St Nicholas Church Pre-School

St Nicholas Church Pre- School St Nicholas Church Hall, Uphill, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset, BS23 4UH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 May 2018 6 July 2015

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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 manager is ambitious and has high expectations for what children can achieve. She is a skilful leader and inspires her well-qualified team to do its very best for the children.  Children are well cared for and very happy. They develop high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem. This lays a firm foundation for their development and learning both now and into the future.  The manager and staff have a good knowledge of the curriculum and of how children learn. Children thoroughly enjoy the rich range of well-chosen learning opportunities on offer. All children are motivated and eager learners.  Observation and assessment practice is robust and children's progress and development are regularly shared with parents. Any gaps in learning are quickly identified and addressed. Strong relationships with parents and outside professionals ensure that support is accessed and that progress continues without delay.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 During some adult-led activities, staff do not leave enough time for children to think through their ideas fully, in order to develop their creativity and problem-solving skills.  The monitoring of progress for different groups of children lacks precision to be of the highest value to the managers in their self-evaluation.

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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

 provide children with more time to think through their ideas fully, in order to develop their creativity and problem-solving skills  develop systems to precisely monitor the progress made by different groups of children, to take self-evaluation and outcomes for children to an even higher level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector observed staff interactions and children at play.  The inspector and the manager observed a planned activity together and discussed their findings.  The inspector sampled required documentation on the day.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager to discuss self-evaluation, safeguarding and staff professional development.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager ensures that staff implement all safety routines and procedures rigorously. All staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding and child protection. They know the steps they must take if they are concerned about any child's welfare. The manager promotes a very positive learning culture and champions all staff to undertake further training. This has a very good impact on children. For example, a course on assessment has helped staff to tailor their provision more accurately, and each child is now even better challenged to reach their full potential. Managers regularly seek out contributions from staff, parents and children, to drive further improvements. Parents frequently contribute to children's growing awareness of the wider world. For example, when they come in to talk to children about their jobs or share their cultural heritage.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff provide a very good balance of whole-group and small-group activities to promote learning in each area of the curriculum very effectively. Staff have a sharp focus on teaching early communication and language and early literacy skills. This is a particular strength. For example, children thoroughly enjoy exploring bags of clothes for different weathers. As they pull out each piece of clothing, they chat about recent holidays, or times when it snowed. They make links in their learning very effectively through such activities. Older children learn to work together and create their own stories using their imaginations very well. They learn how to shape their stories and make them interesting. Learning in a group also promotes the development of social skills very well.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

The kind and caring staff get to know the children very well. The key-person system is effective and children quickly become relaxed, emotionally secure and ready to learn. Staff are excellent role models for positive behaviour. Children's behaviour is excellent. Children have a clear understanding of how to keep healthy and well. They talk about this with confidence. For example, they explain that when coughing you must 'put your hand up over your mouth to stop the germs'. Children have very good opportunities to develop their physical skills in the outdoor areas. They thoroughly enjoy running freely, or playing with bats and balls in the open air.

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Outcomes for children are good

From a young age children develop essential life skills, such as independence and how to take responsibility for themselves. For example, they know to wash their hands before eating and are confident to take their turn clearing the table after mealtimes. They learn how to keep themselves safe. For instance, they practise road safety during outings into the local area. Children make good friends. They are very kind, respectful and caring towards each other. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in relation to their starting points. They are very well prepared for school or the next stage in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 509178 Local authority North Somerset Inspection number 1128341 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 - 8 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 46 Name of registered person St Nicholas Church Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 6 July 2015 Telephone number 07910 583 216

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reference number

St Nicholas Church Pre-School registered in 1992. It is located in the village of Uphill, near Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9am to 3pm during school term times. The pre-school employs seven members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. Of these, one member of staff holds qualified teacher status. The pre-school is in receipt of funding to provide early education for children aged two, three and four years of age.

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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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