Pangbourne Valley Pre-School

Inspection of Pangbourne Valley Playgroup Kennedy Drive, Pangbourne, Reading, Berkshire RG8 7LB

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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 thoroughly enjoy their time at this warm and welcoming pre-school. The kind and caring staff provide a nurturing environment, where children feel safe and secure. Children form friendships with ease and play well together. For example, they pretend to be a member of staff reading a story. They sit on a chair, expertly face the book to their friends and describe what they see on each page. In this way, children copy staff teaching to support their own learning.

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The provision is good

Children generally behave well. Staff sensitively guide children to use effective systems if minor disagreements do occur. For instance, when children want the same toy, a sand timer is used to encourage them to wait patiently for their turn.

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The provision is good

Children show increasing independence when managing their self-care needs. For example, children wash their hands correctly at appropriate times in the day. They are reminded to wash away the germs before they eat. This helps children understand the importance of maintaining good health routines.

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The provision is good

Children love being outdoors, where they practise and master good physical skills. For instance, they carefully manoeuvre around obstacles on bicycles and climb over tyres in the garden with good body control. Children persevere when involved in play, showing high levels of confidence and self-esteem.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff strive to provide high-quality education and care for all children. They have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and work closely to fulfil these effectively. For instance, they have given an even higher priority to supporting children's speaking skills, due to children's interactions with the wider community being greatly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The special educational needs coordinator and literacy leader collaborate to identify and help children with speech delay. Staff use appropriate interventions, such as using pictures to represent objects, to successfully address gaps in children's communication skills. n Leaders and staff recognise the importance of raising children's awareness of the diverse cultures represented at the pre-school. For example, children share foods and dress up in traditional costumes from different cultures. Parents and staff help provide real life opportunities, such as handling ornate headdresses

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need to do better?

from Ukraine. This helps children to consider similarities and differences between their own and others' way of life. n Staff provide children with real life experiences to enhance their learning further. They plan activities that spark children's interests. For instance, staff take children to the local shops to buy ingredients to make banana milkshake. In this

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need to do better?

1 March 2023 way, children acquire knowledge and skills in other areas of the curriculum. They learn to write a list, use coins to pay and follow a recipe to make a healthy drink. n Children develop a real love for books and like their favourite stories read again and again. In this way, children learn about story features, such as how a character may be feeling based on the story plot. Children's learning is maximised when staff read stories in small groups and on an individual basis. However, in a large group of mixed ages and abilities, staff are unable to sustain all children's attention and some become restless. This causes distraction to those children who are trying hard to listen and enjoy the story. n Children demonstrate that they are familiar with the pre-school's routines. This helps them to know what is expected of them. For example, at lunchtime, they readily fetch their packed lunch boxes and find an available space on the table.

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need to do better?

However, on occasions, staff interrupt children when engrossed in their play to move on to an adult-led activity, such as story time. This disrupts children's engagement as they do not have enough time to finish off their chosen activity. n Parents speak highly of the leaders and staff. They say the staff 'go out of their way to bring out the best' in their children. Parents attend regular meetings with staff to discuss children's learning and development. They access newsletters and online learning records to keep them informed and involved. Parents are impressed with their children's growing independence skills, as well as their increasing confidence when speaking with new people.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff place a high emphasis on protecting children from harm. Staff have a good understanding of the potential risks to children's welfare, including exposure to extremist views and behaviours. They know the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child or a colleague. All staff have completed safeguarding training to ensure their knowledge is up to date. Leaders follow robust recruitment and vetting processes to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Staff carry out regular risk assessments and appropriate action is taken to ensure the children's safety at all times.

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should:

n support staff to plan more precisely for individual children's learning needs when children of mixed ages and abilities are grouped together n review the daily routines to give children more time to become fully engaged in their self-chosen play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 110733 Local authority West Berkshire Inspection number 10264728 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 30 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Pangbourne Valley Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01189841661 Date of previous inspection 23 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Pangbourne Valley Playgroup registered in 1998. It is situated within the grounds of Pangbourne Primary School in a purpose-built premises. The setting opens from 7.30am to 3.15pm on Monday to Friday. A team of seven staff work at the setting, six of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the pre-school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the pre-school manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n The pre-school manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum and what they want children to learn. n Staff and children spoke to the inspector at appropriate times during the inspection. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n The pre-school manager and inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views. n The inspector reviewed relevant documents, including staff's suitability to work with children.

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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

1 March 2023 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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