Little Birch Preschool

Little Birch Pre-School Birch Avenue, Blandford St. Mary, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 9QD

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17 June 2015 17 June 2014

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

p.1

This provision is good

 Little Birch has a happy atmosphere. Children play sociably with one another.  Staff work well as a team. Children are well-cared for.  There have been a number of improvements put into place by the committee and new manager in recent months. Parents report these have made a positive difference to the pre-school.  Children make good progress. Staff make sure that the activities on offer are well- suited to children's likes and learning needs.  A wide range of interesting and exciting activities and toys encourage children to use lots of language. Children are very talkative and communicate well with one another.  Children develop their independence skills and self-confidence.  Good use is made of the space to create a stimulating learning environment.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not get regular, planned support to help them develop their teaching practice further. Professional support for the manager by the committee is not frequent enough.  Leaders do not check how well groups of children, such as boys and girls, are doing with their learning and development. This means they are not sure whether any particular groups of children do less well than others.

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

 implement a system of professional supervision that provides both high quality support to the manager and regular observation of staff practice in order to improve the quality of teaching further  enhance systems used to monitor how well children learn by regularly checking whether any groups of children make better progress than others and address any differences effectively.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and learning in the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector spoke with children and staff.  The inspector spoke with the pre-school manager and members of the management committee.  The inspector spoke with a number of parents and took the results of the most recent parent questionnaire into account.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation including policies, information about the educational programme, children's learning and development records and evidence of checks made on staff.

p.2

who attend. This is good

Staff are good teachers. They include lots of learning in children's everyday play, such as doing number work when making 'sausages' at the play dough table. Sessions make the most of the learning time available and little time is wasted. Tasks such as lining-up for an outdoor activity or getting ready for lunch are completed very quickly. Children learn a great deal in short and well-managed group times. They correctly identify the letter sounds of names. They talk excitedly about fossils and other items brought in from home. They listen intently as staff speak knowledgably about what fossils are. Such activities are paced well so even the youngest children remain focused and contribute to the discussion. As a result, children make good progress. Almost all are at typical levels of development and are well-prepared for starting school when the time comes. Support for children who need extra help with their development has improved in recent months. These children

p.3

who attend. This is good

now do well because of close communication and partnership working between the pre- school and other involved professionals.

p.3

good

Staff create a calm atmosphere that helps children to feel comfortable at the pre-school. Children's behaviour is managed well. They follow the rules and routines because staff give clear explanations of why some things are not acceptable, such as throwing sand. In particular, children's self-esteem and confidence is nurtured well. Staff give praise when children made a good job of something or do a kind deed. At snack time, children take it in turns to take everyone's drinks order which helps build their social and communication skills. Good use is made of the outdoor area and school playground. Children have plenty of opportunity to play and exercise in the fresh air.

p.3

provision is good

The committee and manager work well together to provide safe and good quality care and education. They know what the pre-school is good at and what it needs to improve. All staff know what to do if they have any concerns about children's safety or welfare. Leaders keep a close eye on children's progress to make sure all do as well as expected. However, they do not review this information to check or address any differences between the progress of groups of children, such as boys and girls, to help them learn even more. Staff are supported well. They have monthly meetings with the manger and weekly team discussions. This enables all to discuss relevant issues and to check children receive a good experience at the pre-school. The manager receives similar supervision from the committee but meetings happen less frequently. Therefore, the manager is not as well- supported in her role as other staff. Staff receive informal feedback about the quality of

p.3

provision is good

their teaching but this does not happen regularly. Thus staff opportunities to improve their practice are limited. The pre-school works in close partnership with the nearby school. School staff are on the management committee. Shared visits and events such as 'art week' help children become familiar with the school before they start.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 141119 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1008552 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 31 Name of provider The Little Birch Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 17 June 2014 Telephone number 07929 363291

p.4

Setting details

Little Birch Pre-School opened in 1976. It operates from a purpose built unit in the grounds of Blandford St. Mary Church of England Primary School in Blandford, Dorset. It is managed by a committee. The pre-school is open during term-time from 8.45am to 3.30pm on Monday to Thursday and from 8.45am until 11.45am on Fridays. The pre- school provides funded free early education for three- and four-year-old children. The pre- school employs a team of four staff. All staff hold a level 3 early years qualification.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

Setting details

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

Setting details

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

p.5