St Hilda's Early Years

St Hilda's Early Years St Hildas Church And Vicarage, Abbey Road, Smethwick, Sandwell B67 5NQ

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Inspection date 12 October 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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The provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

n The manager does not implement an effective key-person system. Parents and staff working with children do not know who their key person is. n The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Observation and assessment systems are not used effectively enough to plan challenging activities that are closely linked to children's next steps in learning. As a result, children do not make consistently good progress. n Staff do not exchange enough information with the other settings children attend. They do not build on learning that takes place elsewhere. n Staff do not fully involve parents in assessing children's starting points. They do not encourage parents to share information about what their children already know and can do when they join the pre-school.

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It has the following strengths

n Children enjoy playing in the friendly and welcoming environment. They are generally happy and settled and establish secure bonds with staff. n Staff promote children's health effectively. Children learn about the importance of eating nutritious food and good hygiene routines. n Children behave well. Staff praise children's efforts and help them adhere to the routines and behavioural expectations that are set. n Staff provide plenty of activities and experiences for children to develop confidence in their physical skills.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure each child is allocated a key person and that parents are informed and that care is tailored to meet each child's individual emotional, care and learning needs 12/11/2018

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

raise the quality of teaching and ensure staff use information gained from regular observation and assessment of children's achievements to plan precisely for individual children's next steps in learning 26/11/2018

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

establish links with other settings that children attend to facilitate an exchange of information to promote their learning and development outcomes. 26/11/2018

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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

n gain more detailed information from parents when children join, to help identify children's developmental starting points and use this information to more accurately plan activities and experiences from the outset.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and assessed the impact this had on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with the staff and children during the inspection. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the pre-school manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

The manager has carried out some evaluation and has identified weaknesses in the educational programme offered for children. However, action has not been taken swiftly enough to raise the overall quality of the provision. Although there are some arrangements in place for the supervision and performance management of staff, these have not resulted in the quality of teaching being raised to a consistently good level. The manager does not have a good enough overview of children's progress to support staff in the planning of activities and experiences for children. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a sound understanding of the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child's welfare. Effective recruitment procedures ensure all adults are deemed as suitable to work with children. This helps to protect children from harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Most staff are qualified; however, this is not always reflected in the quality of teaching, which is variable. Although staff make some observations and assessments of children's progress, these are not always used well. Some of the gaps in children's attainment are not closing as swiftly as possible because staff do not plan sufficiently for what individual children need to learn next. Staff have not established fully effective partnerships with other settings that children attend. This means children do not benefit from consistency in their care and learning. Nevertheless, children enjoy a range of activities that promotes different areas of their learning. Staff promote children's creativity. For example, younger children make models with play dough and pre-school children enjoy drawing pictures. Staff promote mathematical skills well. For example, they model size and number language as children play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

The key-person system is not fully effective. Not all children have been allocated a key person and parents are unaware of the role. This means that care and learning is not consistently tailored to individual children's needs. Staff do not ensure that they gather enough information from parents when children join. As a result, they are not always able to plan effectively for children's care and learning needs from the start. Despite this, parents are happy with the service provided. They comment that staff share some information with them and express how their children enjoy attending. Staff promote children's physical development well. Children benefit from a range of activities to develop their small and large-muscle skills. For example, children enjoy using pens and pencils and climbing on large play equipment.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Weaknesses in some aspects of teaching means that children do not consistently benefit from activities that motivate them to learn. Nevertheless, children learn some important skills to help prepare them for the next stage of their education, including the move on to school. Children develop sound social skills and learn to take turns with resources. They follow instructions and play alongside others. Children enjoy singing songs and rhymes and listening to stories.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY500195 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 10076727 Type of provision Sessional day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 8 Name of registered person Happy Days Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07803559104

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reference number

St Hilda's Early Years registered in 2016. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2. The pre-school opens on Tuesday and Thursday from 8am until midday and on Friday from 8am until 4pm, during school term times. 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.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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