Little Owls

Little Owls North Town Community Primary School, Staplegrove Road, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1DF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 March 2016 17 April 2015

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Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The space is not always organised effectively to meet the needs of children aged under two years.  Although staff monitor the progress of children effectively, they do not provide all parents with the progress check, which is required for children between the ages of two and three years.  Staff have formed some partnerships with other early years providers. However, this process is not consistent for all children, meaning some children do not always receive continuity in their care and learning.  Children do not have many opportunities to explore a wide range of materials, to fully develop their creative skills.

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It has the following strengths

 Since the last inspection, the management team and staff have made some improvements; for example, improving the monitoring of staff practice and implementing a policy for the safe use of mobile phones and cameras.  Staff are good role models and promote children's personal, social and emotional development effectively. Children are happy, confident and motivated to learn. They behave well, showing high levels of respect for the staff and one another.  Children enjoy daily access to a well-resourced outside area.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure the space is organised effectively to meet the individual care and learning needs of children aged under two years 04/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure parents are provided with a written summary of their child's development in the prime areas when they are between the ages of two and three years. 04/04/2016

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Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 improve the arrangements for sharing information with other settings children attend, to fully promote continuity in their care and learning  strengthen the range of activities, experiences and resources on offer to extend children's creative skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke to children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked a range of documentation, including children's progress records and the pre-school's self-evaluation documents.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents at the beginning of the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a secure knowledge of child protection issues and the procedures to follow. There are robust procedures for checking the suitability of staff. Although the premises are welcoming, staff do not use the space well enough to always meet the needs of children under two years. For example, at lunchtime younger children sleep in pushchairs in the role play area. This reduces opportunities for the older children to use the space at this time. Staff have good opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge through training, which has had a positive impact on developing children's communication skills. The management team and staff reflect on practice and include the views of parents and children to help drive improvement. Staff work effectively with parents to share ideas to further support children's learning at home. Staff have developed some partnerships with other early years providers children attend.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Overall, children enjoy a wide range of activities and learning experiences which support them to make steady progress. For example, children explore and investigate the sounds made by musical instruments and use magnifying glasses to explore shapes and patterns on shells. Staff support children's language skills and promote their progress in this area well, including children who are learning English as an additional language. For example, staff ask children questions that encourage them to think and talk about what they are doing. Although staff generally make good use of ongoing assessments, they do not provide all parents with the progress check which is required for children between the ages of two and three years. This means parents are not always fully aware of their children's progress, leading to a potential delay in organising support for children's future learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Children are happy, confident and display high levels of self-esteem. Staff teach them to be independent and care for themselves. For example, children pour their own drinks and cut up fruit at snack time. Staff support children to use their imaginations in role play. However, children do not have many opportunities to express themselves through craft activities or to use role play resources whenever they want to. Children are kind to one another, understand staff's expectations and happily help with tasks, such as tidying.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Older children develop skills that help them in their future learning. For example, they listen and concentrate well at group time, play harmoniously together and understand how to share and take turns. However, younger children have little space of their own where they can explore their resources and activities, and develop their early physical skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY311840 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 1013178 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 0 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 58 Name of provider Little Owls Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 17 April 2015 Telephone number 01823 339 140

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Setting details

Little Owls Pre-school registered in 2005. The pre-school operates from North Town Primary School, in the Staplegrove area of Taunton, Somerset. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9am to 3pm, during term time only. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged three and four years. There are nine members of staff; of these, five hold an early years qualification at level 3 and four members of staff hold a qualification at level 2. The manager is working towards an early years qualification at level 5.

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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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