Little Oaks Preschool

Little Oaks Preschool Plymouth Road, REDDITCH, Worcestershire, B97 4NU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/12/2014 05/03/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 3 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

 The owner and staff have embedded robust observation, assessment and planning systems, which underpin their excellent teaching. They are highly effective in precisely identifying and planning for children's next steps for learning, including incorporating strategies and activities recommended by other agencies working with children.  The owner and staff plan and organise really exciting, rewarding activities, including excellent opportunities for children to learn about their local community and the natural world. Children thoroughly enjoy learning. The owner and staff expertly promote children's outstanding progress, ensuring they are highly motivated, confident and resourceful learners who are very well-prepared for school.  Children are fully safeguarded by the owner and staff who have an in-depth understanding of how to protect them from harm. They are extremely conscientious in monitoring children's behaviour and welfare and in the way they give professional

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This provision is outstanding

advice and support to vulnerable families, including helping them to access other relevant services.  There are highly effective arrangements to involve parents in all aspects of their children's learning and development. This includes helping staff to assess their children's starting points, regularly reviewing their progress, and agreeing their next steps for learning and how these are to be followed up at home and at pre-school.  Children thrive and are extremely settled in the vibrant and welcoming surroundings, where they grow in confidence and form very positive, worthwhile relationships with other children and the adults who look after them.

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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 in the pre-school rooms, the school hall and the outside learning environment and carried out a joint observation with the owner, who is also the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the owner and spoke to the children and staff throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at and discussed children's assessment records, planning documentation and a sample of records and policies relating to their welfare, health and safety.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at and discussed the owner's self-evaluation form and plans for improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from their written feedback to the owner.

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Information about the setting

Little Oaks Preschool was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register. The pre-school is privately owned. It operates from Oak Trees Children's centre based in the grounds of St Luke's First School in Redditch, Worcestershire. Children use two classrooms and an outdoor area in the children's centre and regularly visit the pre-school's allotment. In addition, they use various facilities in the school, such as the school hall and the grounds and woodland area. The pre-school employs three members of staff, including the owner who is the manager. She and one member of staff have appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The other member of staff has Early Years Professional Status. Two apprentices also work at the pre-school and are working towards qualifications at level 2. The pre-school is open from Wednesday to Friday, term-time only. Sessions are from 8.40am until 2.40pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently

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Information about the setting

24 children on roll who are aged between two and four years. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. There are close links with the school and the children's centre.

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

 enhance the already excellent arrangements for evaluating the quality of staff's teaching and of children's learning by creating more regular opportunities for staff to reflect on each other's practice, for example, through completing peer observations.

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who attend

Since the last inspection, the owner has implemented extremely robust observation, assessment and tracking procedures. These ensure she and her colleagues work closely with parents and, where appropriate, other agencies to promptly assess children's starting points and, thereafter, to carefully monitor their continuing development. As a result, the owner and staff know exactly how well individual children are progressing at any given time. They regularly involve parents and carers in reviewing their children's learning and development, including agreeing their individual learning priorities and how these are to be followed up at home and at pre-school. The owner and staff also use different tracking systems to help them to promptly identify any gaps or inconsistencies in an individual child's or groups of children's development. As a result, they quickly identify any children who are at risk of developmental delay. The owner and staff use information from their

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who attend

assessments and tracking to expertly plan and organise varied, exciting and relevant learning experiences, during which they expertly build on and extend children's next steps for learning. This includes working closely with parents and other agencies to implement very well-targeted support and strategies to successfully promote the significant progress of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who speak English as an additional language. All children's enjoyment and learning are further enhanced by sessions led by music, drama and physical education specialists and by opportunities to discover more about their local community. For example, they relish visits to a florists, charity shop, the library and a nearby church. Children also regularly take part in activities in the school and often visit the pre-school's allotment. There they thoroughly enjoy gardening, growing fruit and vegetables and observing and exploring aspects of nature

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who attend

first-hand, such as the insects using the complex bug houses.

