Alderholt Sunbeams Pre- School

Alderholt Sunbeams Pre- School c/o St. James C of E (VC) First School, 17 Park Lane, Alderholt, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 3AJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 September 2016 20 October 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

 The managers have worked hard since their last inspection to make necessary improvements. For example, targeted and focused action plans, closer monitoring of practice and increased support and training for staff have improved outcomes for children's learning. The management team offers strong leadership.  Children have fun. They are keen to learn and become deeply involved in their play. High levels of enthusiasm from staff and good quality teaching help to ensure that children's learning is supported well and they all make good progress.  Children are very confident and increasingly independent. They feel safe and secure, encouraging them to try new activities and extend their learning for themselves.  The outdoor areas are used exceptionally well to extend all aspects of learning. Children gain strong physical skills as they learn to work together with their friends.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Newly introduced planning and assessment procedures are working well overall and help staff to plan and provide a wide range of good quality learning experiences. However, identified next steps for individual children are broad, and do not always clearly illustrate how staff can help children to achieve their next steps.  Staff do not always gain sufficiently detailed information about children's learning from parents when children first start, to help them identify starting points in their learning at an early stage.

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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

 continue to build on systems for planning and assessment, to help ensure that identified next steps in children's learning are clear and targeted  gain more detailed information from parents about children's learning when children first join the pre-school, to give a better awareness of their individual starting points.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector completed a joint observation and held meetings at an appropriate time with the manager/nominated person.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documents and sampled welfare records.  The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability checks and the qualifications of practitioners working with children, and reviewed the provider's self-evaluation document.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection, the provider's self-evaluation, and engaged in discussions with staff and children at appropriate times.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The management team has completed accurate evaluations of the pre-school to help identify and address weaker areas of practice. Senior staff provide good levels of support and guidance to help raise standards. A clear programme of professional development and frequent opportunities to share skills and ideas help to ensure that all staff have a good understanding of how children learn and how to extend children's learning further. Safeguarding is effective. Staff are well trained and have a clear understanding of their responsibilities. For example, staff record and monitor concerns about children's welfare closely, and they follow up with the appropriate agencies to help ensure children are safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have made many positive changes to the layout of resources, use of space and the organisation of the daily routine to improve children's learning. Children are able to organise their own play and extend their learning. For example, when they found a spider's web outdoors, they chose to take a photograph and then decided to paint a picture. Staff identify this information on planning, ensuring that future activities reflect children's interests. Staff have recently attended training on storytelling and they use these skills well to improve the quality of these sessions. For example, older children act out lines from the story as they huff and puff, and add new characters to replace familiar ones. Children experiment using natural materials to find out if houses made of sticks or bricks are stronger, and they estimate the number of bricks they may need, using the storyline in their extended play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff continually praise children and widely acknowledge and celebrate their helpfulness and achievements, such as through star charts. This approach encourages children to try hard and to persevere, and helps them to feel proud. The key-person system is used particularly well to help children form strong attachments with familiar staff and to settle well. Relationships between children and adults are good. Staff work in partnership with others involved in children's care and learning, to help ensure consistency. Staff provide a safe environment and involve children in helping them to check the safety of play areas.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress and develop skills that prepare them well for the next stage in their learning. Immediately on arrival they get involved in an activity of their choice, demonstrating their motivation to learn. Children are well behaved, polite and use good manners. They understand boundaries and expectations and are busy and challenged in their play. Children develop good language and literacy skills. They are keen and confident to speak and frequently use writing in their play, such as when they pretend to take food orders in the mud kitchen.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY280020 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1031380 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 - 4 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 43 Name of registered person Alderholt Sunbeams and Supertots Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 20 October 2015 Telephone number 01425 656382

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reference number

Alderholt Sunbeams Pre-School is run by a voluntary management committee. The pre- school opened in 1967 and operates from its own building which is situated in the grounds of St James CE (VC) First School in the village Alderholt in Dorset. It opens Monday to Friday from 7.45am until 6pm all year round except for a week in August and Christmas week. The setting employs 12 staff. The manager has early years professional status, and eight staff hold early years qualifications to level 3. One member of staff is qualified to level 2 and two members of staff are currently working towards a qualification. The pre- school receives funding for the provision of free nursery education for children aged two, three and four years.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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