Dunster Pre School

Dunster Pre School c/o Dunster First School, St. Georges Street, Dunster, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 6RX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 October 2015 18 May 2010

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are very happy in this warm and welcoming pre-school. Staff provide a rich variety of stimulating activities indoors and outside. Children benefit from access to woodlands and an allotment.  Staff know the children very well and form very close relationships with them and their families. Children are emotionally secure and self-confident.  Children make excellent progress, given their starting points and individual characteristics. Staff are consistently fully involved with what children are doing, adapting activities very effectively to suit different learning needs.  Parent partnerships are very strong. Parents work with staff to create the best learning opportunities for their children and help them prepare for the next stage in their learning and development.  The leadership and management of the pre-school is highly effective and staff are extremely well supported to understand all aspects of the working practices.

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This provision is outstanding

 The consistent pursuit of the highest quality has resulted in robust systems to identify, consult and bring about change to continually drive improvement.

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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

 continue to capture the children's voices in a greater variety of ways so that they can contribute even more to their own learning and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff interacting with children inside and outside.  The inspector had discussions with managers.  The inspector sampled documentation, including children's records.  The inspector took into account the views of parents.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The pre-school benefits from exceptionally strong leadership. Safeguarding is effective. All staff are very well informed and up to date about how to keep children safe. The highly stimulating, welcoming environment and exceptionally motivated staff support children to make excellent progress. Managers ensure that equality is central to the pre-school's ethos and provide positive images and activities that promote the understanding of diversity. For example, children celebrate different festivals throughout the year, sometimes sharing these with the local school. There is a highly effective system for staff supervision and professional development through training opportunities. In addition, staff observe their colleagues to share their skills and expertise. There are robust monitoring systems; for example, staff analyse children's progress by tracking groups.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The quality of teaching is excellent and staff know how individual children learn best. They make accurate observations and assessments, which inform highly focused planning to meet children's next steps in learning. Children have excellent opportunities to follow their interests, make choices and continually extend their learning. For example, children who love riding trikes explore ways of negotiating pathways and steering accurately. Staff consistently promote communication. For example, they speak clearly and make very effective use of sign language. Staff work well alongside other agencies and parents to ensure children are fully supported.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children develop a sense of belonging. Staff are patient and respectful of individual needs. They encourage children to be independent and take responsibility for their actions, such as tidying up and putting their coats on. Staff are excellent role models, helping children to learn about respect, acceptable behaviour and being kind to their friends. Children benefit from many activities that extend their knowledge of healthy eating. For example, they enjoy outings to the nearby allotment where they grow, harvest and eat their own fruit and vegetables. Staff praise children for what they have achieved; for example, when they make progress with using scissors, write their own name or meet the challenge of a mathematical computer game. This helps boost children's self-esteem. Children learn how to protect themselves; for example, they practise road safety on their outings.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make good progress and are well prepared for when they go to school. Children in different groups are very well supported and gaps in their learning are closing. Children are very active learners. They explore, persevere and work things out for themselves.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 143032 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 825818 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 37 Name of provider Dunster Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 18 May 2010 Telephone number 01643 822233

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Setting details

Dunster Pre School registered in 1982. It operates from the grounds of Dunster First School in Dunster, Somerset. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Opening times are 8.55am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday. There are six members of staff who work regularly with the children; of these, Five have relevant qualifications at level 3.

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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

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

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