The A House Pre School

The A House Pre School Windmill Avenue, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8LJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 April 2016 14 January 2013

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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 Outstanding 1

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This provision is good

 The owner and managers are ambitious and keen that they provide consistently good- quality care for every child, regardless of their need or background. The monitoring of staff practice is good and means improvements continue to be made.  The staff are respectful and patient, acting as good role models for children. As a result, children are well behaved, polite and friendly.  The pre-school has effective settling-in arrangements and there are very positive relationships between children, staff and parents.  Teaching is good. Staff provide a welcoming and inclusive environment where children can play, explore and engage with a broad selection of toys, resources and activities. This promotes their free choice and emerging interests. It also strengthens children's confidence to try new activities.  Parents report they are very happy with the care and education their child receives.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Senior staff are not yet monitoring the progress made by different groups of children, such as those for whom they receive additional funding, to ensure they are doing as well as their peers.  Systems to enable staff to reflect on their practice and deliver outstanding teaching are not yet fully in place.

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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

 strengthen the use of information about how children learn to clearly identify how any gaps are closing and that all groups of children are achieving as well as each other  develop systems for staff to reflect on their practice and make all teaching outstanding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager to evaluate the quality and impact of teaching.  The inspector observed children as they engaged in activities.  The inspector sampled documentation, including planning, children's development records, and policies and procedures.  The inspector took the written and verbal views of parents into account.  The inspector talked to the children and asked them what they enjoyed doing at pre- school.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Staff have detailed information about the progress individual children make. This is shared regularly with parents and used to identify what children need to do next. However, systems to monitor progress of different groups of children are still being developed. There are effective recruitment and checking systems to assess that staff are suitable for their role of working with children and remain suitable to do so. Regular updates are provided to help staff understand revised guidance, through team meetings and supervision arrangements. Staff have a clear understanding of the procedures to identify and report any concerns regarding the welfare of children. Safeguarding is effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The quality of teaching is good because staff provide learning experiences that capture children's interest and meet their individual needs. As a result, children are eager and motivated to learn. Staff support children to develop fine motor skills. For example, the ‘sticky fingers’ table provides opportunities to practise threading, sewing and handling everyday objects with tweezers. Staff successfully help parents to understand how they can support their child’s learning at home. They use funding well to buy resources for parents to use at home to enhance children’s learning and development.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are very well behaved and learn to be respectful and kind. Consequently, the pre- school has a highly positive atmosphere in which children feel secure and motivated to learn. Staff organise resources well. They display children's art-work which helps children to feel valued and gives them a sense of belonging. Children are confident and independent as they learn to manage their own personal hygiene needs, make choices and initiate ideas during play. Children are offered a variety of nutritious foods at snack time which encourages them to eat a healthy diet. Lunch time is a social time and staff sit with the children acting as positive role models eating their own lunch. This encourages good communication between children and staff.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children have high levels of independence; they play cooperatively with their friends, sharing and taking turns. The environment is thoughtfully presented and encourages children to be imaginative, develop their language skills and participate in small group work in the outdoor area. For example, children enthusiastically explored the mud and pond area using sticks and colanders to discuss what was in the water. As a result, children make good progress in their speaking and listening skills. This means children develop important skills to support their future learning and help them be ready for moving on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY442562 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 1045178 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 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 56 Name of provider Madeline Lydia Dalley Date of previous inspection 14 January 2013 Telephone number 01273 844250

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Setting details

The A House Pre School registered at the present site in 2012. It is privately owned and is situated in a residential area of Hassocks, West Sussex. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9am to 3pm, during school term time only. It is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 52 children aged from two to five years on roll. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children learning English as an additional language. There are six members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The owner and manager holds Early Years Professional Status. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four- year-olds and some two-year-olds.

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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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