Dandelions Community Pre-School

Dandelions Community Pre- School St. Marks Primary School, Danebury Road, Hatch Warren, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 4US

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/11/2014 10/02/2009

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff plan and provide a rich and purposeful learning environment, so that children gain independence and make their own choices about what they do and play with.  Staff monitor the individual progress of each child thoroughly, making excellent use of information from parents, and from their own observations, to plan interesting activities. Staff support children who are more able to progress rapidly, and are quick to identify, and target, any gaps or delays in children's learning.  Partnership working with parents is very strong and supports continuity in children's learning and well-being between the pre-school and home. Staff recognise the uniqueness of each family and the important role they play in guiding their children's learning.  Staff skilfully support changes in children's lives as they start at the pre-school, move between age groups and placements, and move on to school.  The manager brings together highly successful systems of self-evaluation of the

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This provision is outstanding

provision. This reflects an exceptional commitment to continual improvement and securing the highest levels of achievements for all 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 wide range of activities across all areas of the pre-school and talked with staff and children about what they were doing.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents and procedures relating to safeguarding, staffing, supervision, risk assessment, equal opportunities, and health and safety, and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of children's records, the pre-school's systems for planning, evaluation and exchanging information with parents and external professionals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and reviewed written communication from parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the leadership team and conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Dandelions Community Pre-School registered in 2004. It is registered on the Early Years Register. The pre-school is located in a purpose-built setting, in the grounds of St Marks Primary School in Basingstoke, Hampshire, and serves the local area and surrounding villages. The pre-school has access to a main playroom, office, kitchen, toilet and washing facilities, and an enclosed outside area. Access is all on one level. The pre-school opens each weekday during term times from 8.30am to 4pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions and some stay all day. There are currently 57 children on roll. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who are learning English as an additional language. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three, and four years. There are 10 staff members who work with the children, seven of whom hold relevant early years

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Information about the setting

qualifications at level 3 or above. One of the deputy managers holds a foundation degree in early years education and is currently working towards qualified teacher status.

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

 continue to develop and implement plans for the outdoor area to enhance further opportunities for children to explore and investigate the natural world.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and meet children's individual needs exceptionally well. Staff work closely with parents from the start, through initial meetings, taster sessions and, where appropriate, home visits. Staff ensure they soon become very well informed about individual children's starting points. This is their basis for planning exciting activities which capture children's interests and enthusiasm to investigate. As a result, children make significant levels of progress at a level extremely well-matched to their abilities.

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who attend

Staff make available a wealth of open-ended activities that allow children to create and think critically. They arrange and store toys and equipment so that children see and access them easily. This means children easily locate the tools and materials they need to explore their ideas and feast their imaginations. For example, staff placed an abundance of well-chosen construction materials, near a workbench with a full range of hand tools and battery operated drills. Children chose to fit wheels, construct buildings, and wear makeshift protective headgear. Through their role play, they made connections with some of the activities they have observed at home. Staff facilitate children's communication and language skills by matching their interests with new, relevant, and helpful vocabulary. Staff add the words to embed new concepts as children place bolts 'behind', 'below', and 'through' connecting holes. Children learn to handle different tools, in different ways, as

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who attend

they fit, drill, screw, and manipulate objects. Staff motivate children to extend these skills as they provide daily opportunities for them to use a wide range of crayons, pens, and pencils to 'write' lists and trace shapes. Children also enjoy using remote-controlled toys, cameras, and simple technology, along with the pre-school laptop. Children display excellent levels of concentration and learning as they move freely in a rich, stimulating and highly engaging, child-oriented environment.

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who attend

Staff have high, but achievable, expectations for children as they carefully observe, and frequently reflect, on children's progress across all areas of their learning and development. Staff quickly identify children's strengths and challenges, and adjust their teaching accordingly. They target children's next steps in development to ensure children's skills extend across different contexts. They monitor the rate of children's progress, and evaluate the effectiveness of their own teaching strategies for improving children's outcomes. For example, staff use very different activities to target children's communication skills, from their speaking skills. Their clear understanding of developmental progression helps them target small steps at a time, enabling children to succeed more rapidly. The special educational needs coordinator is exceptionally knowledgeable when assessing gaps and delays in children's progress. She works closely

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who attend

with parents and staff to support children's individual needs and secure additional specialist help. Staff revisit the cycle of actions to help children, in increasing detail and with increasing frequency, so that all children make the best possible progress. Consequently, staff support children's learning exceptionally well through different levels of planning, combined with high quality staff interaction.

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who attend

Staff are highly accountable and offer an exceptional range of opportunities for parents to engage with their children's learning and development at the pre-school. Newsletters, entrance notice boards, and a comprehensive, regularly updated, website keep parents well informed. Staff invite parents to spend a session helping, join 'stay and play' sessions, and attend frequent themed activity sessions. Parents soon engage with their children's play, friendships, and challenges at the pre-school. They learn how staff monitor, extend, and assess their children's achievements, which helps them contribute their own observations. For example, a simple planning sheet in the entrance hallway enables parents to jot down a current interest from home. The key person develops these themes throughout the day or week and follows this through with a sentence on the parent- planning sheet and a verbal update. On a more formal level, staff prepare progress

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who attend

reports, regular reviews, and termly meetings to share information with parents. Staff are extremely effective at using the knowledge they have about the children to help them progress towards the early learning goals. Parents frequently express their delight as staff warmly invite them into the pre-school to celebrate their children and to strengthen highly effective partnerships. Children thrive in the ease and continuity of care and learning between their home and pre-school.

