Brookside Pre-School

Brookside Pre-School Brookside Pre School, Scout H Q, Church Road, Gatley, CHEADLE, Cheshire, SK8 4EY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/12/2014 14/04/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Practitioners have a good knowledge of the children and promote their learning and development well. As a result, children are making good progress given their starting points.  Practitioners meet children's social and emotional needs well. Relationships are strong, fostering a sense of belonging and ensuring that children are confident and happy learners.  Practitioners are fully meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements and there is a shared understanding and responsibility of how to protect children.  Leadership and management of the pre-school are strong. The manager motivates and leads practitioners to share high expectations for all children. Therefore, monitoring of practice and assessments are sharply focussed and children are well prepared for their next stage in learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Practitioners are not providing parents with maximum opportunities to contribute to the children's initial assessments.  Practitioners currently provide fewer opportunities for children to explore and experiment with sensory resources in the outdoor environment.

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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 indoor and outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke with children and practitioners.  The inspector looked at observation and assessment records of the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and the qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation and improvement plan.  The inspector took account of the views of the parents.

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Information about the setting

Brookside Pre-School was registered in 1992 on the Early Years Register. It is situated in Scouts Head Quarters in the Gatley area of Stockport. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a large playroom and an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs seven childcare practitioners. Of whom, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 5, two hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3, including one with Early Years Professional status. The pre- school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 12 noon, with an extended lunch time session. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 24 children attending who are in the early years age group. The pre- school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance the depth of information gathered from parents about children's learning and development on entry to the pre-school, in order to further enrich the planning process

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

 enhance the outdoor area to provide children with plenty of opportunities to explore and experiment with sensory resources in different environments.

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who attend

Teaching is good and promotes children's learning and development well. All practitioners have a detailed knowledge of the children and use this effectively to support their learning and development. Ongoing and precise assessment supports practitioners to monitor children's progress and plan challenging next steps in their learning. However, practitioners do not always encourage parents to fully contribute to the initial assessments to determine children's levels of ability when they first start at the pre-school. Practitioners encourage children to improve their physical skills and provide challenging, fun experiences in the indoor environment. Children express themselves creatively and cooperate well. For example, a group of children show their excitement as they independently dress-up in the various different costumes and engage in imaginative play. Children enjoy regular exercise and use a range of resources, which help them to develop

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who attend

good coordination and control, such as using bicycles. Practitioners maximise opportunities for developing children's physical skills by using the outdoor play area, which is safe and enclosed. Children have access to a garden area where they can enjoy digging. However, practitioners currently offer fewer opportunities outdoors for children to explore and experiment with sensory resources.

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who attend

Practitioners promote children's communication and language development effectively through good role modelling. They comment on children's play and speak clearly to the children, so that they hear words and can repeat them. For example, a practitioner supporting a child while they play in the small world area with the trains and track, comments on what they are doing. As a result, the child responds and talks to the practitioners about the trains and what they are doing in their play. Practitioners provide children with exciting and interactive story sessions during group time. These help to promote children's literacy skills, as well as their communication and language. Practitioners also skilfully promote children's understanding of mathematics as they play. For example, they teach them to recognise numerals and count the number of children present during the session. Children are encouraged to write for a purpose throughout

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who attend

each area of the provision as they are provided with meaningful mark-making materials, particularly in the role-play area.

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who attend

Children enjoy interesting adult-led activities, which extend their knowledge of the world, such as cooking and baking, where they are also using mathematical skills to measure and weigh ingredients. Children benefit from regular key-group time where they engage in focussed adult-led activities, which are planned to meet their individual needs. Younger children spend time getting to know their peers and develop relationships, as well as the importance of washing hands and how to dress themselves. While the older children are beginning to learn about phonics. As a result, children are keen and motivated learners. They show a desire to explore and learn. These positive attitudes towards learning prepare the children extremely well for their next stage in learning, including school. Practitioners support parents to promote learning at home effectively through the use of a library system where children can borrow books to share with their parents. Parents are

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who attend

also provided with a 'busy book' journal where they are encouraged to share their children's achievements at home. They can also post these achievements on the pre- schools 'wow board'. Practitioners use these contributions effectively at group time to encourage the children to recall past events and share their experiences with their peers. Practitioners provide parents with various guidance on child development, including numeracy, literacy, tummy time and the use of dummies to support them. Parents are also invited to 'stay and play' sessions, where they are provided with the opportunity to share activities and experiences with their children.

