St. John's C.E Preschool Ltd

St. John's C.E Preschool Ltd

Unique reference number (URN): 2780337 Address: St. Johns C of E School, St. John Street, WIGAN, WN5 0DT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 07/02/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: St John's C.E. Preschool Ltd

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children, including those with with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to learning, generally enjoy the learning the learning environment available to them. However, the progress they make is variable. At times, children's learning is incidental, rather than purposeful. This impacts on how effectively they build skills and knowledge over time. Furthermore, children are not supported to develop appropriate independence skills, such as personal care routines. This means that children are not prepared as well as possible for the next stage of their learning, including school.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children show that they are confident and secure in their learning environment. They have adapted well to the changes in staffing and the introduction of new routines. They are proud to show the visitors and friends the stickers they have been awarded for their hard work.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders and practitioners set age-appropriate expectations for children's behaviour. Practitioners respond positively to incidents of poor behaviour. They get down at children's level to explain why their behaviour was not appropriate. However, they do not routinely teach children about their feelings and emotions. This means that some children are not supported to regulate their behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Practitioners teach children to be kind and considerate of others and to follow simple rules, such as using 'kind hands' and words. At circle time, practitioners remind children of their golden rules. They use visual representations to help support those children with barriers to learning. Practitioners are beginning to implement strategies to help children to learn the routines of the setting. For example, children are given a 5-minute warning for tidy-up time. When the tidy-up song is played, some children help to tidy away their toys and resources. However, the weakness in teaching children this routine means that some children are not able to follow what is expected of them, which results in some disruptive behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

In such a short time, it is evident that leaders and practitioners have developed positive relationships with children. Children show that they feel comfortable to ask for help and seek out comfort from practitioners when needed. Leaders have processes in place to follow up on children's absences. This helps to set good habits for future learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders and practitioners do not consistently promote healthy lifestyles. For example, they do not always include parents well enough in their aims to promote healthy eating. Children do not learn about which food and drinks support their physical health and development. Furthermore, children are not always supervised when eating and leave the table with food in their mouths. That said, practitioners teach children hygiene routines. For example, they are reminded to wash their hands after going to the bathroom and when wiping their nose. The newly appointed leadership team has created a welcoming space, where children typically enjoy play, both indoors and outdoors. Children benefit from daily outdoor play to help them develop their physical skills. Each child is allocated a key person. Practitioners are developing their knowledge of the children and their families to help meet their individual needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is in its infancy due to the changes in management, and the new staff team. Leaders are in the early stages of identifying the improvements needed in teaching and assessment. There are plans in place to bring about the improvements needed to ensure teaching consistently builds children's knowledge, skills and confidence, but these are still at an early stage.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have a clear vision of what they want children to learn. This ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers to learning have full access to the curriculum on offer. For example, when outside, children are supported to put on their superhero costumes and engage in imaginative play. Play dough and large chalks are provided to help children develop their physical skills. However, the curriculum design and assessment do not always focus on children's individual needs and their next steps in their learning. For example, on some occasions, adult-led activities are not differentiated for the younger children. This means that they are not engaged in purposeful learning. Furthermore, the curriculum for mathematics is not well planned, this means that children are not developing their early mathematical skills and knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Overall, practitioners support children's communication and language skills effectively. For example, children learn the names of sea life creatures, such as octopus and turtle. Children enjoy stories and rhymes. However, at times, practitioners do not build in sufficient time for children to respond to questions and process information before moving on in the discussion. This means that some children become disengaged in their learning.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Due to changes in the staffing team, leaders and practitioners are working closely with parents to identify the emerging needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and other barriers to learning. For example, practitioners plan one-to-one activities to support children's language and communication development. However, the provider has not ensured that practitioners have received suitable training and support to implement appropriate strategies for learning. This means that some children may not receive the right support they need to make progress.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders and practitioners promote an inclusive learning environment for children and their families. Children wear their uniform, which helps them to have a sense of belonging of the wider school. Leaders have a secure understanding of the funding available, and how this can be used appropriately to further support children.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

There have been significant changes to the leadership and staffing arrangements of the setting since the last inspection. These changes, in a short space of time, mean that the leadership team is not yet established. Senior leaders have a broad awareness of the setting's strengths and areas for development. However, they had not identified the weakness in the teaching of the curriculum. This is because systems for regular staff supervision and continuous professional development are not yet embedded. Additionally, there are not sufficiently secure systems in place to closely monitor staff practice to identify gaps in teaching and drive improvement.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The newly appointed leaders demonstrate a commitment to offering high-quality education and care for all children and to make decisions with the best interests of children in mind. They have developed positive relationships with parents. This provides consistent support and shared understanding, which helps children to feel secure.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

There are some weaknesses in the leadership arrangements to ensure that staff have all the skills and knowledge they need to complete their roles and responsibilities. This impacts on the quality of the curriculum and some aspects of the care of children.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

The atmosphere within the pre-school is positive, welcoming and inclusive. Children settle in well. They hang up their bags and coats and go off to find their friends.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Partnerships are in place with parents to support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and other barriers to learning. This helps to ensure that all children feel safe and secure in their learning environment. Parents comment positively on the new leadership team and the impact this is having on their children's learning and development. Families feel valued and supported.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children demonstrate that they are beginning to know and understand the pre-school routines. For example, when getting ready for circle time they hold hands with their friends to form a circle, then they all sit down on the mat together. Here they sing the welcome song to each other and they find their photograph to self-register, before joining in with discussions about what the weather looks like today. Children are confident and keen to take part in their pre-school day.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure children are supervised at all times when eating 30/04/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve the monitoring of practitioners to identify and address any gaps in teaching 30/04/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure the curriculum is sequenced clearly so practitioners know what children need to learn next and adapt teaching accordingly, helping children build their knowledge securely over time 30/04/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement policies and procedures to promote healthy eating 30/04/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement a suitable approach to help children learn about their feelings and emotions to support their behaviour 30/04/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the nominated individual, leaders, practitioners and parents during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

There have been significant changes to the leadership and staffing arrangements of the setting since the last inspection. Unique reference number (URN): 2780337

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Address:

St. Johns C of E School St. John Street WIGAN WN5 0DT

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: St John's C.E. Preschool Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:45 - 03:30

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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