Noah's Ark Pre-School Playgroup

Inspection of Noah's Ark Pre-School Playgroup Holmcroft Youth and Community Centre, Newlands Avenue, Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 1NL

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

p.1

The provision requires improvement

Children are happy and feel safe within the setting and display good relationships with staff. Children are keen to play with the range of resources available, such as painting and role play. However, their learning is limited because staff do not always engage with them effectively. As a result, children lose interest and often move between activities without showing a sustained level of concentration. In addition, staff do not recognise when to adapt activities to challenge the most able children. For example, when children fill and empty containers with different shaped pasta, they do not learn about mathematical concepts, such as size and capacity. Children's communication and language is well supported. They listen to stories and staff repeat sounds and words in their conversations with them. Children make typical progress from their starting points. However, arrangements to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently good level are not rigorous

p.2

The provision requires improvement

enough. Children generally display good behaviour. However, staff are not consistent in their approach to help children learn about the consequences of their behaviour. Children enjoy learning about themselves and explore the similarities and differences between their friends. Parents say that since coming to the pre- school, their children have become more confident in social situations.

p.2

need to do better?

n Children enjoy coming to the setting and they separate easily from parents. An effective key-person system ensures staff meet children's emotional needs. For example, on arrival, children are greeted warmly by friendly, caring staff. As a result, they are confident and settle well. Staff support children's self-care routines by encouraging them to wash their hands before lunch and snack time. n Children have lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills, such as climbing and running in large indoor and outdoor spaces. For example, they love to splash in rain puddles. This supports children to be active. Children also have opportunities to practise their finer physical handling skills. For example, they use brushes to make sweeping movements to paint and make marks on large chalk boards. This also promotes children's early writing skills. n Children generally behave well. However, on the occasions when children

p.2

need to do better?

struggle to regulate their own behaviour, some staff do not always provide explanation to help them understand what is expected of them. n Parents are pleased with the care and learning they receive for their children and they say that they find the manager and staff very supportive. The manager and staff build warm relationships with parents. They share information with them about their child's learning, such as the progress check when a child is aged between two and three years. However, arrangements are not effective enough to ensure information is robustly shared with parents to support their children's learning at home.

p.2

need to do better?

24 September 2019 n Staff display a good understanding of children's level of development. They know about their key children's achievements and what they need to learn next. Staff observe, assess and track children's learning sufficiently to ensure they make progress. However, staff do not use this information effectively to extend children's learning and enable them to develop to their full potential. n Teaching is inconsistent and does not always extend children's thinking, or motivate and challenge them as they play. Children engage and play with activities that are on offer. However, staff do not fully focus their interactions on developing children's skills and knowledge further. As a result, children do not make the progress they are capable of. n The well-qualified manager supports staff to ensure their well-being. However, the monitoring of the setting by its leaders, the supervision of staff and support

p.2

need to do better?

for professional development do not focus enough on improving the quality of teaching. n Records of all injuries which children sustain as a result of an accident in the setting or when children arrive with an injury, are not robustly maintained. For example, some accidents that occur in the setting are not recorded due to there being no physical mark. In addition, not all existing injuries are recorded.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The manager ensures that staff attend regular safeguarding training. Staff know what action to take should they have any concerns about a child. They are aware of the procedures to follow to reports concerns raised about a colleague. Robust recruitment procedures are in place. Staff share information about accidents and injuries sustained by children. However, they do not always make accurate written records of these. Ofsted has not been informed of all changes to the committee members. This said, there is no impact on the care or well-being of the children because they do not have direct contact with children.

p.3

Due date

maintain consistent records to ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting. This refers to the recording of all accidents and injuries. 14/10/2019

p.3

should:

24 September 2019 n provide effective support, supervision, coaching and training to improve staff's teaching skills and performance, so they are equipped to deliver good-quality teaching and learning experiences for all children n review the arrangements of how information of children's development is shared with parents to enable them to fully support their child's learning at home n ensure staff plan suitably challenging activities that link to assessments of children's learning and their next steps, to help them make good progress n improve staff's management of children's behaviour to ensure staff support children's understanding of what is expected of them.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 218196 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10116362 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 2 to 5 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 30

p.5

Name of registered person

Holmcroft Youth & Community Centre Committee

p.5

reference number

Telephone number 07952 732637 Date of previous inspection 14 February 2014

p.5

Information about this early years setting

Noah's Ark Pre-School Playgroup registered in 1977 and is situated in the Holmcroft area of Stafford. It is open from 8.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday. The setting employs six staff members, all of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 2 or above. The manager holds early years professional status. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.5

Inspection activities

n The manager took the inspector on a learning walk around the setting. n The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents and took account of their views. n A range of relevant documentation was viewed by the inspector, such as action planning and evidence of the suitability of staff, and a range of policies, procedures and information relating to children. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff and children. n A joint observation was carried out with the manager and inspector. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.

p.6

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.

p.6

Inspection activities

24 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.

p.6

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.7

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7