Mortimer Pre-School

Mortimer Pre-School St. Johns Village Hall, 22 West End Road, Mortimer Common, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 3TF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 February 2015 17 March 2011

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is outstanding

 Children benefit from particularly good teaching, as staff have an excellent understanding of how to develop the skills that underpin all areas of their learning.  The accuracy and rigour of assessments of what children know and can do support effective planning for each child's next steps in learning. As a result, all children make excellent progress and are well prepared for their next challenges.  A highly effective range of initiatives engage, support and build on parents' interest in their children's development and provide children with continuity in their learning and care.  Staff consistently give the highest priority to the safety of children. They support their growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy extremely well.  Senior staff monitor the delivery of the educational programmes, planning and assessment closely. As a result, children's needs are quickly identified and very well met

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This provision is outstanding

through high quality teaching and timely interventions.  Staff routinely reflect on their own practice and challenge themselves to increasingly high levels of competence as they inspire and nurture every child in their care.  Close working links between staff, the children centre, and local schools help prepare children extremely well for the next stages in their learning.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 extend opportunities for children to recognise letters and use mark-making tools to support role-play activities outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed a wide range of activities across all areas of the pre-school and talked with staff and children about what they were doing.  The inspector reviewed documents and procedures relating to safeguarding and equal opportunities, and checked a selection of other policies.  The inspector sampled a range of children's records, the pre-school's planning, evaluation, and the information exchanged with parents and external professionals.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and reviewed written communication from parents.  The inspector met with the leadership team and conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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who attend. This is outstanding

Children flourish in the care of enthusiastic, cheerful, and imaginative staff who weave high quality teaching throughout a day of play. Staff quickly identify children's starting points, and shape activities to meet and extend each child's next steps in learning and development. Effective and often inspired teaching turns the interests of children, and the ideas of their parents, into rich learning experiences. For example, children explore how people help each other in their community and how they can help each other at pre- school. Staff arrange visits to local engineering companies, builders, and the emergency services. Children act out their experiences imaginatively as they work together to design, build and paint constructions. Staff help children develop increasing independence as they encourage them to question, plan, predict, negotiate and review their projects. Staff prepare children extremely well for life at school and in their community, as they model,

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who attend. This is outstanding

and children acquire, significant skills in communication, thinking and social interaction.

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outstanding

Staff constantly reflect on their practice and how to improve it. They also request and consider parents' ideas for improvements. As a result, staff adapt their teaching to meet the needs of particular groups. For example, staff ignite children's fascination for numbers through ball games in the park, where there is a clear purpose to recording the scores. When children need encouragement to play outside in the cold, staff add a sea of tarpaulin and an enormous polar bear to entice their expeditions to the Arctic Ocean. Staff equip the small enclosed outdoor play space to enable children to climb, construct, tell stories and be creative. However, resources to promote children's interests in letters and literacy are less evident outdoors. Staff teach children how to keep themselves healthy and safe as they identify and investigate helpful people. Staff borrow inflatable dentist chairs and arrange trips to the local fire station. Such exciting experiences provoke infinite

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outstanding

lines of questioning and foster children's growing understanding of their place in a diverse community.

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provision is outstanding

The manager has an excellent understanding of how to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff work as a well supervised, highly effective team who combine extensive early years experience with knowledge gained from teacher training. A strong drive to improve achievements for all children is evident as the manager works closely with the early years development adviser to formalise practical systems of performance management. The committee also takes an active part in meeting their legal obligations to ensure effective implementation of policies to keep children safe on a daily basis. Staff demonstrate excellent skills in working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, their families and wider teams of professionals. This strengthens their already close links with the local primary school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 507885 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 842244 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 42 Name of provider Mortimer Pre-school Committee Date of previous inspection 17 March 2011 Telephone number 0118 9331668

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Setting details

Mortimer Pre-School registered in 1992. It is a committee-run pre-school that operates from St. John's Hall in the centre of Mortimer, near Reading in Berkshire. The pre-school is open each weekday during school term time. Sessions run from 9am to 12 noon every day and from 12 noon to 3pm on two afternoons each week. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three, and four. Of the eight staff who work with the children, seven hold relevant qualifications. One member of staff holds Early Years Professional Status and another is a qualified teacher.

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Setting details

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

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Setting details

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Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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