Sholing Community Centre Pre-School

Inspection of Sholing Community Centre Pre-School Butts Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO19 1BN

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision requires improvement

Leaders have been unable to sustain the improvements noted at the last inspection. Staff do not plan well for children's individual needs to ensure their good progress overall. Their interactions with children are variable and do not focus sufficiently on what children need to learn next. In addition, the committee has failed to notify Ofsted of several events that have occurred in the setting, as required. Despite these weaknesses, the highly proactive new manager has high expectations for her staff team. She sets a clear direction for the setting, including significant improvements to the teaching and learning experiences for children. However, these targeted initiatives are still being embedded and it is too soon to see the impact of these.

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The provision requires improvement

Children enjoy attending and are observed to be happy and settled. They lead their play, although they do not sustain their concentration at activities for any length of time. Children develop some independence and start to make new friends. However, when children find it hard to manage their behaviour, staff do not consistently support them to find a resolution so they can learn to manage their feelings and understand the consequences of their actions.

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need to do better?

n The committee members have not been fully aware of their responsibilities. They have failed to notify Ofsted of changes to the committee, the recruitment of a new manager and an incident that occurred in the outdoor area, although the impact of these breaches is minimal. However, more recently, the new manager and chairperson have taken steps to identify weaker aspects of the provision. They now have an accurate evaluation of what the setting does well and what needs to be improved. They continue to work closely with the local authority to make the necessary improvements. n Children do not achieve their personal targets quickly enough or move swiftly on to their next step in their learning. Some staff do not assess or plan for children's learning accurately. They do not use their interactions effectively to challenge children in their learning. For example, they ask questions that children can answer easily and often do not wait for the answer. However, at

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need to do better?

times, staff show some good teaching skills. For example, a staff member models how to use pipettes to create suction in water effectively. She gives children time to test this new idea and experiment, such as squeezing and squirting the water, until they work it out for themselves with great success. n Staff do not have high enough expectations for children. They spend much of the session engaged in routine tasks and fail to successfully engage and motivate children in their play. Staff are not consistent role models in supporting children to understand the impact of their behaviour on their friends. However,

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need to do better?

23 September 2019 they do support children to learn about their place in the community. For example, children become involved in raising money for local charities, including for additional resources for the setting's outdoor area. n Staff ensure children's health, including making sure that any additional dietary or medical needs are met well. They develop children's confidence in self-care skills, such as potty training, although they do not support children's behaviour effectively. Children benefit from a wide range of healthy and nutritious snacks. They enjoy playing in the fresh air and being active, for example riding on bicycles outside. n The manager has introduced systems to support staff's professional development, although these are still in their infancy. The committee members monitor the workload of the manager to ensure that she has enough time to fulfil the requirements of her role. They ensure staff access regular training,

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need to do better?

such as through local authority courses and support, to improve their skills further. n Children make suitable progress in their communication and listening skills. For example, they enjoy group activities such as story time, where they follow the characters of the story and predict what happens next. n Staff share information about children's progress with parents, who report they feel well informed and supported to share children's learning from home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager, who takes the lead for safeguarding, fulfils her role very effectively. She ensures safeguarding is high on the agenda and takes swift action when a concern arises. She works in close partnership with other agencies to ensure that families get the support they need. Staff demonstrate a suitable knowledge of signs and behaviours that may indicate children are at risk of harm. They are aware of the procedure to follow if they have a concern about another member of staff or adult. Staff supervise children well, including during outside play, to ensure their safety.

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Due date

implement an effective programme of staff supervision, to provide support, coaching and training, to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently good level 16/12/2019

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Due date

23 September 2019 plan challenging learning experiences based on children's interests and individual learning needs to help them reach their next steps in learning and make good progress in their development 16/12/2019

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Due date

ensure staff use observation and assessment to accurately identify where children are in their learning and what they need to learn next 16/12/2019

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Due date

help children to understand expectations for acceptable behaviour, and ensure all staff use agreed behaviour management methods consistently. 16/12/2019

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should:

n ensure that all committee members support the manager and staff, and have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, including when to notify Ofsted of significant events.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 131556 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 10124055 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 35

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Name of registered person

Sholing Community Centre Pre School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 023 8039 9979 Date of previous inspection 28 April 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Sholing Community Centre Pre-school registered in 1998. It operates from the community centre in Sholing, Southampton. The pre-school is open from 9am to 3pm each weekday except Tuesday, when it is open from 9am to midday. It receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school employs seven members of staff. Of these, five hold a qualification at level 3 and two hold a qualification at level 2.

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Inspection activities

n A learning walk was conducted with the manager to discuss the learning environment, in relation to the community the setting serves. n The inspector observed staff's interactions during activities, indoors and outdoors, to assess the impact these have on children's learning. n A number of parents and children were spoken to at the inspection and their views considered as part of this inspection. n The inspector spoke to staff regarding their knowledge of safeguarding, their key children's progress, recruitment, meeting children's health needs and the support they receive from leaders. n A meeting was held with the manager and the chairperson in which plans for improvement were discussed.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

23 September 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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