Red Dragon Pre-School

RED DRAGON PRE-SCHOOL ST BLAISE C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL, Milton Heights, Abingdon, OX14 4DR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/06/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress based on their starting points because the quality of teaching is high.  Children develop close relationships with their key person. This ensures children feel happy and settled and are ready to learn.  Staff have high expectations of children and, as a result, children are highly motivated, independent learners.  The well-resourced indoor and outdoor environment is thoughtfully organised and enables children to independently select their own resources and follow their own ideas and interests as they learn through play.  Partnerships with parents are strong and the pre-school offers a range of good opportunities for parents to share in children's learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are fewer planned opportunities to support the youngest children to explore the patterns in their play and make connections in their learning.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with children, parents, a representative from the committee, and all available staff, and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector tracked children in their play both indoors and outdoors in order to provide evidence of children's progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documentation including a representative sample of the safeguarding policy and procedure, and children's learning and development records and planning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager to discuss her self-evaluation and conducted a joint observation of a nursery activity with her.  The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability.

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Information about the setting

Red Dragon Pre-school was formerly established as a pre-school in 1995 and re-registered in 2013 to become a charity-run establishment, managed by a voluntary parent-led committee. The pre-school is situated within Milton C of E Primary School and has sole use of a purpose-built classroom with direct access to an outside play area. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The nursery supports children who are bilingual, or who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and is open term time only. There are currently 24 children on roll in the early years age range who attend for a variety of sessions across the week. The pre-school offers sessions Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 11.45am, and afternoon sessions on Monday and Thursday from 12.00pm to 3.00pm. There are three staff permanently employed to work directly with the

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Information about the setting

children. Two staff hold a recognised level three early years qualification and the manager holds a Foundation Degree in Early Years.

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

 plan further opportunities for younger children to make links in their learning and develop their thinking skills.

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who attend

Children are given good opportunities to learn because they play in an environment that offers them stimulating and varied experiences that meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff value information shared by parents and have effective systems to help parents share their knowledge of their own children's learning and development. This means that staff know their key children and families well and tailor activities to children's individual needs and interests. Staff have a good understanding of all children's learning and development and are confident in planning for their next steps. As a result, children are making good progress.

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who attend

Staff observe children at play and record their assessments in children's learning journeys. They refer to their thorough assessments when planning the routine of the session and the activities and rich experiences on offer to the children. Planning is effective in ensuring that activities and experiences are matched to children's interests and children are offered opportunities that motivate them to learn. Younger children have opportunities to follow their own interests and are well supported by adults who are responsive to their needs throughout the session. However, there are some missed opportunities for staff to extend younger children's thinking skills. This is because staff plan fewer activities to support younger children to make connections in their learning and recognise the patterns in their play.

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who attend

The environment is planned to support children's independence skills and offers them a broad and rich range of resources to individualise their play and learning. Children playing outside choose from a wide range of natural materials including, bark, pinecones, wooden blocks and small twigs with which they build homes for mini-beasts to live. During the inspection, older children patiently showed younger ones how to move the magnifying glass backwards and forwards as they clustered together to count the legs of a centipede. An older child ran to fetch a camera and an adult stepped in to support him as he took a photograph of the centipede's nest he had built. Children's independence skills support them in their learning as they are able to plan their own activities and easily find the resources they need to follow their own thoughts and ideas. This means that the staff are supporting children to be motivated learners who persist at a task and who are developing

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who attend

the skills they will need to be ready for school.

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who attend

Staff plan specific activities to support children's mathematical development and model mathematical language to children as they join them in their play. Children played with blocks and used mathematical language to describe and estimate the number and size of the bricks they would need to complete their construction. They talked about the four sides of the long rectangle shape they would need to fill a gap, and they used a timer to see how quickly they could move the bricks to build their very tall tower. At snack time, children choose from a range of foods and some count the number of items on their plates. One child engaged in early number calculations as he chose three scones, dividing the scones into two groups on his plate and discussing how he will spread butter on one and have jam on the other two.

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who attend

Children have ample opportunity to develop their language skills as staff engage with them in singing, supporting them to hear the sounds in the words and recognise the rhyming words. A group of children played a lotto game as they listened to sounds in the environment. Other children invented their own rhythms as they played on tambourines, and with bells, and marched up and down in their play. Staff are teaching children to listen to sounds in the environment and in words. They are teaching children the early phonics skills they will need as they learn to read and write. Staff are clear about individual children's next learning steps in their literacy development. Children are encouraged to form letters correctly as they write their name on their paintings and in the sand. Younger children are given plenty of opportunities to develop an effective pencil grip as they chalk on the floor with large chalks and develop strength in their fingers through

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who attend

small construction activities and threading experiences.

