Bright Minds @ Mountfield

Bright Minds @ Mountfield Mountfield Primary School, Kirkwood Drive, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, NE3 3AT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 June 2015 28 June 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

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

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is good. Staff have a secure knowledge of how children learn and provide a rich, varied and imaginative programme of activities and play opportunities.  High priority is given to promoting children's emotional well-being and they are happy and secure at pre-school. Staff are kind, caring and receptive to children's reactions and feelings and welcoming and supportive to families.  Children are kept safe as the premises are secure and free from hazards. They are well- supervised and robust risk assessments and regular safety checks are used to monitor overall safety.  The staff work as a good team, well led by the provider. They have improved ways of checking children's progress in their learning. New systems show clearly the level of children's skills at the start and end of their time at the pre-school. This information helps the staff team to understand how much progress the children make.

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This provision is good

 Children benefit from the pre-school's strong partnership with parents and others. The group has well-established links with the local school which extends children's experiences and prepares them for moving into full-time education.  Identified targets for improvement are relevant, regularly reviewed and effectively addressed, and take into account the views of parents.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always use questioning skilfully enough to extend children's thinking and build on children's developing range of speaking skills.  Although children concentrate and listen well in small groups, the planning of some larger group times is not so effective, particularly when all age ranges of children are involved.

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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

 challenge children to develop their communication and thinking skills even further, for example, through the effective use of questions that encourage children to think and engage them in sustained conversations  review the organisation of the larger group times, so that the younger children are able to participate fully in the activity and discussions.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the provider, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector observed children of all ages engage in learning activities indoors and outside.  The inspector looked at documentation including children's records, learning and development information, staff records and a selection of policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and the setting's self-evaluation.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the provider.

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who attend. This is good

Staff have a good awareness of the needs of young children. They effectively plan a good range of activities that help children to learn. Most staff model language effectively, introducing children to a wide range of vocabulary which supports their good communication and language development. However, some questioning does not challenge older children in thinking sufficiently deeply about their activities, or sustaining conversation. As a result, children sometimes do not answer in complete sentences and are not given time or encouragement to reflect on the activity they are engaged in. Group- time activities support children in developing good social skills. Occasionally, younger children become restless and find it difficult to focus on the activity as they wait their turn in the large group. Consequently, they lose interest in what is taking place. Children readily practise emergent writing and express their ideas through drawings. Children

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who attend. This is good

confidently use numbers for counting and for problem solving. For example, they count out how many children there are at each table at snack time and how many cups and plates they need. Parents make valuable contributions to their children's care and learning by following up activities at home and sharing their knowledge of their child with staff.

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good

A successful key-person system ensures close bonds develop between staff, children and families. The staff get to know children well, clearly understanding their specific care needs, their learning and development starting points and their particular interests. Children have good opportunities to increase their independence and self-helps skills as part of the daily routine. For example, they lead their own play and make choices about the resources they want to use. Staff work closely with parents to support their child's health and development at home, for example, supporting parents to provide healthy lunches. Children thoroughly enjoy their time spent in the 'secret garden' where they plant and grow some of their own vegetables. They are physically active and competently balance, climb and move in different ways.

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provision is good

The provider has a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to keep children safe. Effective induction and training mean that staff have an up-to-date knowledge of how to protect children from harm. They know how to take prompt, appropriate action if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. Recruitment procedures are robust and supervision of staff is very effective in identifying any training needs, to ensure good outcomes for children. The provider reviews the quality and accuracy of observations and assessments. This ensures that appropriate interventions are in place and any gaps in learning are addressed. Staff have attended various training courses and have implemented what they have learnt. For example, they have created more open space within the playroom. Consequently, this has had a positive impact on children's learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY411281 Local authority Newcastle Inspection number 851174 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 53 Name of provider Sarah Anne Gaish Date of previous inspection 28 June 2011 Telephone number 0191 213 4100

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Setting details

Bright Minds @ Mountfield was registered in 2010. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff, all of whom hold early years qualifications ranging from level 2 to level 6. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am until 2.45pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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