St Andrews with St Peters Preschool

Inspection of St Andrews with St Peters Preschool 375 Weston Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT ST3 6HB

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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 are greeted warmly by the friendly and caring staff. They quickly settle into the well-established routines of the pre-school and happily greet their friends. Children's behaviour is very good. They share, take turns and are respectful towards each other and staff. Children form secure emotional bonds with their key person and the other staff who look after them. They benefit from positive interactions from the attentive staff and thoroughly enjoy their company. Children receive plenty of praise and encouragement that supports their confidence and self-esteem.

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The provision is good

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points. They thoroughly enjoy taking part in adult-led activities and a wide range of child-initiated play experiences. All children are confident in their independence and in managing their self-care needs. For example, they take off their own coats and hang them up when they arrive and wash their hands before eating. They persevere with challenges, show a can-do attitude and are enthusiastic to learn.

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The provision is good

Children have daily access to the outdoor area, where they develop good physical skills. They ride on wheeled toys with balance and coordination and have fun as they kick and throw balls. Children learn about changes in the environment and become fascinated as they observe how ice melts over time. Children learn to value and respect similarities and differences between themselves and others. They learn about a variety of festivals and celebrations throughout the year, which helps to raise their awareness of the diverse world they live in.

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need to do better?

n The manager has designed a curriculum that follows children's interests and provides them with the knowledge and skills for their future learning. The manager is aware of the impact COVID-19 has had on children's communication and language. She has effectively implemented screening tools to help identify where children may need extra support. n The manager and staff work closely as a team. They have regular discussions to help identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Staff say they are happy in their roles and feel supported by the manager, which is reflected in the very low staff turnover. n The manager and staff create a nurturing environment with a family ethos. Snack and mealtimes are a happy and social occasion. Children and staff sit together and become immersed in conversation. Staff ensure children have sufficient time to think and respond to questions to build on their thinking and

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need to do better?

13 December 2022 n Staff provide children with opportunities to use their imagination. Children pretend to bake cakes in the role-play kitchen. They place toy food onto the weighing scales and use the pretend food mixer to mix the ingredients together. Staff join in with their play and provide a narrative. However, on occasion, staff miss opportunities to build on children's understanding of mathematical concepts, such as counting, capacity and weight. n Children have lots of fun as they take part in activities that help to develop their fine motor skills in preparation for early writing. For example, children join in 'dough disco' sessions, which help to strengthen their small muscles as they squeeze and roll play dough in their hands to the music. Staff role model and enthusiastically join in with the activity. However, staff do not always allow children time to fully explore planned activities independently to enhance their

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need to do better?

learning and enjoyment even further. n Children demonstrate a love of books. They recall events and characters from their favourite stories and use this to make links to real life. Staff provide children with opportunities to mark make and be creative. Children proudly show their drawings to staff and use good vocabulary to describe what they have drawn. For example, children say they have drawn Santa's 'feet and toes' and say, 'he is happy because he has a smiley face.' Older children learn to recognise and write the letters in their names. n Parent partnerships are strong. The manager and staff keep parents informed of where children are in their learning and the care they have received during the session. Teachers from the local schools are invited into the pre-school to meet the children ahead of their move to nursery and Reception. The manager shares information to help support continuity in children's learning and development

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need to do better?

and aid smooth transitions. n Leaders are aware of their responsibility to notify Ofsted of changes. However, on this occasion they have failed to inform Ofsted about new committee members. These committee members have completed suitability checks and do not work directly with the children. Therefore, although this is a breach to the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage, it does not impact on the quality of the provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff demonstrate a good understanding of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. They are confident in the procedures to follow if they have concerns about the welfare of a child or the conduct of a colleague. The manager has clear policies in place to keep children safe. She follows robust recruitment processes to ensure the suitability of staff. The manager ensures all staff complete essential paediatric first aid and safeguarding training in line with local authority guidelines. Staff carry out daily checks of all areas of the pre-school to identify and minimise any risks to ensure that children can play safely.

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should:

n support staff to recognise opportunities to extend on children's awareness and understanding of mathematical concepts, such as counting, weight and capacity n allow children more time to explore activities independently to enhance their learning and enjoyment even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 224725 Local authority Stoke-on-Trent Inspection number 10264434 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 13

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Name of registered person

St Andrews with St Peters Pre-school Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01782 314270 Date of previous inspection 15 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

St Andrews with St Peters Preschool registered in 1996. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 8.30am until 2.30pm. 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 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together to look at how the curriculum is planned to meet children's needs and development. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n A meeting was held with the inspector and the manager to discuss leadership and management arrangements. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of the staff working in the pre-school.

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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 December 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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