St Francis Pre-School

Inspection of St Francis Pre-School Coronation Road, South Ascot, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 9HG

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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 Outstanding

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The provision requires improvement

Leaders and staff do not involve parents of children who speak English as an additional language in assessing children's communication, language and literacy skills as effectively as possible. Therefore, staff do not have a fully accurate understanding of what children know and can do. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the support they need to make good progress. Staff work with other professionals effectively, which means additional support for these children is in place.

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The provision requires improvement

The nursery staff provide a warm, welcoming environment where children feel safe and secure. Children have good relationships with the staff and show good levels of emotional well-being. They confidently make independent choices in their play and benefit from the wide range of activities and resources. Staff regularly observe children and use assessments to check their progress. However, they do not communicate effectively when children's key persons change. As a result, staff do not always have a clear understanding of what their key children already know and can do.

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The provision requires improvement

The manager takes appropriate action to support children who struggle with regulating their behaviour, particularly children with SEND. However, the same level of high expectations of children's conduct is not applied consistently and fairly by all staff. Subsequently, not all children learn how to manage their behaviour and securely develop a sense of right and wrong.

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need to do better?

n Staff do not find out about children's skills in their home language to establish whether there are any emerging language delays and plan accurately for their next steps. However, the curriculum is designed to give most children, including those with SEND, the knowledge and skills they need for their future. n The recently appointed committee members show a strong commitment to improve. They have adopted a positive attitude towards enhancing the practice. They have used many methods to evaluate the provision, including gaining the views of parents and other professionals. This has helped them to identify areas for development and plans are in place to enrich the quality of the provision. n Although there is a key-person system, communication between staff when the key person changes is not effective. Information about children's interests, stage of development and next steps in learning are not shared. This means that when

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need to do better?

a child's key person changes, some staff do not have the information they need to plan effectively for all children, to help support their learning further. n Partnerships with parents are good. Staff keep in regular contact with parents and regularly share information about children's learning and development. They

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need to do better?

14 November 2019 encourage parents to promote children's learning at home, for instance sharing books to help enhance children's love of early reading. n Children have good opportunities to take risks and develop their independence, for example as they use scissors for cutting. They understand that these are sharp, and staff reinforce elements of safety through comments such as 'watch your fingers when you are cutting'. n Staff do not consistently implement effective behaviour management strategies, to support children to have a good understanding of right from wrong from an early age. For example, when children grab toys from others, staff do not intervene and help them to understand how this behaviour impacts on others. n Arrangements for managers to support staff in their professional development are not secure enough. This includes a lack of guidance to help staff understand how to apply consistent rules and boundaries and implement strategies to

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need to do better?

manage children's behaviour effectively. n Staff interact well with children and communicate effectively. They adapt their teaching to meet the needs of individual children, such as repeating words and phrases to help support children's communication and language skills. All children show a positive attitude to learning and enjoy listening to songs and stories. n Staff are committed to promoting children's health and well-being. They encourage children to make healthy food choices and participate in regular exercise, including through a weekly exercise program.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date through attending regular training. Staff are aware of the signs that could indicate a child is at risk of harm and the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child. Leaders have a good knowledge of how to support children's welfare. They follow safe recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that staff working with children are suitable. Children are kept safe at the setting because the staff ensure that the environment is suitable and identify any potential risks to children's safety, such as through risk assessments.

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Due date

14 November 2019 ensure that parents of children who speak English as an additional language are fully involved in assessments, to help identify children's skills in their home language. 20/11/2019

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should:

n improve the implementation of behaviour management strategies, so that rules and boundaries are applied consistently and fairly to help children to manage their own behaviour and develop a sense of right from wrong n review the arrangements for the sharing of information between key persons, so children's interests and skills are known and fully supported if their key person changes n provide more effective supervision, support, coaching and training for staff to improve the overall quality of the provision.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 108433 Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 10108395 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 24 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person St Francis Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01344 291140 Date of previous inspection 4 December 2014

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Information about this early years setting

St Francis Pre-School opened in 1990. It is a registered charity and is managed by a voluntary committee of elected parents. The pre-school is set in the grounds of St Francis School, in South Ascot, Berkshire. It receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. The pre-school opens five days a week, between 9am to 3pm, term time only. There are five members of staff. The manager holds a level 5 qualification and two staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk across all areas of the nursery to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum is organised. n A joint observation of an activity was completed with the deputy manager. n The inspector asked the staff questions throughout the inspection to establish their understanding of how to safeguard children and how they assess and plan for children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and the children and considered the impact on children's learning. n Discussions were held with parents and their views considered.

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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

14 November 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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