Pilton Pre-School

Pilton Pre-School Methodist Hall, Top Street, Pilton, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 4DH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/12/2014 10/02/2009

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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

 Children are settled and happy to explore because staff provide a good range of activities that capture their interests and challenge them effectively.  Strong partnerships with parents and good communication effectively contribute to staff meeting children's individual needs well.  The well-established key person system helps children to form secure emotional attachments, thereby supporting their well-being.  Safeguarding is given the highest priority. Staff have a good knowledge of child protection issues and are aware of the procedures to follow if they have concerns.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, staff do not organise group activity times to fully support children to concentrate and listen.  Staff sometimes miss chances to encourage children to count and use numbers in their play and routines.

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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 and the interaction between staff and children, both indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff and children throughout the inspection.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the pre-school manager.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of children, parents and carers spoken to on the day of inspection, and the parents' feedback questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

Pilton Pre-School registered in 1992, but has been in operation since 1966. The group is run by a parents' committee and is situated in the Methodist Hall in the village of Pilton, Somerset. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. There is a main playroom, with an additional play/ sleep room/ office. There is a secure area to the rear of the property to facilitate outside play. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 8.45am until 4pm, term time only. It is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four. There are currently 27 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. There are four members of staff employed to work with the children, and an administrator. One member of staff has a level 6 qualification; one has a level 5 qualification; and two have qualifications at level 3.

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

 review the organisation of some large group activities, to fully promote children's listening and concentration

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

 increase the opportunities for children to count and use numbers during their play and routines.

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who attend

Staff have a very secure understanding of how children learn and provide a good range of activities and experiences that support their development in all areas. Children are curious and inquisitive learners. For example, they thoroughly enjoyed the Forest School activities and skilfully used real tools such as hammers and nails to make items of their choice from wood, bottle tops and lids. Children used their imaginations well, as they pretended to be pirates searching for treasure. They drew treasure maps and dug in the outside area to see what they could find. Children use language well to negotiate different roles, for example as they pretend to be a cat by kneeling on the floor to eat from a bowl. They share well, take turns and work well together to act out familiar scenarios or build a train track. This supports their personal, social and emotional development.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. Staff provide a good balance of child-initiated and adult- led activities, and use a range of effective teaching methods, such as the use of open questions, to extend children's learning. They observe the children in their play and activities, make accurate assessments of their development and plan for their next steps in learning. They use books well to promote children's communication and language skills. For example, they used a favourite story to support children's learning about positional language, introducing words such as 'over' and 'under'. Children learn to write for different purposes, such as writing a letter to Father Christmas, and staff sound out the letters as the children write their names. These experiences enable children to make good progress in their learning and prepare them well to move onto the next stage in their development. During the inspection, children played musical instruments and sang songs

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who attend

enthusiastically; they listened carefully and followed instructions well to play the instruments quietly and loudly. However, on occasions when children are in group activities, others distract them and they are not consistently engaged by staff in the activity.

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who attend

Children excitedly explore a range of materials, which develops their creative skills and extends their learning. For example, they made marks in paint, using small vehicles and sponges. They used their senses to explore the coloured rice, fragranced with mint. They pretended to make cakes with the rice by filling the cake trays, pouring rice from one container to another. Children have some opportunities to count and use number, for example as they play a computer game or count how many times they hammer a nail into the wood. However, staff miss some chances to use routines, such as circle time or snack time, to further support and extend their counting and mathematical learning. For example, on the day of the inspection the staff did not count the number of children present for the session, or encourage the children to estimate how many plates they needed at snack time.

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

Children share warm and trusting relationships with the staff and their key person. This shows that they feel settled and secure in the pre-school environment, and that their emotional well-being is effectively supported. They demonstrate increasing independence as they freely select toys and activities, and dress themselves independently for outside play. This helps them to develop the skills they need to move onto the next stage in their development, and eventually to school. Staff teach the children to manage their behaviour effectively through gentle reminders about the rules, such as not running inside. Staff set a good example as they role model the expected behaviour and as a result, children are polite and respectful to the staff and to one another.

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

Both the inside and outside play areas are well resourced. Children have daily opportunities to enjoy fresh air and exercise in the garden. They use climbing equipment, play in the mud kitchen and take part in Forest School activities. This promotes their physical development and helps to build their confidence and self-esteem. Staff teach the children how to manage everyday risks and keep themselves safe. Before they took part in Forest School activities, the children looked at photographs of the areas of the garden and identified possible hazards. For example, they identified ice on the planks of wood as a slipping hazard. They practise the emergency evacuation procedure with the staff, which develops their awareness of how to get out of the building quickly and safely in an emergency. Staff teach the children about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Children are encouraged to bring healthy snacks and packed lunches from home. Staff encourage the

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

children to eat the savoury items first and talk to them about the foods that they are eating. Children follow thorough hygiene routines, which helps to prevent the spread of infection. Children of all ages have a good understanding of the importance of self-care and wash their hands independently at appropriate times.

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provision

The staff team has a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities and the procedure to follow if they have a concern about a child in their care. They carry out thorough risk assessments to minimise hazards and reduce risks to children, including daily checks both inside and outside. There are thorough recruitment and induction arrangements in place to ensure that only those suitable to work with children do so. The manager and the chair of the committee ensure ongoing suitability through regular supervisions and yearly appraisals. This provides opportunities for staff to access appropriate training for ongoing professional development and to share good practice to drive improvement.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection were very complimentary about the staff and the provision they provide. They commented that their children are very happy at the pre-school and that they are making good progress. There are thorough systems in place to share information with other early years providers when children attend more than one setting. Links with professionals and key agencies contribute positively to meeting children's needs. This contributes effectively to the improving outcomes for children and supports consistency.

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provision

The staff team has a good knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements. Staff monitor the educational programmes well to ensure that a broad range of activities to promote every area is in place. Staff track children's progress successfully to aid planning for individual next steps and the system allows staff to gain an overview of how each child is progressing. Staff use their observations successfully to identify any gaps in learning and plan targeted activities to close these.

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provision

There are effective systems for self-evaluation in place, which take account of the views of staff, parents and children. Staff obtain parents' views through discussion and questionnaires, to help them identify suitable areas for further development. Staff have a good understanding of where improvements would benefit the children further, such as developing the outside area to provide more equipment for the younger children. Other improvements since the last inspection have been for those children who need a rest or sleep during the day. The old store cupboard has been transformed into a warm and cosy playroom, which is closed off for the children to sleep in when required. The staff talk on a regular basis, to share their ideas and evaluate their practice. This means priorities are established and targets are set to ensure that continuous improvement is maintained.

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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 142986 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 836647 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 17 Number of children on roll 27 Name of provider Pilton Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 10/02/2009 Telephone number 01749 899147

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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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