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

Children receive consistently high levels of attention from staff. in the pre-school. Staff are adept at settling new and younger children as they offer plenty of reassurance and comfort. They balance small group activities aimed at developing age-appropriate skills in personal, social, and emotional development, with activities across the age groups. For example, staff bring younger children together to sing songs and learn to coordinate instruments in time with the music. Children begin to make their own friendships and fun together. They explore and try out new ventures in their smaller group, which helps to develop their self-confidence when playing with the older children. Staff promote positive behaviour as they model consistent expectations, which they regularly discuss with children. Older children enjoy serving the younger children at snack time and help them with coat and shoe fastenings. Staff model effective social skills, such as respect and

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

politeness, and show children that they value positive behaviour through plentiful praise and encouragement. Children's behaviour is generally excellent as they share and negotiate activities together.

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

Children participate in first-hand learning experiences frequently across the day, and snack time is no exception. This leads to a dynamic learning environment, where staff maintain children's motivation while teaching them how to keep themselves safe and healthy. For example, staff teach children to manage risks, and grow in independence, as they cut fruit with metal knives, and grate cheese. Children sort fruit from vegetables, and learn about balancing larger amounts of healthy foods with much smaller amounts of butter. Staff use these daily routines to encourage children to solve problems 'out loud' in order to further develop their thinking and speaking skills. For example, when children struggled to spread butter and cut bread, staff modelled the concept and the language they need. Children learn how to use one part of the knife to spread thinly, and another to cut cleanly. Staff encourage independence and good hygiene further, as children learn to wash their hands

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

before eating, and take turns to wash dirty crockery from snack time.

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

Children of all ages have regular access to the outside play area. They develop excellent self-control and physical skills as they manoeuvre tricycles, scooters, and quad bikes around obstacles. Staff ensure children access all areas of learning and development outdoors, with a covered area protecting puzzles and painting easels, and a large area for climbing and playground games. Children enjoyed digging in small troughs of bark, shells, or sand. They were less good at sweeping up their spillages as there were no brushes to hand. Staff have to take them into an adjoining area, or out for a walk, when they want to look for wildlife and admire the changing seasons. Opportunities for children to find mini- beasts, care for their environment, or nurture plants are limited to a small corner of the play area.

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

Staff know their older children extremely well and dedicate a weekly session towards developing team building projects and readiness for school. For example, staff share traditional stories with children, such as 'Goldilocks and the three bears'. Staff theme activities across all areas of learning, as children prepare large-scale group wall displays. Staff encourage children to find appropriate props and act out the stories. Children learn to sit and attend for longer periods, learning from each other, before they take their own turn. Children develop skills as they perform to the group. They adjust the key phrases they rehearse repeatedly to include more expression and changes in pitch. As their friends enjoy watching the familiar story unfold, children gain the confidence to take the lead and expand on their role. Staff prepare children well socially and emotionally for their moves to school. Many of the children move on to the adjacent school, where a highly effective

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

programme of exchanges and visits prepares children for their move. Staff from other local schools visit to read children stories, and pre-school staff support visits with photographs and a big display. Staff are highly effective in help children to feel positive about the next stages in their learning.

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provision

Leadership and management of the pre-school are excellent and provide consistently high standards of care and education. Senior staff strive towards the highest levels of achievement for all children, as they further their own studies in teaching, special educational needs and/or disabilities, and leadership. Staff have a comprehensive knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and diligently implement policies and procedures to support them. Arrangements for safeguarding children include vetting checks, induction programmes, ongoing supervision, and appraisal of staff. Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of how to carry out their roles and responsibilities, as they frequently update their training in key areas. Staff know how to follow through any concerns they have over children's welfare, and sensitively support children in challenging circumstances.

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provision

All mandatory documentation for the safe management of the pre-school is completed to a very high standard. This includes risk assessments for all areas of the pre-school, for specific activities, and the checklists staff review on a daily basis. Staff deployment is highly effective as children move between activities in the outdoor and indoor areas, and staff attend to individual care routines. Staff clearly know and implement policies and procedures to care for children who are ill, infectious or where accidents occur. This includes systems for obtaining and updating information about a child's needs for medicines. The committee supports regular updates in staff training in paediatric first aid, safeguarding children, food hygiene, and other key areas. All staff have recently updated their training in fire and evacuation procedures and routinely practise them with the children. These measures help to ensure children's health and welfare needs are

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provision

appropriately met and not dependent upon the knowledge of any one member of the team.

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provision

Close monitoring of educational programmes ensures that staff plan and deliver an excellent range of experiences to help children make progress in their learning and development. Staff use additional teaching groups and individual plans to target children's needs and help to close gaps and reduce delays in children's skills and knowledge. For some children, this enables them to reach a point where they no longer require additional support. For others, staff and parents work effectively with outside agencies to establish a clear picture of children's special educational needs and/or disabilities. In both instances, staff provide children with the very best start to their future learning, and prepare successful moves to their next placements. Innovative partnerships with speech and therapy services, and with the early years advisory teaching service, have greatly helped staff's effectiveness in meeting the needs of all children.

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provision

The use of self-evaluation is excellent. Children, parents, staff, and the committee all contribute to the process, resulting in many positive changes. Current plans focus on ways to extend the provision to meet the needs of increasing numbers of two-year-olds. Although there are plans to develop the garden area, staff already use ways to increase children's interest in wildlife, and exploration of the natural world, within the existing plot and surrounding area. Parents are keen to express their high levels of satisfaction with the pre-school and admiration for the commitment and care of the staff. They enjoy sharing moments with their children at the pre-school and seeing how they flourish in that environment. Partnership working with parents is outstanding. Consequently, children's individual needs are met well through the trusting and respectful relationships staff foster.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY297275 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 833945 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 1 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 57 Name of provider Dandelions Community Pre-School Date of previous inspection 10/02/2009 Telephone number 01256818857

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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