Coldharbour Pre-school

Coldharbour Pre-school Highland Close, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK3 7PD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 June 2018 24 January 2018

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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 Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision is inadequate

 The manager and staff do not have sufficient understanding of all safeguarding matters, including the 'Prevent' duty guidance. This puts children at significant risk.  Staff do not ensure that children with identified speech and language delays have regular opportunities to practise and develop this aspect of their learning.  Staff do not plan thoroughly enough to ensure that activities provide children with consistently good levels of challenge. At these times, children are not supported to develop new skills and they engage at a routine level.  Staff overly focus their time on adult-led learning experiences. Children who prefer to learn in less structured ways have fewer opportunities to engage with and learn from staff. Not all children make the progress of which they are capable.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff encourage children to develop some useful skills in preparation for school. For example, children learn how to dress and undress, and how to recognise and write familiar words.  Children are settled and happy. They enjoy attending pre-school and have warm attachments to the staff.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff have a thorough understanding of all safeguarding matters, including the 'Prevent' duty guidance, to keep children safe from harm 10/07/2018

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Due Date

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 provide effective teaching and support for children to develop all aspects of their communication and language skills well 01/09/2018

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Due Date

 plan and deliver learning experiences that consistently meet children's individual needs and provide them with good levels of challenge 01/09/2018

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Due Date

 improve the overall quality of teaching to ensure that staff help children make progress effectively through a broader range of planned, purposeful learning experiences. 01/09/2018

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff, indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke to staff about their understanding of child protection, safeguarding and first aid.  The inspector took account of parents' and children's views.  The inspector looked at a sample of documentation, including policies and children's records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. The manager has failed to keep her own safeguarding knowledge up to date. She has not provided staff with the training they need in order to fully understand all of their safeguarding responsibilities. Although the provider and manager have worked with other professionals to address the safeguarding weaknesses identified at the last inspection, such as ensuring all committee members suitability, these further weaknesses in safeguarding practice mean that children are at risk. The manager and staff have regular opportunities to discuss their performance and to attend training. However, this has not led to teaching of a consistently high standard. The manager has not identified these inconsistencies through her use of self- evaluation. However, she has successfully identified other areas to develop through her improved monitoring of children's progress. For example, she has identified the need to enhance opportunities for

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

children to develop their use of technology. Parents speak fondly of the staff and share how happy their children are to attend. Staff use these warm partnerships well to help build children's confidence and self-esteem. For example, when parents share information about children's achievements at home staff celebrate these with the children and add the details to the 'wow' board.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Although staff make accurate assessments about children's progress, they do not use this information to plan precisely for each child's learning. Some activities add little to children's existing knowledge and skills. For example, staff encourage children to make a 'planet on a plate' but do not help children to understand what a planet is. They over direct the activity, which hinders children's ability to make choices and decisions. They complete tasks for older most-able children which they could try and do for themselves, such as writing their own names. When children are choosing to take part in less structured experiences, staff focus on supervising them and miss opportunities to extend learning. For example, they do not approach children to engage them in conversation to close gaps in their communication skills. At other times the teaching is more effective. For example, staff sing songs with children that help them to count and recognise numbers.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

They help children to gain the physical control to ride and steer bicycles. They teach children how to use tools with care and precision, such as scissors.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The weaknesses in safeguarding knowledge compromise children's safety and welfare. However, staff do ensure that the premises are safe and secure and they supervise children closely throughout the day. They encourage children to be independent in meeting their own needs. For example, older children find and put on their own coats before going outside. Staff promote children's interest in a healthy lifestyle, such as by providing healthy snacks and encouraging children to spend time in energetic play. Children behave typically for their age.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Overall, most children make steady progress from their starting points. They learn to share, take turns and to play cooperatively. Older children learn about letters and the sounds they represent. They learn to recognise their own names. However, due to the inconsistencies in teaching, children do not make as much progress as they could. For example, any gaps in learning do not close as rapidly as they should.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 141766 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 1124909 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 - 4 Total number of places 66 Number of children on roll 56 Name of registered person Coldharbour Pre-school Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2018 Telephone number 01908 379154

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reference number

Coldharbour Pre-school registered in 1982. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 3pm, during school term times. The provider employs 13 members of staff, of whom 10 hold relevant qualifications. The manager holds a level 4 qualification, seven staff have qualifications at level 3 and two are qualified at level 2.

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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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