Inspection of Castle Keep Pre-School Ltd

Allesley Park Community Centre, 199 Winsford Avenue, COVENTRY CV5 9NG

Inspection date: 22 June 2022

Overall effectiveness    Good

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

What is it like to attend this early years setting?
The provision is good

Children are happy and warmly welcomed into the setting by staff. Children are motivated and ready to learn when they come in to choose where they want to play. They have formed friendships and play games together in the garden. For example, when children play with the balls and kick the ball into the goal, they celebrate their victory together. Children learn about the countries where their friends used to live and the different festivals they celebrate. This helps children tolearn about diversity and being part of a wider community.

Children enjoy singing songs and reading stories together. They become excited when they get to choose which song is next. Children explore a range of resources to create their own art ‘masterpieces’ and communicate well to explain what they have done. For example, when asked what they have drawn, they happily share they have drawn ‘their mummy’. Children learn they are valued as staff provide plenty of praise for their achievements. Staff support children to talk about their feelings. They help children to recognise and name the emotion they are feeling and how to overcome this. This supports children’s understanding of emotions and builds on their resilience when faced with difficulties.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

  • The manager has a clear understanding of their curriculum. Children explore a range of valuable learning experiences that successfully cover all seven areas of learning. Staff have a good understanding of their children and what they need to do to progress their learning. They identify any gaps and support closing these through planned activities and enhancing experiences. For example, children who have been talking about visiting a café develop an awareness of numbers and communication skills in their own role-play café when they pretend to sell the cakes.
  • Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are exceptionally well supported. Staff have clear support plans in place to ensure that children are making good progress in their development. Staff act swiftly on any delay in a child’s development and ensure there are measures in place while they wait for referrals. Staff work closely with the local authority to ensure children get the right help at the right time.
  • The manager understands the importance of staff having regular opportunities to attend training and build on their professional development. The manager is currently undergoing a review of the environment following recent training, to ensure this is more inclusive and ‘communication friendly’ for all children. Staff attend regular meetings to discuss the quality of the provision. They feel highly valued and their contributions are heard. Staff say, ‘It’s a wonderful place to work.’ They appreciate the allocated ‘time out’ to carry out their paperwork.
  • Parent partnerships are good. Parents state that the nursery is a ‘nurturing place’ and they are ‘delighted’ that their children have made good progress. They have regular meetings with their child’s key person where they discuss their children’s development and how they can continue to support their learning at home.
  • Staff make good use of observations and assessments to identify children’s existing knowledge and skills, and how to build on this. However, staff do not make the most of some teaching opportunities to challenge fully children’s knowledge and understanding.
  • Staff generally manage children’s behaviours well. They talk to children to help them to understand why their behaviour is not acceptable. However, the manager and staff have not identified how to best manage some parts of children’s daily routine, to help them fully understand what is expected from them at busier times.
  • Children have many opportunities to be independent and develop their self-care routines. Children learn about good hygiene routines. On arrival, children wash their hands before going to play. At snack time, all children have the opportunity to cut their own fruit and pour their drinks.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms a
child may be at risk of harm. They understand their duty to report concerns in a timely manner, to ensure children are kept safe. They carry out risk assessments on the environment and are continuously assessing to check that children are kept safe. For example, when children put things in their mouths, they are reminded to remove them, and staff explain why this is not safe. The manager ensures that robust safer recruitment procedures are followed.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:

  •  review and strengthen routines to ensure children are fully supported to understand the behaviour expectations
  • enhance teaching techniques to ensure staff fully challenge all children to extend their knowledge and understanding even further.

Setting details

Unique reference number EY413233
Local authority Coventry
Inspection number 10116390
Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registers Early Years Register
Day care type Full day care
Age range of children at time of inspection 2 to 4
Total number of places 50
Number of children on roll 82
Name of registered person Castle Keep Pre-School Ltd
Registered person unique reference number RP906500
Telephone number 02476713248
Date of previous inspection 18 December 2014

Information about this early years setting

Castle Keep Pre-School registered in 2010. The setting is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 3pm during term time. The setting receives funding to provide free early years education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school employs 13 staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years level 2 qualification and all others have early years qualifications at level 3.

Information about this inspection

Inspector
Katherine Wilson

Inspection activities

  • This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the setting.
  • The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum.
  • The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation.
  • The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views.
  • The inspector spoke to a sample of parents and took account of their views.
  • The inspector reviewed relevant documentation upon request.

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.

If you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) 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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