks for most staff. The arrangements for induction, supervision and training of staff are ineffective. Staff do not receive targeted support to improve their teaching. They have undertaken mandatory training courses, but these do not focus enough on improving the quality of teaching. Staff carry out risk assessments that help to identify any possible hazards to children, helping to keep the environment safe. Leaders and staff do not

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

effectively evaluate and review all areas of the pre-school. They do not effectively identify strengths and weaknesses, to help make changes that will benefit the children. Nonetheless, the staff team has developed positive partnerships, working with parents and local schools.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Staff do not always make accurate or consistent assessments of children's learning. For example, leaders do not ensure the progress check for children aged between two and three years is carried out on all children. This means that areas where children are falling behind are not fully identified and suitably targeted. In addition, leaders are not focusing enough on reviewing the progress made by specific groups of children to ensure any emerging gaps close quickly. Despite this, staff play alongside children, interacting positively and encouraging them to explore, such as the melting snow in the garden. Children are curious to investigate how to make the snow melt quicker, as they begin pouring warm water on to the snow. Children have suitable access to a variety of writing equipment.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children's welfare in compromised due to inadequate safeguarding measures. However, the environment is warm and staff provide appropriate facilities for children. There is a suitable key-person system. Staff teach children ground rules, which help young children begin to understand boundaries for their behaviour. Staff encourage children to play safely, for example, when playing outdoors and riding wheeled toys. They use some resources to promote diversity and also celebrate festivals. This helps children to learn about the wider world. Staff help children learn to respect each other, to share and take turns. Children explore the outdoor space with confidence and enjoy searching for bugs.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Weaknesses in the provision mean that staff do not consistently support children to make the best possible progress in their learning. For example, children do not make as much progress as they could because their learning is not monitored and promoted well enough. Not all children are gaining the necessary skills they need for their eventual move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY404890 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 1132926 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 73 Name of registered person Susan Anne Street

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 23 October 2015 Telephone number 07967724085

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reference number

St Francis Pre-school registered in 2009. It operates from a classroom in Valentine Primary School, in the Sholing area of Southampton. They employ 11 members of staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and level 3. The setting is open from Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 7.45am to 11.45am and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. There is also a breakfast club and a lunch club. 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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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