St Marychurch Pre School

Inspection of St Marychurch Pre School The Parish Hall, Church Road, Torquay, Devon TQ1 4QY

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Children arrive at the pre-school happy and ready to learn. They form good relationships with staff and greet them and their peers with a smile. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents no longer come inside to settle their children. However, children have adapted well to this and demonstrate independence as they put their belongings away. They follow good hygiene routines and remember to wash their hands when they arrive to prevent the spread of germs.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from a carefully planned curriculum. They develop their hand-to- eye coordination as they play in the sand tray. Children focus as they scoop sand into a teapot and carefully pour it into a teacup. They use their imagination as they pretend to drink from the cup. Staff support children to make links to previous learning and discuss familiar storybooks with them. Children talk about the characters in the book and proudly announce 'the tiger has stripes'.

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The provision is good

Children have daily opportunities to play outdoors in the pre-school garden. They develop good physical skills as they climb, balance and jump from different obstacles. Children explore natural materials, such as grass and bark, as they pretend to cook in the outdoor kitchen.

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need to do better?

n Children are developing some language to describe their feelings. Each morning, children self-register and identify if they are feeling happy or sad. Staff support children to become aware of their feelings, as well as those of others. Children learn to be considerate of their friends. They share ideas of how to make someone who is feeling sad to feel better. This supports children's social skills and helps them to become more resilient in preparation for the move to school. n Staff quickly identify when children might need additional support and put plans in place to support them. They closely monitor children's progress and make timely referrals to other professionals, such as speech and language therapists to make sure that children get the help they need. n Staff are positive role models. They teach children about the world around them and support their understanding of what makes them unique. Staff challenge

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need to do better?

stereotypes to help broaden children's awareness of others. For example, when children ask about the gender of a human figure, staff sensitively explain it could be a boy or a girl because both genders can have short hair. n Children explore a range of sensory activities. They manipulate dough in their hands and develop strength in their fingers as they pinch and mould smaller pieces. Staff sit alongside and support children's communication and language skills. They engage children in meaningful conversations about their creation and support them to count the number of squares on the play dough mat. Children

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need to do better?

23 March 2022 proudly count from one to 10. n Staff use their assessments of children to plan group learning activities that help to broaden children's knowledge and skills. However, staff do not always consider the size of the group or the capabilities of children taking part to fully promote their engagement and enhance their learning to the highest level. n Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They comment on the kind and caring staff team and appreciate the regular information they share about their children's learning and development. Staff share valuable information with parents in a range of ways. For example, parents are encouraged to view online observations and photographs of children's play. They receive verbal feedback and guidance to promote children's learning at home. n Staff promote children's positive behaviour and have plans in place to prepare children for what is coming next. For example, staff remind children that they

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need to do better?

have a few minutes before it is time to tidy away for snack. They celebrate children's achievements and praise their listening skills. However, on occasions, some children do not know exactly what is expected from them as staff do not always make their behavioural expectations clear enough. n The manager and deputy offer valuable support and training for staff's professional development. However, there are times when less-experienced staff could benefit from more direction from the management team to help strengthen their good practice further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff have a secure understanding of their role to safeguard children. They complete regular training to keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date. Staff are aware of the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and demonstrate a good understanding of procedures to report any welfare concerns about a child. They have a good understanding of wider safeguarding issues and know what to do if they think a child or family member may be at risk of being drawn into extreme behaviours. The manager implements robust recruitment procedures and meets regularly with staff to ensure that they remain suitable for their roles.

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should:

n review the organisation of activities to promote children's engagement and enhance their learning to the highest level n provide even more consistent guidance to support children's understanding of what is expected of them to help them to better manage their own behaviour n strengthen support for less-experienced staff to build confidence in their role

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should:

23 March 2022 and raise the quality of their practice to the highest level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 139478 Local authority Torbay Inspection number 10072420 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 19 Name of registered person St Marychurch Pre-school Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01803 312542 Date of previous inspection 10 February 2016

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Information about this early years setting

St Marychurch Pre School registered in 1992 and operates from a church hall in St Marychurch, Torquay. It is open between the hours of 8.30am and 3pm during term time. There are four members of staff working with children. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2. The pre-school is registered to accept funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This is the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the management team and has taken this into account in her evaluation of the setting. n The deputy manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss activities and intentions for children's learning. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector gathered the views of parents during the inspection. n The inspector looked at required documentation, including 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

23 March 2022 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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