Little Dragons Pre School

Little Dragons Pre School The Unit, c/o St Georges Primary School, Clarence Road, Portland, Dorset, DT5 2BD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 May 2016 22 June 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 safe and welcoming environment, where children feel secure and build good relationships. Staff teach children to take turns and share equipment.  Children are keen to take part in a broad range of activities. They make choices from a good variety of play equipment and extend their own play and learning.  Children make good progress. Management and staff monitor children's development well, which helps them to identify and address gaps in their learning.  Staff establish effective partnerships with parents and with other professionals, which helps them to meet each child's needs well. Children who have special educational needs are well supported to make good progress from their starting points.  Management meets regularly with staff and supports them in developing their roles and knowledge about children's learning. For example, staff attended training about helping children to respect others, which resulted in a great improvement in children's

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff sometimes miss opportunities to promote children's learning priorities, such as through play and routine activities. The information about each child's next steps is not always readily available to them.  Sometimes when children play outside, learning opportunities are missed. For example, the good range of resources is widely spread out and staff occasionally find it difficult to fully support all the children in their learning.

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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 methods for sharing information between staff to help them promote children's learning priorities more consistently  improve the organisation of the outdoor area to extend all children's learning more effectively, particularly those who learn better outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities and the quality of teaching, inside and outside.  The inspector talked to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager to assess how well they monitor staff performance.  The inspector looked at a sample of documentation, which included the safeguarding policy, self-evaluation and children's assessment records.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The provider is clear about their responsibility in meeting requirements, such as notifying Ofsted of changes in the committee. There are clear recruitment procedures for checking staff suitability to work with children. Management and staff know what to do if they have concerns about a child's welfare. Management's self-evaluation includes the views of staff, parents, children and other professionals. For example, they have plans to develop the outdoor area to further promote children's physical skills. Staff work closely with parents, for example, they provide them with a comprehensive booklet with ideas for getting their child ready for school, which parents appreciate.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have a good understanding about how children learn. For example, they provide many opportunities for children to explore and learn through play. At the inspection, children enjoyed filling and emptying containers with sand and gravel; they mixed paints and used them to mark various surfaces. Children use their imagination well, for example, as they act out making pizza with natural materials such as mud, grass and leaves. Staff promote children's language in a variety of ways, such as reading stories, modelling vocabulary and encouraging children to talk about events in their lives. They provide activities in small groups to help support children who are learning to talk.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are happy and settled. Staff find out detailed information from parents when they first start attending to help them make children feel secure. Staff praise children regularly, helping to boost their self-esteem and confidence. Staff promote healthy lifestyles well. For example, they teach children good habits for keeping their bodies healthy and offer nutritious options at mealtimes. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise every day. Management and staff establish good partnerships with schools, which help them to support children well as they move on to the next stage in their learning. For example, through several visits to the school, children become familiar with the new surroundings and the people they will meet.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their starting points. Children develop increasing confidence in making choices and relating to adults and other children. They learn to be independent with practical skills, such as using the toilet and putting on their own clothes. Children learn to listen well and start to take an interest in sounds and letters, developing an understanding that print has meaning. Skills such as these help to prepare children well for starting school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY273825 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1020547 Type of provision Sessional 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 26 Number of children on roll 41 Name of provider Little Dragons Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 22 June 2015 Telephone number 01305 826 167

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Setting details

Little Dragons Pre-school registered in 2003 and operates from a self-contained building at St Georges Primary School on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. It is open every weekday during school term times, from 9am until 3pm. The pre-school is in receipt of funding to provide free early education for children aged three and four years. The pre-school employs nine members of staff to work with the children. The manager has a childcare qualification at level 4 and all other staff hold early years qualifications to level 2 or level 3.

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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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