Grappenhall Pre-school

Inspection of Grappenhall Pre-school Grappenhall & Thelwall Community Centre, Bell House Farm, Bellhouse Lane, Grappenhall, WARRINGTON WA4 2SG

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

The committee-led pre-school at the centre of the community has enabled the warm and friendly staff to form strong bonds with the children and their families. Children are eager to enter the pre-school as they confidently separate from their parents before searching for their friends. They quickly engage in their choice of play activities that staff have planned for them. Children develop good communication skills. Staff support children to learn new words such as 'juicy' and 'spicy' as they describe their food items at snack time. Staff plan exciting trips and visits, such as family fun days and walks to the church to take their harvest festival food collection. Children learn about the world around them and have a real sense of belonging.

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The provision is good

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff set clear expectations for their behaviour and routines and provide children with lots of praise and encouragement. Children sing and learn to sign the golden rules, which include being kind and listening. They feel confident to share their own ideas with the group about what being kind means, and can demonstrate this in their play and routines. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff have excellent partnerships with professionals and parents. Together, they plan the best ways to meet children's needs both in nursery and at home, which supports children's ongoing learning.

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need to do better?

n Leaders plan a varied curriculum and staff provide activities that children enjoy. However, at times, they do not deliver the curriculum in a way that meets the different learning needs of children. For example, staff deliver story times as whole-group sessions. Children sit for long periods to listen to a story, then discuss the weather and days of the week. While pre-school children relish this valuable learning, younger children quickly lose attention. This means that some children do not benefit from these meaningful learning experiences. n While staff know the children well and form strong bonds with them, the key- person system is not firmly embedded. Staff observe and assess children's progress. However, the key-person system is not used as effectively to monitor and plan individual children's next steps in learning. This means that, sometimes, children's otherwise good progress is hampered.

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need to do better?

n Staff plan daily routines from the moment children arrive to develop their independence skills. For example, children find their name card and set up their storage tray. Here they store their belongings and, throughout the day, they place their pictures ready to take home. At lunchtime, children collect their packed lunch boxes and feed themselves with little assistance from staff, then help clear the table ready for play. Children are developing an understanding of

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need to do better?

17 October 2023 how to care for themselves. n Children are developing an understanding of leading healthy lifestyles. Staff and children have their lunch together, and children know they need to wash their hands beforehand. At the table, staff support children to chat about the food in their lunch boxes and how it helps them to be healthy. Children are physically active. They have continuous access to outdoor play to help develop their small- and large-muscle strength. These activities support them in forming healthy habits for the future. n Staff support children to develop their mathematical skills through exploration and play. Children use pegboards and different coloured pegs to practise their counting and sequencing of patterns. Younger children sing counting songs and name colours when making play dough. Children are developing foundations in mathematical skills in readiness for when they start school.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff recognise the value of continuous quality improvement. Staff receive regular review meetings, which are informed by observations of their practice. However, leaders have not targeted staff's precise learning needs, which means there are some gaps in staff's knowledge of the curriculum. n Parents are very complimentary of this pre-school. They comment on how the staff have supported them with their children's care routines, such as mealtimes and toilet training. Parents say they and their children enjoy the family fun days at the setting.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Children are safe at this setting. The premises are clean, well maintained and secure. Staff are qualified to administer first aid and effective systems are in place to record and monitor accidents, which are shared with parents. This promotes children's safety. Staff have knowledge and understanding of the possible signs that a child is at risk of harm. They have completed mandatory safeguarding training and they demonstrate that they know the correct actions to take if they are concerned about a child.

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should:

n further develop a broad and sequenced curriculum to differentiate children's learning and development n further enhance the key-worker system to build on what children know and can do n target staff's precise professional development needs to support their continuous professional development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2643649 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 10301487 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 46 Name of registered person Grappenhall Pre-school CIO

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reference number

Telephone number 07809584752 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Grappenhall Pre-School registered in 2021. There are currently nine staff working directly with children, eight of whom have appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school is open from Monday to Friday, 8.50am to 3.30pm, term time only. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free 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 joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n Children told the inspector about their friends and what they like to do when they are at pre-school. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual individual about the leadership and management of the setting. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of 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

17 October 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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