St. Joseph's Pre-School (Bishop's Stortford) Limited

Inspection of St. Joseph's Pre-School (Bishop's Stortford) Limited St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Great Hadham Road, BISHOP'S STORTFORD, Hertfordshire CM23 2NL

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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

Overall, children do not receive a good quality education. Activities are not well- planned enough to ensure all children are challenged sufficiently. However, children settle well and have formed secure bonds with staff, who are very warm and caring towards them. Children's behaviour is generally good. Older children manage their feelings well and are beginning to understand how their behaviour affects others. Younger children who are just learning the rules of the pre-school are not always supported appropriately by staff to help them understand what happens next.

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The provision requires improvement

Children do enjoy their time at the pre-school. Young children spend time moving items around and putting them in different places outdoors. Children build tall towers with bricks. Staff count with children as they do this, helping them gain some awareness of mathematical concepts.

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The provision requires improvement

Children manage their personal care well. They competently wash their hands and sit at the table ready for their packed lunch. However, staff sometimes do too much for the children which impinges on children's ability to do things for themselves, make mistakes and keep trying. Staff understand the importance of helping children to be ready for school. Children are gaining some of the key skills that support their future learning.

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need to do better?

n The quality of teaching requires improvement. Some staff do not have the skills they need to help children make good progress in their learning. At times, their focus is on completing domestic routines. This means staff's interactions with children are not sustained long enough to help each child to develop the language they need for thinking. n Staff work well with parents to find out children's interests from home. Parents say they are happy with the care the staff provide and they feel their children are well supported to settle in. They value the two-way flow of information and feel confident leaving their children at the pre-school. n Children have opportunities to be imaginative, re-enacting familiar scenarios in the role-play area. They decide among them who will lay out the crockery for teatime and count out three cups for those involved. Children relish painting for the satisfaction of creating their own artwork. They select the colours and enjoy

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need to do better?

merging them together to form new colours. n Staff have a sound knowledge of their key children. They understand what children enjoy and use their interests to plan some of the activities. Staff gather information from parents about their children when they first start at the pre- school. This helps them to tailor the settling-in process according to children's

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need to do better?

13 October 2021 individual needs. n Children do not benefit from a well-designed curriculum that builds securely on what they know so that they experience consistently good learning opportunities. Some staff do not present the information effectively to children in a way that offers the appropriate level of challenge or adapt their method accordingly. n The manager provides supervision to check staff's well-being and ensures that they have regular opportunities for training, via an online platform. However, staff's professional development is not focused sufficiently on improving their teaching skills. In addition, the monitoring of their practice is not robust enough to help staff develop the knowledge they need to become skilful practitioners. n Staff suitably promote children's good health and encourage them to be physically active. They enjoy playing outdoors in the fresh air. Children ride around on wheeled toys and scooters with increasing skill and coordination.

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need to do better?

They expertly throw balls into a hoop and staff praise their achievements. This encourages children to persevere in their endeavours. n Staff generally help children to regulate their behaviour and get down to their level to talk to them. However, when a situation escalates, some staff do not use appropriate methods to respond to changes in children's behaviour. n Children enjoy listening to stories. They enthusiastically join in, saying the familiar words. Staff support the younger children as they sit together to ensure all children are included in the activity.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and managers understand their responsibilities to keep children safe. They provide a safe environment for children. Staff keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date and are alert to signs that may indicate a child is at risk of possible harm. They understand their responsibilities to protect children. Staff and managers know the procedures to follow to report safeguarding concerns to the appropriate agencies. Staff carry out daily checks and risk assessments to ensure that the premises remain safe and secure. Systems are in place to ensure the suitability of staff who have regular contact with children.

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Due date

13 October 2021 develop the curriculum to ensure it clearly identifies what it is that all children need to learn, how this reflects their individual needs and offers appropriate challenge, to help them make at least good progress 31/03/2022

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Due date

focus professional development plans on improving staff's teaching skills to help them to support children in building on what they already know and can do 31/03/2022

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Due date

improve staff's knowledge of effective behaviour management to ensure that children's behaviour is managed appropriately. 01/11/2021

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should:

n improve the monitoring of staff practice to develop their knowledge and understanding of how children learn so that all children benefit from consistently good quality learning experiences.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY457400 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10209386 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 26

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Name of registered person

St.Joseph's Pre-School (Bishop's Stortford) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07720 948441 Date of previous inspection 27 February 2017

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Information about this early years setting

St. Joseph's Pre-School (Bishops Stortford) Limited registered in 2012. It employs four members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The pre-school opens from 8.50am until 3pm Monday to Friday, during term time only. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n The inspector observed activities indoors and outside and assessed the impact these have on children's learning. n The manager/provider and the inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss and understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager/provider. n The inspector had discussions with staff at appropriate times during the inspection. Parents spoke to the inspector about their views of the pre-school. n A meeting was held between the inspector and the manager/provider. The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including the safeguarding procedures and evidence of the suitability of staff.

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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

13 October 2021 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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