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who attend

Overall, the quality of planning and teaching is excellent. The owner and staff are enthusiastic and highly skilled teachers. They ensure children are very motivated, confident and resourceful learners, who make outstanding progress in relation to their starting points and who are very well-prepared for school. The owner and staff interact extremely well with children who thoroughly enjoy learning. They ensure children listen carefully, concentrate and persevere, while also ably consolidating and extending their understanding and skills through their adept explanations, questions and coaching. Highly effective support is given to those children who find it more difficult to join in and relate to others, so they soon become more confident about taking part in activities and discussions and concentrate for longer. Children are adeptly helped to become expressive, articulate communicators. The owner and staff chat easily to them, encouraging their conversations

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who attend

and use of language for thinking, describing and recall. Their imaginative use of songs, rhymes and stories, role play and small world scenarios and fun drama sessions prompt and extend children's imaginative and expressive language. They also confidently use language as they recognise and compare numbers and shapes and work out simple problems. There are highly effective strategies for supporting children with speech and language delay to make rapid progress. The owner and staff work closely with the local authority inclusion team, specialist language units and speech and language therapists to apply consistent approaches and strategies. They successfully support children who speak English as an additional language to understood and use English while continuing to value their linguistic background. Parents and carers are encouraged to teach staff key words in their child's home language and excellent use is made of visual aids, props and puppets to

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who attend

develop children's understanding and to foster their emerging English vocabulary. Staff expertly support all children's recognition and use of letters and sounds. Children are increasingly confident about recognising initial letter sounds and some individual words, such as their own or other children's names.

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who attend

Parents and carers make important contributions to their children's learning and development at pre-school. Their views about their children's starting points, ongoing development, interests and achievements are consistently encouraged by the owner and staff. These are followed up in their planning and organisation of activities and resources. Parents and carers are actively involved in reviewing their children's progress and deciding their individual next steps for learning and how these are to be followed up at pre-school and at home. They welcome the owner's and staff's advice and suggestions to follow up at home to further support their children's progress. For instance, several parents report how introducing a regular bed time story has extended their children's speech and vocabulary.

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

Children are very happy and confident in the pre-school's most welcoming and vibrant surroundings. The owner and staff are kind, approachable and diligent about ensuring new children settle quickly. They talk to parents and carers about children's backgrounds, interests and individual characteristics and ensure these are reflected in the selection of toys, equipment and activities. New children are patiently helped and supported so they soon get to know the staff, other children, routines and surroundings. The owner and staff also create a most child-friendly environment where children can see and readily help themselves to the wealth of resources. Children become increasingly confident and develop a strong sense of belonging through independently making choices, exploring and expressing themselves imaginatively. The owner and staff extend this by providing other features, such as the many interesting photographic displays celebrating children's work,

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

activities and outings, which they really enjoy looking at and talking about.

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

Children are also very well-prepared emotionally and socially for their future learning, including starting school. The owner and staff are highly successful in promoting children's positive relationships and good behaviour. They ensure children get to know each other, for example, as they greet each other at the start of sessions. They provide many opportunities for children to socialise, learn and co-operate together. For instance well- organised, rewarding circle time discussions enable children to talk about and demonstrate why it is important to sit quietly, to listen to each other and to take turns in speaking. Staff successfully use puppets and other props to reinforce these skills and additional support is given to those children who find it more difficult to listen and be attentive. Children are also encouraged to take responsibility for looking after their possessions and to help with tasks, such as tidying away toys. They clearly enjoy each other's company as

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

they socialise and chat easily at snack and mealtimes. Children also readily celebrate each other's achievements, for instance applauding each child's efforts as they demonstrate a new way of moving across the school hall. They also develop a strong awareness of how to care for others and the natural environment. For example, during their visits and activities within the local community, children have learnt about the roles and work of other people and how they can help others. For example, at harvest time they talked about providing food for those people who do not have enough to eat. Children are currently collecting items to take to the charity shop they are visiting the day after the inspection.

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

Children are nurtured and thrive. The owner and staff ensure they fully understand and meet each child's health, dietary and care needs. This includes carefully planning with parents about how to safely and sensitively manage any specific medical conditions or care routines. The owner and staff are highly successful in prompting children's understanding of how to be healthy through routines, discussions and worthwhile activities. They work with parents and carers to ensure consistency and continuity, as they encourage children's growing independence in going to the toilet, practising good hygiene and dressing themselves for outdoor play. Children make healthy choices about what they eat and drink, benefiting from the many first-hand opportunities to discuss what is good for them during cooking and gardening activities. They thoroughly enjoy being active and being able to spend much of their time outside, for instance in the pre-school's outdoor

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

classroom, allotment or elsewhere in the school's grounds or during local walks. Children become confident and adept at moving in different ways, during fun but quite challenging music and movement or gym sessions. They competently and safely balance and climb on different structures in the outdoor adventure play area, for instance eagerly repeating walking along a selection of fixed stepping stones and beams and movable bridges until they can achieve this without help.

