Mere Pre-School & Nursery

Mere Pre-School Nursery Mere School, Springfield Road, Mere, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 6EW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/07/2014 11/02/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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's behaviour is very good, they respond positively to well established routines and show a strong understanding of what is expected of them.  Children's progress is well monitored across all areas. The assessment records show that they make good progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities.  Positive partnerships with parents have been established, which actively contribute to staff meeting children's individual needs effectively.  Children develop good communication and language skills because staff consistently interact with them.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not consistently encourage children to count and use mathematical language during everyday routines, for example, at registration time.

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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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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities both inside and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including children's records and planning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector invited the manager to undertake a joint observation with the inspector.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector took into account the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

Mere Pre-School Nursery moved to its present site in Mere School, Mere, Wiltshire in September 2005. It was previously known as Mere Playgroup and operated from the youth centre in Mere. The nursery operates from a classroom in the school and children have access to a separate outside play area. The nursery is open Monday to Thursday from 9am until 3pm and Friday from 9am until 12pm. The nursery is run by a voluntary parent management committee. There are currently 28 children on roll, all in the early year's age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four. The nursery supports children with special education needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs four staff, all hold an appropriate early years qualifications.

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

 enhance children's understanding of number and calculation further, by using opportunities in the daily routine to introduce mathematical language.

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who attend

Staff provide a good range of activities and experiences that inspire and challenge the children effectively and support them to make good progress in all areas of learning. Children engage enthusiastically in role-play. They carefully carry trays of plastic food to cook in the pretend oven. One child calls another child to tell him that the food is ready. He puts on the oven gloves to take the tray of food from the oven. The children share the food between them, placing it on plates and pretend to fill up cups with water from the pretend sink. They use language well to negotiate their roles and discuss what will happen next. This demonstrates that children are using their imaginations well and developing their social skills.

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who attend

Children listen well to a favourite story, which the staff bring to life by using real props such as a tap to represent the leaky tap in the story. Children join in with familiar repetitive phrases and answer questions about the characters. Children take it in turns to choose items from the song bag and join in enthusiastically with the songs. Children have opportunities to count and talk about numbers such as counting the bricks as they build a tower or counting the number of cakes they make from play dough. However, staff do not always use the daily routines to consolidate children's learning. For example, children are not encouraged to combine two groups of objects together or use the correct language when making simple calculations, such as at registration time. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Staff make regular observations of the children. They combine this information with the details they have gathered from parents when

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who attend

children first start. This is used to plan activities that support children to move onto the next step in their learning. Staff engage the children effectively in conversation. They confidently talk at group time using language well to explain activities and experiences from home. For example, in discussion with the staff about the teddy bears picnic they are having at pre-school today, the children talk about their home experiences. They describe how they made tents and dens, by using the washing line and excitedly talk about the picnic they had inside them. This supports children's speaking and listening skills effectively.

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

Children are happy and confident in the setting. They interact warmly with staff who listen to what children say, so that they feel valued and secure. The staff get to know the children well and the key person works closely with the family to support children when they first start. This ensures that staff have all the necessary information to be able to provide for and support children's individual needs. As a result they settle into the group quickly. This also encourages parents to be involved in their children's learning and supports children's emotional and physical well-being effectively.

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

Staff are kind and gentle in their approach. They regularly praise the children for their efforts and achievement. This boosts children's confidence and self-esteem. Staff act as good role models. Children follow the good examples set by staff by being polite and kind to one another, using please and thank you appropriately. Staff teach the children to think about each other's feelings. For example, when minor disputes arise staff encourage the children to use their language to speak to one another about how they feel. As a result children behave very well. They listen to instructions, take turns, share, and manage their own behaviour and feelings extremely well. Children demonstrate a good understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Staff teach the children how to keep themselves safe. For example, when the staff ask the children if they can remember the rules for playing outside they quickly respond with their ideas. They say they must not crash into one

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

another when they are in the cars and riding bikes. They know that they must not go past the red line because the bikes might fall onto them. They practise the emergency evacuation procedure, which all promotes their good understanding of staying safe.

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

Children show a strong understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They have daily opportunities to play outside and develop their physical skills. They ride on wheeled vehicles, climb the ladder and go down the slide. Children routinely follow thorough hygiene routines and independently manage their self-care skills. This gives children confidence and prepares them well to move on to the next stage of their development and on to school.

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provision

The manager and her staff have a good knowledge and understanding of their responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff have a thorough understanding of child protection issues. They are able to identify the types of signs or symptoms that may be a cause for concern and are aware of the correct reporting procedure to follow. There are thorough risk assessments in place, including daily checks to ensure that the premises and the outside area are safe and suitable before the children arrive. There are robust recruitment and vetting procedures in place, and systems to ensure ongoing suitability. Staff regularly carry out peer-on-peer observations and provide feedback to one another in order to maintain continuous improvements in teaching. Staff meet weekly to plan, reflect on their practice through self- evaluation and discuss children's progress. This contributes to the

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provision

overall effectiveness of the staff team in meeting the needs of children.

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provision

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements. There are secure systems in place to monitor the educational programmes thoroughly to ensure that the children's activities and experiences meet their individual needs and interests effectively. The systems in place enable the staff to assess children's progress accurately and identify any gaps in learning, so that they can target plans to close these successfully. Observations and photographs in children's learning records demonstrate that they are making good progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities.

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provision

The staff team have established strong partnerships with parents and effective working relationships with other professionals. Parents praise the staff for their dedication and commitment. They compliment them on their friendliness and appreciate the support they provide for them and their children. Parents are kept well informed about the activities that children take part in each day and any concerns are quickly communicated so that the best help and support can be provided. Parents say that their children are very happy at the setting, always happy to attend and often talking about the staff. Extremely good communication and partnership working with other professionals has been established. This means that children who have additional needs are very well supported and that there is a consistent approach. Good links have been formed with other early year's settings where children's care and learning are shared. This further promotes consistency.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 EY312232 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 828004 Type of provision Out of school provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 28 Name of provider Mere Pre-School Nursery Committee Date of previous inspection 11/02/2010 Telephone number 01747 863337

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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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