Snapdragons Pre-School

Snapdragons Pre-School Snapdragons Pre-School, Jackets Lane, Northam, EX39 1HT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/04/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are provided with highly stimulating and enjoyable first-hand learning experiences by staff who know them extremely well and have a very good understanding of how children learn. Therefore, children's individual learning and development needs are significantly enhanced and they make excellent progress.  Very close relationships and attachments with staff ensure children are happy and secure and, as a result, they are fully involved and confident at the pre-school.  Children's self-help and independence is exceptionally well promoted, resulting in children showing high levels of self-control and confidence in their play.  Well-focused and highly effective partnerships with parents provide excellent opportunities to further continue children's learning and development.  Management rigorously monitor in all areas to support highly effective practice and to inform future areas for improvement, while maintaining an excellent service for children

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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 a range of learning activities inside and in the garden.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and one of the directors.  The inspector talked with staff and parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including policies, children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Snapdragons Pre-School first registered to provide childcare in 1997 and moved from the Tarka Community Centre to purpose-built premises in 2013. The pre-school has sole use of a self-contained building, on grounds beside St George's Church of England School in Northam, near Bideford. Children have use of a large play room and a smaller side room, with toilets directly off the main play room. There is a large enclosed outside area suitable for children to use. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and takes children from age two to five years. The pre-school operates each weekday during school term time. The sessions run from 9am to 3pm all week. The pre-school receives funding for free early education for two- three-and four-year olds. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English is an additional language. The pre-school employs seven staff who work directly

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Information about the setting

with the children, of whom five hold qualifications in early years at level 3. The pre-school also employs an administrator and a cleaner.

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

 continue to develop children's self-awareness by celebrating cultures and festivals that are important to them.

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who attend

Children thrive and are well-motivated to learn in this extremely high-quality pre-school. The highly effective teaching throughout the pre-school ensures children are making excellent progress in their learning and development in relation to their starting points. The staff have superb skills and knowledge of the learning and development requirements and a first-rate understanding of how children learn. The exciting environment, both inside and outside, ensures that all children make rapid progress towards the early learning goals. All of this ensures children are well prepared for entry into school and their future learning.

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who attend

Throughout the pre-school, children's creativity is enriched as they express themselves freely in imaginative play, art and craft. They easily access and freely choose an excellent range of resources with which they can explore and investigate. Throughout the activities, staff are skilful to provide support and encouragement when needed and know when to step back to allow the children to experiment for themselves. Staff encourage the children to think by asking effective questions that encourage children to think more deeply and respond at length. For example, when cooking, staff ask children what will happen when they add sugar. One child replies 'it will be delicious' and this prompts a discussion about how the children think the food might taste.

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who attend

Through well-planned, purposeful activities and the engagement of staff in children's play, children's communication skills, vocabulary and language are developing at a fast rate. Staff constantly talk to and converse with the children in their activities. Children's language and communication is fostered efficiently by staff, supporting them with the pronouncing of words and holding conversations with them. The wide use of the written word, including children's names, assists them in early reading and writing. Throughout the pre-school, there is written text. For example, children self-register and put their names above where they want to hang their coats and there are also key words in children's home languages displayed.

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who attend

Staff extend children's use and understanding of mathematics extremely well. They ensure they are highly confident and capable in their use of number, names, counting, sorting and matching during planned and spontaneous activities. For example, counting how many children are here today and using number puzzles in their play. Children celebrate different festivals, for example, Chinese New Year and Easter. However, they do not always celebrate festivals in a way that carries meaning for them. Children learn about the world around them as they ride their bikes outside on the road drawn by staff, understanding that they can't walk in the road and that have to follow the traffic lights. Children's knowledge about the world is also developed as they watch their tadpoles grow into frogs, excited to see the changes each day and helping them survive by feeding them.

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who attend

Detailed information is gathered from parents when children start attending the pre- school, which provides staff with a clear baseline for their learning. Staff know the children extremely well and provide individualised play opportunities to enhance their progress. In addition, children's progress and development is observed and monitored effectively, with development records updated regularly. Activities are planned using children's individual next steps as a guide. Staff consult children about what they have enjoyed and seek their ideas for activities. As a result, activities are precisely matched to their needs and they make rapid progress in their learning and development. Key persons complete appropriate progress checks for children at age two. They use information gained through the detailed observations made of children's learning and by consultation with parents. Staff provide interesting and challenging experiences that meet the needs of all children.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are highly effective. Staff exchange daily information and share children's progress records with parents at parents' afternoon and informally. Parents are able to access their child's records at any time. Staff's strong commitment and extremely effective communication with parents ensures that children's learning and development benefit. Involving parents enables them to play a full and active role in their child's learning. For example, parents are able to arrange settling-in visits for their children before they start the setting and parents have set up a fundraising committee to support the pre-school financially. Children are routinely able to visit staff at the local primary school before making that transition. Information is also shared for children that attend dual settings.

