Stowey Bears Preschool

Stowey Bears Preschool Mill Close, Nether Stowey, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA5 1NX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 April 2016 8 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

 Staff provide a warm and welcoming environment, where children are happy and clearly feel safe. Children enjoy a wide range of activities and learning experiences based on their interests and individual learning needs, inside and outside. All children make good progress.  Partnerships with parents, other providers and external agencies are effective. A wide range of information is shared, which enables staff to meet children's individual needs successfully.  Management and staff evaluate the provision accurately. The manager monitors staff practice and identifies areas for improvement to help promote positive outcomes for children. They have addressed the action and recommendation raised at the previous inspection successfully, which has helped to raise the quality of the provision.  Children and staff form strong attachments. The effective key-person system helps children to settle quickly and promotes children's emotional well-being. Children learn

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This provision is good

to respect each other's feelings and manage their emotions well.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Occasionally, staff miss opportunities to encourage children to practise their early writing skills.  Staff do not consistently encourage children to use mathematical language to extend their understanding and support 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

 make the most of all opportunities for children to practise their early writing skills  extend opportunities for children to use mathematical language during play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact of this on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector spoke to the staff and held a meeting with the manager.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's learning records, policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff are clear about their role and responsibility to keep children safe. They are well trained and knowledgeable about what to do if they are concerned about a child's well-being. The manager regularly monitors the progress of individuals and groups of children to quickly identify any gaps in children's learning. She uses the information effectively to ensure that children receive the support they need to catch up with their peers and to check the effectiveness of the learning experiences in helping children make good progress. Staff make the most of training opportunities to develop new skills, such as sign language to support children's communication.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff regularly observe the children as they play and plan activities in direct response to their assessments of their learning needs. For example, through stories and activities, children talk about and learn to respect each other's differences. This builds children's confidence and supports their understanding of the world. Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting children's communication and language. They interact thoughtfully with children and ask questions which help children to think about what might happen next. For example, children thoroughly enjoyed making rockets from balloons. They counted backwards from five to one as they launched their rocket, and cheered excitedly as it reached its destination. Children described the rockets using words such as 'quick' and 'fast', and patiently waited their turn.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children behave well and are kind and considerate to one another. Staff are very skilled at supporting children to manage their behaviour for themselves. Children benefit from daily opportunities to play outside in the well-resourced environment. Children develop their physical skills and coordination, for example, on the slide and when riding wheeled vehicles. They are able to develop their imaginations well, for instance, in the role play mud kitchen, making 'cakes' and 'pies'. Children learn about healthy lifestyles and good hygiene routines. For example, they discuss healthy eating at snack time and are taught the importance of washing their hands before eating.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are well prepared for school. They are independent and confidently manage a range of tasks for themselves. For example, they pour their own drinks and serve themselves their snack. Children explore, independently choose activities and concentrate for long periods. They listen well, follow instructions and talk about the things they are doing. Children are developing early reading skills, for example, as they learn about the sounds that letters make and are able to recognise the letters in their name.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY409802 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 1014944 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 24 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider Stowey Bears Preschool Date of previous inspection 8 May 2015 Telephone number 01278 734 636

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Setting details

Stowey Bears Pre-School registered in 2010. It operates from the old children's centre in the grounds of Nether Stowey Primary School, in Nether Stowey, near Bridgwater, Somerset. The pre-school is open from 9am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, term times only. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are seven members of staff employed. One member of staff holds Early Years Professional Status, one is qualified to level 6, two hold a qualification at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2.

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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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