Mere Green 0-5

Mere Green 0-5 Mere Green Community Centre, Mere Green Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B75 5BT

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 March 2015 16 March 2010

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

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

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

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

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

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

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Teaching is consistently of a very high quality. Staff are highly responsive to children's needs and they identify at an early stage where children need support. Staff conscientiously support all children, ensuring they rapidly achieve, or exceed, expected levels of development.  Children receive excellent support to settle in the pre-school because the starting period is adjusted to their individual needs. Children are sensitively nurtured, ensuring they are happy and flourish in the child-centred environment.  Children's independence and self-esteem are extremely well promoted through all learning and routine activities.  Proactive managers seek out other professionals to establish relationships that benefit children's learning and care. For example, teachers from all local schools consistently respond to invitations to visit and meet children before they leave the pre-school. This means all children are very well prepared for their move to school.

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Commendable arrangements are in place to ensure assessments accurately reflect children's achievements. Managers rigorously review the assessments for all children, including those who are ready to leave the pre-school. Records show that groups of children, such as girls, exceed the expected levels of development before they leave for school.  Staff work successfully with parents and carers to ensure children receive the support they need to make exceptional progress in their learning and care.  Staff have an excellent understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and they regularly refresh their knowledge of safeguarding procedures. Robust monitoring is embedded because managers carry out annual audits of safeguarding practice and procedures, resulting in the significant promotion of children's welfare.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 extend the reflective skills of staff to ensure they all understand how to sustain the high-quality teaching. For example, provide opportunities for staff to engage in peer observations so that they have a shared understanding of excellent practice across the pre-school.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises with the manager.  The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector looked at a sample of policies, children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.  The inspector took account of the views of children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

p.2

who attend. This is outstanding

The highly-qualified staff use excellent teaching methods to promote children's learning. Staff have tremendous enthusiasm for their work, which ensures children have extremely- rewarding experiences. Staff imaginatively use puppets to promote learning of numbers and colours. The puppets appear to talk, capturing children's attention, and animated staff meticulously reinforce children's learning by using well-chosen resources. For example, five blue chairs are set out at the front for other soft toys to sit on, and five blue candles decorate a birthday cake. Effective planning and expert practice underpin the quality of teaching that is consistently very high across the pre-school. Staff provide varied experiences through a comprehensive selection of activities for all children to compare soft and hard materials, and to explore textures. Staff have very high expectations of the children, resulting in challenges that stretch their learning. Children consistently receive

p.3

who attend. This is outstanding

support that matches their individual learning styles and abilities. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make remarkable progress in their development, which is sustained over time.

p.3

outstanding

Children are very confident because the highly-effective key-person system ensures they are well settled and emotionally secure. A vast selection of resources is set out within children's reach, which results in them thoroughly developing their exploratory skills through play. Children's behaviour is exemplary and they develop excellent social skills. They often invite others to join in with their play. Children's good health is substantially promoted because they have many opportunities for physical play as they freely move between the outside area and the large hall. Staff constantly motivate children to develop self-help skills throughout all activities. For instance, they are allowed time to use large serving spoons to transfer fruit from the platter to their bowls. This ensures they eat well from the selection on offer and they choose drinks, including water and milk.

p.3

provision is outstanding

Leaders and managers work as part of a cohesive team who passionately promote children's learning and care. All staff have a well-developed understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Comprehensive monitoring is in place to ensure children receive excellent support for their learning. The manager observes staff practice and discusses individual performance at supervision meetings. All staff contribute to the self-evaluation, ensuring they understand how to review the effectiveness of the setting. At this stage, staff have had few opportunities to extend their skills in reflective practice. For example, they do not observe the practice of colleagues to ensure all have a full picture of how to sustain the excellent teaching. Parents describe the pre-school in glowing terms. For instance, they say that 'it is a child-centred place where staff weave their way around the children to help them learn in the best possible way'.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY275763 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 848605

p.4

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 42 Name of provider Mere Green 0-5 Committee Date of previous inspection 16 March 2010 Telephone number 0121 464 6907

p.4

Type of provision

Mere Green 0-5 was registered in 1993.The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 3 and 6, including one with Qualified Teacher Status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 9.30am to 12.30pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; on Wednesday and Friday sessions are from 9.30am to 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school has links with the local children's centre.

p.4

Type of provision

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.

p.4

Type of provision

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.

p.4

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’.

p.5

Type of provision

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

p.5