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

The owner and staff fully understand their responsibility to keep children safe and to help them to understand how to behave safely and sensibly in different situations. They ensure the pre-school rooms, toys and equipment are all clean and very well maintained to a high standard. They follow robust risk assessments and regular checks to ensure all areas used by children are suitable, secure and free from hazards. Children are encouraged to look after books, toys and equipment and to help to tidy them away when they have finished using them. The owner and staff ensure children learn about different aspects of safety in practical and relevant ways, for example, when they use utensils, tools, such as scissors, and different types of physical play equipment. While getting ready to go to the school hall and on the walk, the owner, staff and children discuss the importance of holding hands in pairs, holding on to the fluorescent tape and keeping to designated walkways. The

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

children talk about looking out for cars before they use a designated crossing to get to the other side of the car park. During discussions and practices relating to fire safety, children are shown how to move around in the event of a real emergency.

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provision

The owner is an inspirational leader who is extremely passionate about ensuring parents and children access a high quality early years provision, where they feel welcomed and included and that caters for their needs. Since the last inspection she and her equally dedicated colleagues have been tireless in their efforts to improve their planning to focus more on children's individual needs and to provide more opportunities for them to learn about the local community. The owner has welcomed, and readily acted on, the advice of her local authority early years improvement adviser and drawn on her own and her colleagues' extensive research in order to embed highly effective observation, assessment and planning systems. These enable her and the staff to precisely plan for children's now clearly identified and understood learning priorities and their individual interests. These robust assessment and tracking procedures have strengthened many aspects of the

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provision

owner's and staff's monitoring of children's progress and of the quality and impact of the educational programme. They have implemented other highly effective procedures to enable them to continually assess the quality and impact of their teaching, the range of activities and the use of resources on children's understanding and skills. The owner has also embedded high quality supervision and mentoring for staff so they meet regularly to reflect on their work with the children, to review the impact of activities and to plan for the next stage in each child's learning. Clear targets are agreed for each member of staff's professional development and followed up to through training and research. However, the owner recognises the value of providing more opportunities for her and the staff to observe each other working with the children and to reflect on the impact of their practice on children's learning. The owner and staff have very successfully enriched children's

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provision

learning about their environment, including the local community. They have achieved this by organising worthwhile visits to various shops and other venues, while continuing to support children's activities in school and at their allotment.

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provision

Children are extremely well protected because the owner has embedded robust procedures to ensure she, the staff and apprentices working at the pre-school are alert to and promptly take action if there are any concerns about a child's welfare. The owner ensures safeguarding procedures are discussed as part of any new member of staff's or apprentice's induction and at other staff meetings. She and the staff attend regular training relevant to their roles within the pre-school and the owner ensures all those working with children receive copies of updates to local guidance and other helpful information relating to safeguarding. Parents are also given information and leaflets, for instance to help them support their young children in understanding how to keep themselves safe from harm. The owner is proactive and professional in the way she supports vulnerable families and helps them to access a range of other services available

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provision

to parents and carers with young children. Comprehensive record keeping and information sharing with parents and carers, further protect children because the owner and staff fully understand children's family circumstances and know who can have access to them and collect them. The owner's robust recruitment, induction and staff performance monitoring also ensure that children are looked after by adults who are suitable, well-qualified and highly skilled.

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provision

Children's needs are quickly identified and met extremely well as a result of the excellent partnerships with parents, carers and others. The owner consistently develops ways to enhance information sharing with parents and carers about how the pre-school operates and in particular about their children's care, learning and development. Their views about their children's activities and achievements and about the quality of the pre-school's provision are welcomed and acted on. Parents and carers highlight how much their children enjoy coming to pre-school and how well they are progressing. In particular they very much appreciate the personal support and timely advice given to them by the owner and staff. The owner's highly effective links with other professionals ensure continuity and consistent approaches for those children who attend another early years setting or who have support from external agencies. She and her colleagues also skilfully work with

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provision

parents, carers and schools to ensure children are well-prepared for moving on to full-time education. Regular opportunities to go to the adjacent primary school mean that children are already familiar with aspects of school life, premises and routines. The owner also works closely with parents and carers to outline the social and emotional skills children are expected to have achieved by the time they start school. She agrees with them how they can support these aspects of their children's development at home. The owner liaises with reception class teachers to ensure they are well-briefed about each child's stage of development, current next steps for learning and any other pertinent information. She ensures accurate transition summaries about each child's learning and development are passed on to the school.

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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 EY469376 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 962988 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider Joanna Rachel Bussey Date of previous inspection 05/03/2014 Telephone number 07528695470

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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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