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

Children's personal, social and emotional development is good. Practitioners are kind, caring and reassuring, which results in children feeling happy, settled and secure. Children are learning to be considerate to others and to share and take turns. Practitioners are supportive in helping children to develop their self-esteem by praising them when they achieve new skills. Practitioners provide good support for children's emotional well-being. They greet children warmly when they arrive each day, helping them to separate confidently from their parents. Children are keen to take part in the activities set out and show a strong sense of security as they settle easily and happily. The relationships between practitioners and the children are friendly and supportive. Practitioners have a good knowledge of children's individual needs and routines. This helps to promote their emotional well-being and self-confidence.

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

Practitioners promote children's independence well by ensuring that resources are easily available for them to select themselves. This arrangement helps the children lead their own play and become independent as learners in readiness for their move to school. Children demonstrate good levels of confidence in their self-care skills. For example, they learn to wash their hands after using the toilet and before sitting down to eat. Children are provided with a healthy snack, such as a selection of fruit and milk or water to drink. Practitioners take the time to sit with the children and discuss the different food, which they are eating. Some children share lunch at the pre-school, practitioners support the parents through providing them with guidance on healthy lunch boxes. Practitioners follow good food hygiene practices, in order to protect the children's good health. Children pour their drinks, select their fruit and enjoy the sociable snack and lunch times. Practitioners

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

further help children to develop healthy lifestyles by encouraging them to be physically active and to spend time playing in the fresh air.

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

Practitioners use effective and sensitive strategies to manage children's behaviour. This means that the pre-school is a calm and positive place for children to gain the most from the rich experiences and the exciting activities. Children are very well supported in gaining a secure understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they take part in 'stranger danger' and road safety activities, which are reinforced when they visit the local community on regular short trips and during their walk to nursery class. Children have ample opportunities to use resources outdoors, such as bicycles, scooters and new tyres, where they are encouraged to manage their own risk. Practitioners also provide children with opportunities to use scissors and other tools independently, only offering support when required. As a result, children demonstrate that they are learning to think about risks and how to manage them, appropriate to their age. Children regularly

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

take part in local community events, such as making decorations for the community tree and raising money for charities. Consequently, children are learning about the world around them.

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provision

The leadership and management of the pre-school are strong. The manager is ably supported by her deputy, creating a strong and motivating leadership team. They are both good role-models and share high standards and expectations for all adults and children. Practitioners are secure in their knowledge and implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are fully aware of their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding children. All practitioners have undertaken safeguarding training and follow strict procedures and policies to protect children at all times. For example, all visitors to the pre-school are recorded and they are never left unsupervised with the children. Robust recruitment procedures, including effective induction procedures for practitioners, helping to protect children. All necessary suitability checks have been completed for practitioners and helpers.

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provision

The manager effectively monitors the quality of planning and assessment to ensure that all children make good progress in all aspects of their learning. The assessment arrangements include the required progress check completed for children aged between two and three years. Caring and nurturing practitioners work closely with parents and other professionals to support children who need more help, in particular aspects of their learning and development. Practitioners regularly attend training, in order to continually develop their knowledge of how young children learn best. The wide range of well- maintained resources support practitioners to meet children's different learning needs. The manager is motivated in her drive to improve the provision further. All recommendations from the previous inspection have been addressed. Through effective self-evaluation, the manager and deputy identify strengths in the pre-school practices, as well as their current

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provision

priorities for improvement. They involve parents and their team well in this process. As a result, action plans benefit from input from all of those who deal directly with the children.

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provision

Parents express high levels of satisfaction with the service, which they receive. They view the policies and procedures that underpin the safe and efficient management of the provision. Practitioners liaise with parents sensitively and supportively. Together, they agree on how to manage situations affecting individual children, such as starting school and supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents say that they value the warm and welcoming family atmosphere of the pre-school and comment that their children have lovely relationships with their key person. The pre-school has established very good links with the local primary school. Teachers visit the children in the pre-school prior to their move. Consequently, children experience a smooth move between settings. Practitioners meet with the teachers during 'cluster meetings' to share information and assessments of the children. The manager has developed strong

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provision

relationships with external agencies to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully supported and continue to make good progress ready for their next stage in learning and 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 307121 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 864875

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider Brookside Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 14/04/2010 Telephone number 01614915531

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Type of provision

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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