Little Dragons Preschool

Little Dragons Pre-school Village Hall, Ogbourne St. George, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 1SU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/01/2015 11/01/2010

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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

 Children settle quickly and feel happy and secure. They grow in confidence and independence because staff are warm, attentive and offer plenty of praise and encouragement.  Children enjoy their time at pre-school and are eager to join in because staff provide activities that interest and challenge the children.  Staff monitor children's development closely. This means they spot any gaps in children's learning and provide additional support if needed to ensure all children make good progress. Staff work in close partnership with other professionals to help all children progress as well as they can from their starting points.  Staff work in close partnership with parents, involving them fully in their children's learning so they continue to support children's learning at home. This contributes to the good progress children make.  Children behave extremely well. Staff provide consistent, gentle guidance so children

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This provision is good

learn acceptable boundaries and how to play safely.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not benefit fully from rich, imaginative outdoor play throughout the year.  Staff do not take every opportunity to develop children's mathematical understanding and problem solving skills in meaningful ways, to help them consolidate their learning through practical activities.  Staff have not created a comfortable and quiet space for children who need to rest so that occasionally, some children get tired and a little fractious during long days.

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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 staff and children, and spoke with both, during indoor and outdoor play.  The inspector held discussions with the joint supervisors and chairperson.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation including children's records, policies, the pre- school's self-evaluation document, evidence of staff suitability and correspondence from outside agencies.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the supervisors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with several parents on the day and took their comments in consideration.

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Information about the setting

Little Dragons Pre-school opened in 1984. It operates from the village hall in Ogbourne St George, near Marlborough in Wiltshire. There is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play and an adjacent playing field. The pre-school serves the local rural area. The pre- school opens each weekday during school term time only. Sessions operate from 9.05am to 1.05pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 9.05am to 3.05pm on Wednesday. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and cares for children aged two to four years. There are currently 27 children aged between two and four years old on roll. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early years education for two, three and four year old children. The pre-school supports a small number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school employs four members of staff to work directly with the children; all hold suitable

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Information about the setting

childcare qualifications at level 3 or above, including the joint supervisor who holds qualified teacher status.

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

 develop the outdoor area so children can enjoy playing outside safely throughout the year, and provide a rich variety of interesting and stimulating resources and activities to support all areas of children's learning outdoors

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

 encourage children further to use numbers and mathematical concepts in meaningful ways, such as at snack time, and provide more resources that children can move and use in different ways to enhance their problem- solving skills

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

 provide a cosy, comfortable area for children who need to rest.

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who attend

Children enjoy their time at this friendly pre-school. Staff are exceptionally welcoming so that children arrive eagerly and settle very quickly to play. Staff promote children's learning and development effectively through a wide range of activities and experiences. Staff know the children exceptionally well, which they demonstrate as they discuss children's individual needs, characteristics and interests. They have a secure understanding of how children learn and use their knowledge of the children to support individual learning. Staff gather a wealth of information from parents before their children start to enable them to plan for each child from the outset and monitor their progress. Staff monitor children's development accurately, using their own and parents' observations to gain a full picture of children's progress. Staff produce written summaries three times per year, including the required progress check for two-year-olds. They share these with

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who attend

parents throughout the year and at planned meetings. Staff ensure parents are fully informed of their children's development and are made aware of any areas where their progress is slower than expected. Staff work closely with parents and outside professionals to ensure children receive any additional support they may need.

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who attend

Staff recognise the important role that parents can play in supporting their children's learning. They encourage parents to share children's achievements from home by completing 'fantastic slips'. Staff celebrate these with all the children at circle time, and display them so that children know their efforts are valued. Staff display their activity plans so that parents know what their children are doing and can continue themes with their children at home. This helps build children's vocabulary and consolidates their learning through different experiences. Parents comment that they value the ideas and advice that staff offer. This very good partnership working contributes significantly to the children's good progress.

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who attend

Staff are skilled at knowing when to intervene in children's play and when to leave them to develop their own ideas. For example, children showed an interest in a radio. A member of staff left them to explore the device before showing them how to tune the radio to a station. Children were delighted with the music and built on previous experiences as they played musical statues together. Staff have received training to support children's speech and language development and use their knowledge effectively. They follow a recognised programme of routine activities, with small groups of children, which focus on supporting children's speaking and listening skills. Staff know children very well so they can chat about things that interest or are important to the children. Children are eager to share their news about a grandparent's visit or new baby in the family.