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who attend

Staff's careful planning, skilful interactions and questioning support children as they learn about the world in which they live. As they played, children talked about the effect that water has on sand and observantly noticed and described colour and property changes. Staff linked children's learning to their experiences outside the pre-school as they talked about a trip to the beach and skilfully extended their learning by talking to older children about waves and the effects the sea has on the sand on the beach. Staff plan walks around the village so that children can search for numbers in the environment, and they plan real experiences for children, for example washing a staff member's car. These experiences motivate children to learn and help to broaden their vocabulary.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

All children are well supported by an effective key-person system. This means that children feel secure in their play and confident to try things that challenge them. A thorough settling -in process supports children as they start in the pre-school. Parents visit the pre-school and spend time discussing their child's development and individual needs with their key person. Parents report that they are made to feel welcome and are invited to stay as their child builds strong relationships with staff. They report that they value the continued opportunities the pre-school offers them to engage in their child's learning. Children go home wearing personalised stickers which invite parents to talk to them about their interests and achievements that day. Parents contribute to the let's celebrate our stars' display by sharing developments the child has had at home. Staff share these with all the children so that children know that success in all areas of their life is valued.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are very well behaved as they play together. Staff frequently praise children for their efforts and for respecting the environment and each other. Children are encouraged to tidy away the toys after use. They are aware of the importance of maintaining a safe environment. Staff use music to support children's attention and encourage them to remain on task. Children take turns to be the 'helping hand' of the day and grow in self- esteem as they help their key person set the table and prepare snack. Staff have effective strategies in place to support children who are learning to express their feelings and to take turns and share. As a result, children are co-operative and show they care about one another.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Adults carefully plan experiences that enable children to be independent and to challenge themselves in their play. Adults remain vigilant as children independently cut up fruit and butter scones at snack time. Adults know how much support each child needs, as children clear away their own plates and beakers, taking responsibility to ensure the table is clean for the next child. Staff make use of opportunities in routines to develop children's independence skills, for example, by making brooms and dustpans available so that children can sweep up after activities. This means that children develop confidence as they experience success in involvement in care routines and practices.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are learning how to keep themselves safe as they play. Adults are good role models, helping children to use knives and scissors safely and reminding them not to overload themselves with equipment as they carry it in their play. Good hygiene standards are adhered to and staff have secure systems in place to prevent infection and cross contamination. Older children remind younger ones that they need to wash the germs off their hands after they have independently used the toilet, and before they sit down to eat.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children play in a rich environment which offers them many opportunities to make healthy choices and develop a healthy lifestyle. Adults offer children a wide range of choice at snack time. Children know which foods they like and they understand which choices will help to keep them healthy. Adults and children engage in relaxed talk during snack. This helps adults to explore children's understanding of what keeps them healthy and gives opportunities for children to discuss differences in their choices. Children independently fetch hats to protect themselves from the sun as they play outside. They help themselves to water when they are thirsty and choose to sit in the shade when they are too hot. Children choose to engage in high levels of active play, they are developing an enjoyment of fresh air and exercise as they confidently balance and negotiate obstacles in the outside space, climb trees and ride bikes. Children experience risk and challenge as they play and,

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

as a result, they show good self-esteem and are proud of their achievements.

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provision

The manager and the new committee have a clear understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children and promote their learning and development. There is a good range of documentation, which includes policies and procedures to enable the pre-school to meet the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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provision

Children are kept safe because the management and staff act to minimise risks. For example, they carry our regular risk assessments to identify risk to children from new activities and changes in routine, or the environment. Management and staff ensure that they maintain the minimum ratios that are needed for children to be adequately supervised and have sufficient adult support to enable them to learn. Consistent staff are employed who know the children's abilities and needs well. They are vigilant in their supervision of children's play. They plan appropriate challenges for children in their learning, and accurately judge when to provide support to children in their play in order to keep them safe. Staff are especially vigilant at handover periods in the day where children are individually returned to their parents and carers, and time is taken to discuss the child's care and learning experiences. Staff have undergone appropriate training such as

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provision

paediatric first aid and safeguarding. Staff are clear about procedures to follow if they have safeguarding concerns and they understand the whistle-blowing procedure and the steps to take if they have concerns about a colleague.

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provision

The management has robust recruitment procedures for the employment of new staff, and have accessed training to support them in understanding safer recruitment procedures. The provider has ensured an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check has been obtained for all adults who currently work directly with children. New staff have good inductions which support them to understand pre-school policies, procedure and practice. Appraisals are carried out, and management have a clear understanding of staff development needs.

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provision

The management and the reflective staff team have a clear system for self-evaluation which takes account of the children's interests, the parents and the local school. The staff have high expectations of the children they teach and of themselves. The manager maintains a good overview of individual children's progress and individual children are discussed at weekly planning and progress meetings. The recently introduced system for tracking whole cohort progress has been used effectively to identify children who will benefit from more individualised support.

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provision

The pre-school has good links with the local school and shares the outside area with the Reception class for some sessions during the week. Children moving on to school have many opportunities to visit the Reception class, for example, for stories and play sessions. Children feel safe because they are supported by their key person as they familiarise themselves with their new classroom environment. As a result, children are well prepared for their next stage of learning and are excited and ready for the challenge.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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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Setting details

Unique reference number EY472811 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 949620 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider RED DRAGON PRE-SCHOOL Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07554194601

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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