Bream Early Learners

Bream Early Learners Bream C. of E. Primary School, High Street, Bream, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 6JW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/11/2014 19/11/2009

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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

 Staff provide a stimulating programme of interesting and enjoyable activities that support children's learning and development well, in a safe and secure environment.  Children relate well with their key person, and this system works well so children progress successfully in all areas of learning. Consequently, children are prepared well for the next stage of their education.  Parents greatly appreciate the good level of care provided by the staff, and the support they provide to enable parents to support their children at home. This has ensured a strong working partnership with parents has been established.  Staff work well as a team and are constantly evaluating the provision in order to provide continuous improvement for the children they are supporting.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The more able children are not always fully challenged to extend their learning further.  Group activities are organised close to others and this can be distracting for children, and reduces the effectiveness of the good quality teaching and 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 held discussions with parents and took account of their views.  The inspector spoke to the staff and children.  The inspector reviewed a sample of the pre-school's documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector made a number of observations of activities, including undertaking a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector held discussions with the manager and the chair of the committee.

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Information about the setting

Bream Early Learners is managed by a voluntary committee of parents and is a registered charity. It is registered on the Early Years Register only. The pre-school opened in 1965 and operates from a large room in a self-contained unit on the site of Bream Church of England Primary School. The pre-school has access to the school hall, playground areas and a garden. There is disabled access to the pre-school. Sessions are from 9am until12noon, and from 12noon to 3pm on Monday to Thursday, and from 9am to 12noon on Friday. There are currently 46 children aged from two to five years on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The pre-school receives funding for free early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Children come from the village or from the surrounding area. The staff have experience of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school employs nine permanent members of

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Information about the setting

staff to work regularly with the children. All hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school has strong links with the local school. The pre-school is a member of the Gloucestershire Parent and Toddler Association and has achieved the Bristol Standards Quality Assurance Award. The setting uses aspects of the HighScope educational approach.

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

 extend the more able children's learning through organising tasks that provide them with greater challenge

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

 organise small group activities in quieter areas in order to allow children to concentrate on their tasks without distraction.

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who attend

Staff provide an interesting range of activities so that children engage enthusiastically in learning in a stimulating environment. Activities are well matched to meet individual children's needs and interests and ensure that children are progressing well in all areas of learning. Parents share detailed information about their children on admission and this enables staff to find starting points for assessment. This helps to establish a strong working partnership between parents and staff, and supports children's learning at home through the regular sharing of information. Staff target children's next steps in learning as the result of completing regular observations and assessments. This enables staff to track children's progress over time from their starting points. The pre-school also provides good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure they are fully included in the daily routines and to enable them to make progress in their learning

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who attend

and development. The pre-school receives guidance from external professional agencies to support this group of children in their development and make sure they have their individual needs met.

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who attend

All children enjoy playing and exploring in the environments planned by staff. The mud kitchen enables children to develop imaginative play and to explore the outside environment. They enjoy making 'cakes' through mixing and pouring, and carefully spooning soil into cups and pans. They also enjoy climbing and balancing on the logs to develop their physical skills. Children are enthused by a topic on pirates and use their ideas in the outdoor area to develop their play imaginatively. They find an old water tray and turn it into a pirate ship. With encouragement from staff who join in with them, they 'sail away' and shout out using nautical terms such as 'Land ahoy'. Children explore play dough and find ways of stretching it to make it bigger so that they can cut shapes from it. In their pretend play, they imagine they are making a birthday cake. Children skilfully use the template cutters to produce shapes of cars. Adults join in their play by asking

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who attend

questions such as 'What does it look like?' and 'Where does it go?', and lead the children into a conversation about cars and caravans, which the children find interesting. Staff pay particular attention to developing children's communication skills through talk and discussion, and talk to children throughout the day to make play enjoyable and to support learning.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good and the pre-school has a strong team of practitioners who continually update their knowledge and skills through further training. Staff provide a good balance of activities that are led by themselves and those initiated or chosen by the children. Regular teaching groups are organised to develop and reinforce basic skills such as counting, sorting and looking for patterns. Learning objectives are clearly set to ensure children understand the purpose of the activities they are engaging in. Most children make progress in these activities. The proximity of the groups to each other is a disadvantage at times and can limit children's concentration because of the other activities nearby. This means the noise levels become quite high and makes it difficult for children to listen to the good quality teaching of the staff. Children's counting skills are developing well and are

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who attend

frequently reinforced throughout the day through counting the number of objects and toys they have. When children are returning from using the school playground they assist staff in counting the number of children present, showing the ability to count up to over twenty. However, at times when more able children confidently count up to and over 20 when playing with coloured pegs, staff do not always seize the opportunity to challenge and extend their learning further. Staff use questions effectively to support children's thinking skills and understanding. They have developed the use of sign language to ensure all children are fully included throughout the day. Children develop small muscle control through handling a variety of tools they use in their creative work and early writing activities. Children enjoy listening to stories read expressively by staff who point to the text, as well as the pictures, to help children understand that print carries meaning.

