Ducklings Pre-School

Ducklings Pre-School Methodist Church Hall, North Square, Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 4DX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 November 2016 12 February 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 Good 2

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress relative to their starting points. Staff effectively engage children's interests and encourage them to be inquisitive, active learners who are keen to take part in activities.  The management team successfully supports staff to provide good-quality outcomes for children. Thorough self-evaluation and monitoring of children's progress leads to effective action plans for improvement. This has resulted in regular visits to the library to develop children's interest in reading. Staff encourage this further by providing a good variety of books at the pre-school.  Children are well behaved and happy. Staff are good role models who support children well as they learn. Their positive and caring approach helps children to be confident, feel emotionally secure and have good self-esteem.  Staff have good relationships with parents, who are well informed about their children's progress and involved in their learning. Staff work effectively with other professionals,

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This provision is good

to ensure a shared approach to planning for children's future learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently use information from parents about what children can already do, to identify children's starting points to inform the initial planning of activities.  Children who prefer to learn outdoors have few opportunities to use their imaginations and extend their learning further.

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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 more effective use of information from parents about what their children can already do, to help identify children's starting points more promptly for planning activities  develop activities that encourage children to use their imaginations more, particularly for those who prefer to learn outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff involved in learning activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector had discussions with committee members, the manager, staff, parents and children.  The inspector and the manager discussed staff practice, and how they receive support to further develop their knowledge and skills.  The inspector reviewed systems used to monitor children's progress and discussed planning for individual children with staff.  The inspector sampled required documentation, including procedures to safeguard children, and talked to staff about their understanding of how to implement these.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The management team supports staff very well to develop their knowledge and skills and further extend children's learning. For example, following training, staff focused on more effectively involving children in making decisions, which has had a positive impact on learning. For example, children and staff together reviewed and improved the range of writing and mark-making resources available indoors and outdoors. All children, particularly boys, now independently write more frequently. Safeguarding is effective. The management team and staff have a good understanding of local safeguarding procedures. They are clear about how to follow these to protect children from harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff plan effectively to provide children with good levels of challenge that extend their learning very well. For example, they encouraged children searching for insects and bugs to mark these off on charts, to take photographs, look them up in books and count the numbers of each they found. Staff encouraged children to think about the different places they might find the bugs and why. For example, children searched near to webs because they knew spiders made these, and for snails under the flowerpots because they had found them there before. Staff communicate very well with children to challenge them further. For example, they encouraged children exploring a tray of natural materials to compare the textures and smells of different objects. For instance, they learnt that slices of orange and lime feel the same, but look and smell different.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children learn well about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy a good range of activities that encourages them to exercise. For example, they were very well coordinated as they made their way round an obstacle course, balancing and climbing under and over objects. Children are independent and enjoy responsibility such as helping to lay tables and clear away after their snack. They take care to recycle and know why this is important, talking about re-using packaging with which to make things.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children develop the skills they need to be well prepared for the next stage in their learning including going to school. They are socially confident and communicate very well with each other, cooperating effectively to achieve specific goals. For example, children worked very well together as they planned and built a den, deciding what resources they needed and how they would use them. Children regularly visit the village school so they are familiar with it when it is time to move on. They view photographs of the school and teachers on the computer and talk about these with staff, who answer their questions well, helping the children to feel confident about important changes.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 140990 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1061448 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 25 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Ducklings Pre-School Chickerell Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 12 February 2013 Telephone number 01305 766920

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reference number

Ducklings Pre-School registered in 1990. It is a committee-run group. It operates from a church hall in Chickerell Village, near Weymouth in Dorset. The setting is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm, during term time only. It provides free funded early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are five members of staff employed to work with children, who all have early years qualifications. The manager holds a level 4 qualification, three members of staff hold a level 3, and one holds a level 2 qualification.

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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

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reference number

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