Little Learners Pre-School

Little Learners Pre-School Grassmoor Community Centre, New Street, Grassmoor, CHESTERFIELD, Derbyshire, S42 5EE

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 December 2015 8 November 2010

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 Managers and leaders are ambitious and continually reflect on what they provide for children. They have a clear understanding of the strengths of the pre-school. They take prompt action to make effective improvements where they identify a weakness.  Children make good progress from their starting points because teaching is good. Staff understand and effectively use a range of strategies that extends children's learning during play.  Partnerships with parents are very strong. Information from parents helps staff to make precise assessments of what children can do. Staff accurately identify what children need to learn next. This helps them to plan challenging activities to support children's learning.  The pre-school provides children with a welcoming and stimulating environment. Children are motivated to learn as they use a varied and interesting selection of resources and activities.  Children are well prepared and supported as they move on to their next stage of

p.1

This provision is good

learning. There are good partnerships with the other settings children attend and the local schools.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Managers do not make incisive evaluations of the impact staff's practice has on children's learning. Therefore, professional development has not been rigorous enough to successfully drive the quality of teaching to an outstanding level.  Staff do not always make the most of what they know about individual children's interests and learning preferences.

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

 introduce more effective ways to evaluate staff practice to further drive the quality of teaching to outstanding  enhance the quality of observations so that they include even more detail about how children prefer to learn.

p.2

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 sampled children's development records, planning documentation and a range of other records, policies and procedures.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager and provider. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the pre-school's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The pre-school has high expectations of staff and children. Leaders work hard and strive for the very best outcomes for children. They continually seek the views of parents and respond to their suggestions. For example, they try out different ways of communicating with them. The self-evaluation of the pre-school is accurate and leaders use focused support from the local authority advisor. They identify specific areas for development, for example, enhancing resources to better reflect diversity. Staff are supported to access training that further develops their knowledge. Leaders work closely with staff to monitor the quality of teaching. However, these observations have not yet been used to best effect to identify how the quality of teaching could be further improved. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff understand how to recognise and respond to concerns about children's welfare.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff are well qualified and have a good understanding of how to support children's learning. They collect detailed information from parents when children start, to ensure their initial assessments are accurate. Staff regularly review children's ongoing progress using observations of what they can do. However, some details about how individual children respond differently to activities are not reflected on carefully enough. Therefore, planned activities do not always make the most of children's interests. Staff keep parents informed about how they are challenging children and what parents can do at home to further support children's learning. Staff identify the learning opportunities that different resources and activities provide. For example, they help children make connections between real-life experiences and encourage them to use these in their play. The teaching strategies used by staff are matched to children's needs. They reinforce simple words as

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

children learn new vocabulary and give them time to think. Older children are asked challenging questions to help them build on what they already know.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children develop confidence and excellent independence skills through their play and routines. They show good behaviour as they learn to cooperate and share with others. Children enjoy the responsibility of being independent. They respond well to clear and consistent expectations about the routine, and what they can do themselves. Staff have thought carefully about how to help children understand differences. They provide different experiences for children to learn about other cultures. Children have lots of opportunities to learn about healthy foods and develop healthy lifestyles.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Managers carefully review all children's progress. They work with staff to quickly identify any children who require additional help. They seek advice from other agencies so they can provide targeted support. As a result, all groups of children, including those in receipt of funding, make good progress, and any gaps in achievement are closing. Close links with teachers support staff to prepare children with the skills and confidence they need as they move on to school.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY410338 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 851081 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 32 Name of provider Little Learners Pre-School Partnership Date of previous inspection 8 November 2010 Telephone number 01246 857 900

p.4

Setting details

Little Learners Pre-School was registered in 2010. The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one at level 5. The pre-school opens during term time, Tuesday to Friday mornings from 8.45am to 11.45am, and Wednesday to Friday afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. They offer a lunch club on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 11.45am to 12.30pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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 reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Setting details

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

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