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who attend

Children enjoy sharing books and stories and are eager to respond to questions to show their understanding.

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who attend

Children learn about sharing and taking turns because the importance of this is reinforced throughout the day. They are taught to be kind to each other. Children learn to cooperate and know that on a given signal they must stop playing and help with the tidying up. Staff are quick to intervene to stop children from having disagreements, and help them to settle their differences amicably. Children of different ages play together well, and are well supported on visits to the reception class to prepare them for their time of transfer. They are acquiring the skills and attitudes they need to prepare them for school.

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

Staff provide a very welcoming atmosphere where children feel safe and settle quickly into the pre-school's daily routines. Children are very secure in their relationships with their key person, and this supports their well-being. Staff know their children well and are able to provide activities that meet their particular needs and interests. Staff are sensitive to children's needs and offer reassurance when they may be upset for any reason. They encourage children to develop confidence by playing with others, and to make their own decisions and choices. Consequently, children learn to play cooperatively and this supports their personal and social development.

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

Staff place strong emphasis on allowing children to use their imagination in play and have organised interesting topics that really interest them, such as a topic about pirates. Books and resources reflect the diversity of today's society, and celebrations of Christian festivals are held throughout the year as well as the Hindu festival of light and the Chinese New Year. Children enjoy these occasions and make lamps and dragons as part of their developing understanding of the world and people and communities. Children learn to play safely because they are reminded by staff about the pre-school's rules for safe play. They behave well and although they get excited at times staff manage them well using positive strategies to ensure they participate sensibly.

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

Children learn about healthy lifestyles. They understand the importance of hand washing before meals, after messy activities or using the toilet. The pre-school promotes healthy eating and staff encourage parents to send in healthy lunch boxes. Children enjoy a range of healthy foods at snack time, and are introduced to food from different cultures to taste. They learn to sit at the table and eat together. They are encouraged to show some independence through pouring their own drinks and serving themselves. Children are given small responsibilities to support their independence, and 'special helpers' are appointed every day. Children enjoy outside play in the enclosed area and the freedom to run around the spacious school playground. Regular visits to the school enable the children to become familiar with the school buildings, staff and other children. This ensures a smooth move when children transfer into full time school.

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provision

The manager is highly motivated and enthusiastic and is continually looking for ways to improve the quality of the provision. She fully involves the staff in evaluating the quality of the pre-school and putting in place new ideas to improve the learning environment. Together with the deputy manager, the whole staff work well as team and support each other throughout the day. They are well motivated and keen to extend their knowledge and skills through further training. The manager spends time regularly observing staff practice and fully supports them in their professional development through appraisals and performance management. This addresses an issue from the previous inspection. The pre- school committee is fully involved in the management of the pre-school through meetings with the manager, and consulting with parents. Staff are clear about the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, following the training

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provision

they have received. Styaff provide interesting activities to promote all children's progress inl areas of learning. They have suitable planning and assessment systems in place to meet children's needs and move their learning and development on.

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provision

The manager and staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Daily risk assessments are carried out to ensure the safety of the premises and equipment which the children may use. The premises are secure and safe where children may play safely. Doors and gates are locked throughout the day, and staff are vigilant in their supervision of the children. Staff have a clear understanding about child protection procedures and the action to take should they have any concerns about the children in their care. Staff are checked for suitability before they are employed, and undergo a detailed induction process. All required policies and procedures are in place and are reviewed regularly by the committee. There is now a policy to explain the procedures for administering medicines to support individual children's medical needs. All issues from the previous inspection have now been

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provision

There are strong partnerships with parents and carers. Daily conversations enable information sharing to take place with the key person when parents collect their children at the end of the sessions. Children's learning journeys are freely available for parents to see. Termly meetings are held for more detailed information sharing with parents about children's progress. Newsletters, notice boards, questionnaires, the pre-school's website and a suggestion box are all used to keep parents informed about their children's care and curriculum information. Parents speak very highly of the pre-school and the good progress their children are making. The pre-school has developed very strong links with the school, and other early years settings which some of the children attend. The pre-school works in strong partnership with other external agencies and professionals to ensure those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities get the support they need.

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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 EY136954 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 846919 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 46 Name of provider Bream Early Learners Committee Date of previous inspection 19/11/2009 Telephone number 01594 564535

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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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