Alphabet Pre-school

Alphabet Pre-school Village hall, Easton, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1EU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 March 2016 7 May 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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

 Managers support the well-qualified staff through regular meetings and training to update their professional knowledge. This has a positive impact on children's learning outcomes. For example, training has enabled staff to focus strongly on promoting storytelling to help children to listen, join in and retell stories much more effectively.  Managers and staff monitor children's ongoing progress effectively. They quickly identify any gaps in learning and provide children with the support they need.  Staff complete regular and precise assessments of children's achievements. They have a good understanding of how children learn and plan activities that promote their individual needs and ensure they make good progress.  Partnership with parents is strong. For example, parents comment that the staff are very nurturing and support their children well to settle when they first attend.  Children behave well. They treat each other with respect and understand about

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This provision is good

including others in their play. For example, children independently used timers to help them to take turns with resources fairly.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not make the most of the activities they lead to engage and interest all children, meaning some become restless and unsettled.  At times, staff interrupt children's play and learning with little warning that there is to be a change in the routine or activities, to allow them opportunities to end their play.

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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

 review the organisation of the activities that staff lead, to ensure all children are motivated to join in and the activity sustains their interest  help children to understand when there is to be a change in activities so they can finish what they are doing and end their play for themselves.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff and their interactions with children, during play and learning activities, and viewed the play areas and resources.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, and spoke with children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including staff suitability checks, self- evaluation, children's observation, assessment and planning records, and documentation linked to monitoring children's progress.  The inspector conducted a joint observation of staff practice and discussed this with the manager.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Managers and staff have a secure understanding of child protection issues and know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child's welfare. The managers implement robust recruitment and employment procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children and fully understand their roles and responsibilities. They use good systems to evaluate the quality of the provision and to continuously improve. The managers have successfully addressed the areas for development identified at the previous inspection. For example, they have a much better understanding of their responsibility to provide Ofsted with the information needed to determine the suitability of committee members.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff provide a stimulating environment where children choose resources independently to add to their play. They promote children's communication and language well. For instance, they join in with children's play, listen to their ideas and question them well to promote their thinking skills. This helped children to make comparisons between the amounts of water in two different sized containers and discuss which one held the most. Staff plan activities to support children to discuss their emotions. For example, they discuss how characters in stories and illustrations may be feeling.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff gather comprehensive information to help them meet children's individual needs successfully. Children have secure relationships with the staff and they feel safe and self- assured. Staff offer children praise for their achievements, which helps to promote their self-esteem and confidence. They support children well to become independent. For example, children are self-sufficient at snack time, confidently dress themselves for outdoor play and are confident to ask for help when they need it. Children learn about the benefits of a healthy diet. They enjoy the nutritious snacks offered and the sociable occasion of sitting together. Children have good opportunities to be outside on a daily basis, to play in the open air and practise their physical skills.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Overall, they remain engaged in the activities they choose for long periods, such as threading and playdough, persevering until they have finished them to their satisfaction. Children achieve good mathematical skills and understanding. They count and recognise shapes and colours. Children are keen communicators and discuss with confidence their understanding of the world. For example, they talk about bees gathering nectar from plants to make honey. Children successfully develop important skills in readiness for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 143010 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 1014942 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 16 Name of provider Alphabet Pre-school Committee Date of previous inspection 7 May 2015 Telephone number 01749871227

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Setting details

Alphabet Pre-School registered in 1992. It operates in Easton, Somerset. The pre-school opens on Monday and Wednesday from 9.15am until 3pm and on Friday from 9.15am until 1pm, term time only. There are four staff employed to work with the children; of these, three staff have an early years qualification at level 3 and one member of staff has a qualification at level 2. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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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