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

Throughout the pre-school, children are extremely happy and very well-settled. They are highly confident as they engage in conversations with staff and visitors. Staff offer lots of positive praise and recognition for children's efforts and achievements. For example, when children have finished their drawings they are encouraged to show all the staff so they can enjoy their pictures too. Staff are very attentive to the children as they listen to their requests and are fully aware of their individual needs, supporting very secure emotional attachments. Staff know the children very well and, therefore, are able to meet their care and learning needs effectively, including those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children thrive in the pre-school and enjoy the different experiences offered as staff give consistent support and provide an environment that meets their learning and development needs very well.

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

An effective key person system makes sure that strong relationships are formed between staff, children and their families to promote a good level of well-being. Physical skills and exploration are exceptionally well-promoted as children use small and large physical equipment that build their skills superbly. All children have access to a rich outdoor environment where they are challenged and learn to take risks safely as they use the equipment. For example, they climb on tyres and jump off onto safety mats. Staff allow children to climb and learn to take risks but are close-by to offer support if needed. This allows them to develop an understanding of how to assess risk.

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

Children demonstrate through their behaviour that they feel safe and secure within the pre-school. They behave well because they are settled. Staff build respectful and caring relationships with all the children and their families. Children are learning about safety and self-care through excellent routine activities and discussion. Children are very effectively learning about self-care and personal hygiene through consistent routines and staff reminders. Older children know to wash their hands before cooking because they might be dirty. Younger children are reminded to wash their hands during cooking activities if they put their hands in their mouths as they now have new germs on them. Meal times are social occasions and children are encouraged to be independent in serving themselves and eating, all skills that they will need when they move to school. Individual dietary needs are well known by all staff.

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

Children are exceptionally well-prepared for the move from home to the pre- school.Settling-in visits and play sessions are provided for as long as they are needed to ensure children are settled and parents reassured. Staff are extremely alert to ensure that children's emotional well-being is promoted and assured, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Older children are prepared well emotionally for school as teachers come to visit them and get to know them before the move.

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provision

The manager is motivated, keen and supportive of all the staff. She ensures thatthe setting continually meets the varied needs of children and parents. Rigorous reflections and management of the provision and the strong drive towards continual improvement ensures children's care and learning needs are extremely well met. This means that children are provided with a safe, well-organised and resourceful setting. Staff are immensely thorough and resourceful as they strive towards meeting the highest standards. For instance, they have developed a working self-evaluation document that they review and update at least termly to drive improvement and to provide a stronger setting for the children. The monitoring systems of children's progress allows the manager to check whether specific groups of children are making consistent progress and highlights areas of improvement. This ensures that children have optimal learning opportunities, so

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provision

The manager has an excellent knowledge of her staff's capabilities. High- qualitypractitioner performance is based around regular staff and supervision meetings and appraisals. This not only enables the manager to target a programme of professional development for each staff member, but means that the team is continually improving their performance and practice. All staff have responsibility for safeguarding children and demonstrate an excellent understanding of their role in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Staff's knowledge of the setting's policies and procedures iscomprehensive. They carry out and implement all policies to a very high standard. Staff training is paramount in maintaining this high level of understanding. A robust daily risk assessment of all areas of the nursery identifies potential hazards to minimise risks to children. Consequently, children remain safe.

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provision

Robust recruitment systems are in place to ensure all adults are suitable to be in the proximity of children. A thorough induction procedure enables all new staff to develop an accurate understanding of their roles and responsibilities within the setting. Excellent deployment of staff ensures children are consistently supervised and, therefore, remain safe at all times. Children's needs are exceptionally well met through highly effective partnerships with parents, other settings and external agencies. All parents spoken to on the day of the inspection are extremely happy and speak very positively of the nursery. They feel their children are 'happy', 'settled' and their child has 'made excellent progress'. They greatly appreciate the support the pre-school staff provide.

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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 EY466822 Local authority Devon Inspection number 938652 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 41 Name of provider Snapdragons Pre-School Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07939850751

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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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