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who attend

Children join in counting songs, and build and design with a range of construction toys that develop their mathematical understanding. They make generally good progress in this area. However, staff miss opportunities to consolidate children's learning in meaningful ways. For example, they do not routinely use snack time to calculate how many cups and plates children need, or share and divide fruit. Children do not have a wide range of materials available indoors and outside, that they can move and use in different ways, to encourage them to design and solve problems.

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who attend

Children have free access to outdoor play in an enclosed garden when the weather permits. In wet weather, an area of paving is slippery which inhibits staff from taking children out. However, they also have ready access to an adjacent field. Staff do not always make every effort to overcome difficulties to ensure children enjoy daily outdoor play throughout the year. This means that children, especially those who learn better outside, do not benefit fully.

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

Children feel emotionally very secure in the pre-school due to the nurturing environment created by the kind and caring staff. Children form close bonds with all the staff but especially their key person. Staff are always on hand to comfort children who are upset and help them make choices about where and with what they want to play. Parents say their children settle very easily when they start pre-school and they value the thorough settling-in process. This is evident as new children confidently join in with the daily routine. There is a happy atmosphere; staff help children get to know each other so they make friends easily.

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

Staff give children's health and well-being a high priority and support this well overall. Staff know children very well so they know which children have food allergies and medical needs. Staff hold current certificates in paediatric first aid and have additional training to meet individual children's specific medical needs. Staff follow guidance from health and food hygiene training to encourage healthy eating and observe food safety at all times. They provide children with healthy snacks and guide parents on making up healthy lunchboxes. A few children who stay for the long day on Wednesdays need a rest. Staff have not provided a cosy, comfortable area for them, and as a result, some children get tired and a little upset before the end of the session. Children grow in confidence and independence. Staff encourage them to find and put on their own coats, and decide what they would like to play with. They manage their own personal care very well as they

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

remember to wash hands and put used tissues in the bin.

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

Children's behaviour is excellent because staff are sensitive and consistent. They remind children of the agreed expectations and use positive reinforcement to help children manage their own feelings and behaviour. Staff teach children to be kind to each other, to share and to ensure everyone is included and valued. They take every opportunity to make children aware of safety issues and begin to take responsibility for their own welfare. For example, staff take children into the village to teach them about road safety. They encourage children to think for themselves about why a turned-up carpet or playing with scissors in the sandpit might be dangerous. As a result, children learn to manage risks and behave responsibly.

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

Staff prepare children very well for their move into school so they can cope emotionally and practically with their new surroundings. Staff have close links with the local primary school where the majority of children move onto and are establishing good contacts with other feeder schools. Staff arrange visits from reception teachers and accompany children on visits to the school. They focus on developing children's social, personal and language skills. This results in children who are confident and independent, able to express their views, follow instruction and make friends. They have the skills they need to settle quickly and are ready for the next stage in their learning.

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provision

Staff have successfully completed safeguarding training and ensure that children are safe at the pre-school and on outings. They follow good procedures and are vigilant in their supervision and in maintaining a safe environment. Staff are confident about how to identify and report any concerns. The management team follows rigorous recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure the suitability of all adults working with the children. There is a robust induction process for any new staff and students, which means that everyone working with the children is clear about their individual responsibilities.

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provision

Leadership and management of the pre-school are strong. The management team and staff work well together and routinely reflect on practice and make improvements. All staff hold appropriate childcare qualifications and attend training to enhance these and develop their knowledge. The management holds regular staff appraisals and discussions with the staff to ensure they tailor staff's training and professional development to their needs and to those of the pre-school. Staff share the knowledge they gain on training courses with other staff, so that all children ultimately benefit from their improved skills. The management team values the views of all staff, parents and children. They act on these to ensure the pre-school provides good quality care and learning for all children. They have successfully addressed the recommendations raised at the last inspection. This has significantly improved the outcomes for children.

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provision

The supervisors monitor the planning of the educational provision for children to ensure that this provides depth and breadth across all areas of learning. Staff discuss and constantly seek to develop their teaching practice. This helps to ensure that they meet each child's learning needs effectively. Staff work closely with a wide range of other professionals to support children and their families. Partnership with parents is very strong and parents comment very positively on the nurturing environment, ongoing support and approachability of all staff. Staff keep them well informed about their children's progress and fully involved in their children's learning. Staff have strong links with other early years providers, schools and the children's centre in the area. Staff follow up the progress of children in reception class to help prepare future children better. This means the management team and staff share ideas and best practice regularly, and keep up to date

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provision

with current developments in childcare. Staff involve children in extending links into the community, such as supporting a local food bank, which enhances and extends their learning.

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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 146029 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 841737 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 27 Name of provider Little Dragons Pre-school Committee Date of previous inspection 11/01/2010 Telephone number 0785 5026083

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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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