Magic Dragon Pre-School

Magic Dragon Pre-School Church of Good Shepherd Hall, Bishop Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 8NA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/07/2014 09/12/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Staff teach children good behaviour management and promote their social skills.  Staff use questioning techniques that encourage children to think more deeply, which successfully challenges them in their learning.  The leadership team promote staff professional development and as a result, it is enhancing staff skills.  Staff plan exciting activities using children's interests and identify next steps in their development. Therefore, children are fully engaged and making good progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff are not always successful in engaging children in literacy activities to develop their reading and writing skills in preparation for starting school.  The outdoor environment is not fully maximised to enhance children's learning in all types of play.

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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 observed activities in the main pre-school rooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation including a sample of children's records, planning and records to check staff suitability.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents, staff and children spoken to on the day of the inspection and of the provider's self-evaluation.  The inspector held meetings with the committee chair and the manager.  The inspector invited the manager to carry out a joint observation.

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Information about the setting

The Magic Dragon Pre-School opened in the 1970s and is managed by a voluntary management committee made up of parents of children at the pre-school. It operates from the Church of Good Shepherd Hall in Bishopston, Bristol. It is registered on the Early Years Register. The pre-school serves the local and surrounding area. It welcomes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school is open Monday to Thursday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am to 12 noon. A lunch club operates on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays from 12-1pm. The group use the main and small halls and a small room behind the stage area. They have use of the kitchen and toilets. The premises offer disabled access and toilet facilities. The children have use of an enclosed outdoor play area that is accessible from the small hall. The pre-school has 24 early years age children

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Information about the setting

on roll. The committee employs six members of staff. The staff work part-time and share the roles of leader and assistants. The staff team includes two who hold relevant level 3 qualifications, one who has Qualified Teacher Status and one with Early Years Professional Status. They receive support from their local authority.

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

 enhance the range of activities to better support children's literacy skills in preparation for school

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

 extend use of the outdoor area to maximise play across all areas of learning.

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who attend

Children make good progress. Staff are strong teachers and they use effective methods to engage children's interests. For example, they make materials react with one another during science experiments to resemble volcanoes. Staff have a good understanding of how children develop and learn. They assess children's needs well so that planned activities and topics respond to children's needs. Staff are confident in their teaching and interaction skills and therefore promote children's learning well. For example, when children are dissolving sugar cubes in coloured water they count the cubes, all of the children have a turn and they use their physical skills to pour water into cups. Staff reinforce words, such as dissolved, and children start to use it independently as they discuss what happens to their sugar cube. Staff work closely with small groups of children to encourage them to develop their social

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who attend

skills. For example, children learn to wait for their turn to explore the guitar. This means they can familiarise themselves with small groups of children at a time and gradually become more confident in the bigger group. Staff add challenge to children at these times for example, they encourage them to listen and identify if the sounds from the guitar are high or low. This teaches children to recognise different pitches in sound, which helps them with their developing reading skills. Staff are enthusiastic as they join in with children's play. This means that children are highly stimulated and enjoy playing alongside them.

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who attend

Children are confident communicators and gain each other's attention well as they play imaginatively together. Staff extend children's thinking by questioning them about what they are doing and play different roles with them. Children imaginatively use nuts and bolts, pieces of wood, plastic boards and play hammers, saws and screwdrivers to build a house in the garden.

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who attend

Staff provide all children with opportunities to enjoy plenty of physical activity to support their developing large and small motor skills. Children play indoors and outside, and move between the different areas confidently. However, staff do not always maximise learning opportunities to cover all areas of learning in the outdoor area. Staff teach children to develop their reading skills through a variety of activities and with gentle support from staff, they gradually develop their recognition of letters. On arrival, staff welcome the children and encourage them to recognise their name on the board to self-register. This helps children feel part of the group and gives them a sense of belonging. However, staff do not always promote activities to further develop children's literacy skills in preparation for school during the free play session.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs. They gather information from parents when children first join and use this to support and settle children. Children have pre-visits to the pre-school before they start, which enables them to feel emotionally secure and comfortable in their surroundings. Children have strong relationships with staff and each other. Staff encourage children to make friends so they develop their social skills and become confident as part of a bigger group. Children play well together and are confident in their communication with staff. Parents help in the pre-school and some spend time providing alternative activities, for example, sharing their knowledge of science, which sparks children's interest in experiments.

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

Children behave well. They understand the routines of their day and staff expectations. Staff give children timers to encourage them to take turns, and teach them about counting down. This is an effective strategy for managing behaviour, as well as teaching mathematical concepts. Children understand the importance of listening to others, for example, when eating snack. They sit in small groups and listen to one another as they engage in social conversations about themselves and their families. This promotes their respect for one another, while enhancing their self-esteem. Staff follow effective safety procedures to promote children's safety and well-being. For example, they gather information from parents about who is authorised to collect their children. There are clear risk assessment systems that cover the indoor and outside pre- school environments. Staff deploy themselves well, which means children are well

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

Staff encourage children to be independent at snack times as they spread their own toppings on bagels. Children are involved in routines, such as collecting things from the kitchen for snack time. Staff provide resources at children's height in well labelled drawers and boxes so children can choose what they want to play with. This increasing independence supports children well as they prepare to move on to school.

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provision

The manager and her team have a good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use this knowledge to make sure they meet the requirements, and as result, promote positive outcomes for children. The manager ensures all staff are trained in child protection, meaning they have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They know what action to take if they become concerned about a child in their care. The management team have robust monitoring procedures in place, which ensures that they are able to take quick action to protect children from harm.

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provision

The manager and committee use robust recruitment procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. There are secure ongoing appraisal and supervision systems so the manager can monitor staffs' continuing suitability. Staff attend training courses regularly in areas such as behaviour management and the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, staff continue to perform well enabling them to support children's learning and well-being effectively. Appraisal systems help to identify training needs. This means that staff attend training that directly improves their practice, including things such as, outdoor play in the winter. The manager monitors children's learning diaries, planning and children's assessments. As a result, she is able to ensure consistent support for all children.

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provision

The manager receives good support from the committee. They work well together to evaluate the strengths and areas to develop in the pre-school. The manager has sought the views of staff, children and parents and as a result, she has a secure awareness of the areas for improvement. The pre-school uses an effective self-evaluation tool to bring about improvement. This enables them to address all areas highlighted in their last inspection. Consequently, the pre-school has a good capacity to continue to improve.

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provision

Staff work hard to build strong relationships with parents. Parents' feedback is extremely positive about the pre-school; they feel well informed about the learning intentions through displays, regular emails and discussion with staff. The key persons share the children's learning diaries with parents and they set areas to develop and next steps together. Parents report the pre-school prepares their children well for school, particularly in their social skills. Staff are experienced and warm towards them and their children. Parents welcome the level of information staff give them about their children's care and development. Staff encourage other early years settings children attend to share in the children's education. They collect 'wow moments' from them so that children's achievements can be celebrated at pre-school. Staff work hard to work with other early years providers and local schools, and this means that children make smooth transitions to

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provision

their next place of learning and are confident and secure.

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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 107008 Local authority Bristol City Inspection number 816923 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider Magic Dragon Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 09/12/2009 Telephone number 07791 659967

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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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