Alikats Community Pre-School

Alikats Community Pre- School Hightown Centre, Tunstall Close, SOUTHAMPTON, SO19 6RD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 7 October 2015 2 November 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Children are happy, confident and settled. Managers and staff provide a calm, relaxed and secure environment where each child is respected and valued.  The quality of teaching is good. Staff provide children with a wide range of interesting activities which build on their previous learning.  Children make good progress. The pre-school places a strong emphasis on helping the children to develop their communication, language and early writing skills.  Children's behaviour is good. Managers and staff have high expectations and offer clear boundaries. As a result, children respect one another, share toys and take turns.  Children are well prepared for moving smoothly on to school because staff communicate effectively with teachers to share information about children's individual needs.  Managers provide good leadership. Managers and staff have a secure knowledge of how children learn and have high expectations of every child. Staff are supported to

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This provision is good

improve their teaching through effective supervision and training.  Managers maintain robust safeguarding procedures to ensure all children are safe from harm. Staff receive relevant safeguarding training and complete regular risk assessments to ensure children remain safe and secure.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always use all opportunities to develop children's early interest in books to further enhance their literacy development.  The outdoor environment is insufficiently developed for challenging children's physical skills. Plans are in place to improve this area but have yet to be implemented.

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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 explore books to strengthen their literacy development  provide more challenging opportunities in the outside area for children to develop their physical skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector held discussions with managers and the chair of the committee, and spoke with children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including staff suitability checks, self- assessment information, children's observation, assessment and planning records, and documents relating to managing children's progress.  The inspector spoke with a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Managers and the chair of the committee have effective systems to monitor and evaluate all aspects of the provision. They have secure knowledge to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Their effective self-evaluation pinpoints areas for further development, including improving the outside area. Staff are regularly observed, have planned regular appraisals, clear targets for improvement and regular training, for example, for enhancing children's speech and language development. Managers review children's profiles to ensure all of them make good progress and to identify that any gaps in children's learning are closing. Managers and staff work well with parents, outside agencies and professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to meet children's individual needs. Safeguarding is effective; it is given the highest priority.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff plan for, and complete, accurate assessments of children's learning during play. These assessments form the basis of what children need to learn next. Staff strongly promote children's language and communication skills and challenge their thinking through play and adult-led activities. For example, during construction play, staff encourage children to talk about their learning, suggest ideas and solve problems. Staff create many worthwhile opportunities for children to learn about numbers, for example, when children learn to count the legs on toy spiders. Children delight in investigating the natural world during outdoor play. They use their magnifying glasses to carefully observe autumn leaves as well as spiders and their webs. Children have access to a good range of toys and equipment although opportunities for developing their physical skills in the outdoor area, including climbing and balancing, are not as stimulating, especially for older children.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children's emotional well-being is consistently well promoted through the effective key- person system. Staff fully recognise the importance of encouraging children to form good relationships with them. They offer children a broad range of healthy options at snack time and help children to understand which foods are healthy and which are not. Children are well supported by staff to extend their self-help and independence skills through regular routines. Children are well behaved because staff motivate them with lots of praise and rewards for their efforts and achievements.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their starting points. As children grow older, they begin to develop literacy and numeracy skills in a wider range of contexts in preparation for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY428011 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 823366 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 27 Name of provider Alikats Community Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 2 November 2011 Telephone number 023 8040 4415

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Setting details

Alikats Community Pre-School opened in new premises in 2011 and operates from Hightown Community Centre in the Thornhill area of Southampton. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, from 9am to 3pm during school term times. The pre-school employs seven members of staff, six of whom hold relevant early years qualification. One holds a qualification at level 4, while five are qualified to level 3. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years old.

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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

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Setting details

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