Millbrook Pre-School

Millbrook Pre-School Village Hall, The Parade, Torpoint, Cornwall, PL10 1AX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 May 2018 1 June 2015

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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:

 Some committee members have not completed the relevant documentation to ensure their suitability for their roles. The manager has not ensured Ofsted has received the required information, to enable these checks to be completed.  The manager has not addressed in full one of the previous recommendations from the last inspection. Despite some displays that reflect diversity, children do not have enough opportunities to learn about different languages, to extend their understanding of the wider world.  The manager and staff do not consistently plan and provide activities for younger children to help build on their next stage of learning. They do not maximise all learning opportunities during free-play activities, for example, to help children make the progress of which they are capable.  The self-evaluation process lacks rigour. The manager has not successfully identified all weaknesses in the provision, to raise outcomes for children.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff and children have developed positive relationships. Staff are warm, friendly and caring, helping children to feel safe and secure in their environment.  Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff keep parents informed of their children's progress and encourage them to share information about their children's interests 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 the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure all committee members have had the relevant suitability checks to fulfil the requirements of their role, and are suitable to be in regular contact with children 10/07/2018

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Due Date

 improve opportunities for children to learn about cultures, languages, communities and traditions, to support their understanding of the wider world 10/07/2018

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Due Date

 plan and provide activities that build on younger children's next steps, to help maximise their learning opportunities, to improve their outcomes. 10/07/2018

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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

 develop effective methods of self-evaluation, to identify key weaknesses promptly, to improve the provision for children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a joint observation with the manager to assess the quality of teaching.  The inspector spoke to the manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the day.  The inspector sought the views of parents to gain their thoughts and views of the provision.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, such as safeguarding policies, children's care and assessment records, and staff qualifications.  The inspector observed the quality of interactions between staff and children, and looked at the range of activities in which children engage.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The manager has not ensured that all committee members have completed the process with Ofsted to determine their suitability. However, there is no significant impact on children's safety, as staff supervise children well at all times. Although the manager has made some improvements, such as to the room layout to help create a tranquil environment for children, she has not sufficiently addressed all previous recommendations, and has not identified key weaknesses to develop through effective self-evaluation. The manager monitors children's progress adequately. She has identified mathematics as an area to enhance, and has provided staff with training to improve this. For example, staff paint numbers on pebbles to support children's number recognition. The manager carries out regular staff supervisions to ensure staff reflect on their own practice and remain suitable to work with children. Safeguarding is effective. The manager

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

and staff have a clear understanding of child protection procedures to protect children from harm, and the premises are secure.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Activities to support younger children, particularly during free play, are variable. Staff do not consistently plan or provide them with activities that build on what children can already do, to help them reach their full potential. Nonetheless, staff make frequent observations and assessments of children's progress, and share these with professionals, to ensure a two-way flow of information. Although younger children enjoy using utensils to cut vegetables, staff do not consistently build on their next steps during the activity. Older children learn to identify initial letter sounds in their names, supporting literacy. All children enjoy learning about wildlife. For example, children visit the lake with staff, where they observe the swan on her nest.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Weaknesses identified in leadership and management mean that younger children's learning opportunities are not maximised. However, children are happy and inquisitive learners. For example, staff focus on ensuring children develop a positive mental well- being, such as providing them with opportunities to listen to classical music, helping them to relax. Children behave well, and adhere consistently to the pre-school outings, to keep themselves safe. Plenty of fresh air supports their physical well-being.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Younger children do not make good progress from their starting points. Staff do not plan or adapt activities well enough to challenge them further, and they do not provide all children with sufficient opportunities to learn about diversity. However, older children develop some skills in preparation for their future learning, such as school. For example, they explore the properties of ice, and identify hidden numbers within it, supporting their good mathematical skills. They are confident and show a positive attitude to learning. Younger children develop their imagination, such as playing with pasta in the home corner.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 102926 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 1088926 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 17 Name of registered person Millbrook Pre-school Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 1 June 2015 Telephone number 01752656960

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reference number

Millbrook Pre-School registered in 1991 and operates in Millbrook, near Torpoint, Cornwall. The pre-school is open Monday to Thursday from 9.15am until 1.15pm, term time only. It provides free funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre- school employs four members of staff, three of whom have a level 3 qualification in early years, and one has a level 2 qualification.

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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

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

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