Almonds Pre-school

Almonds Pre-school Bromham Village Hall, Village Road, BROMHAM, Bedfordshire, MK43 8JP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 November 2016 11 September 2012

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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 confidently implement effective teaching methods. They carefully observe children and use this information to inform activity planning. Children participate in a wide variety of stimulating activities that supports the development of their skills and knowledge in readiness for school.  Managers have developed very practical procedures to monitor children's progress, enabling them to quickly address any weaker areas. They now offer children further resources that support them in using and understanding information and communication technology.  Staff act as good role models to children and help them to appreciate and respect one another. Children develop good social skills and understand how to communicate and express their thoughts and ideas appropriately.  Managers support staff in attending training and putting their new knowledge into practice. For example, staff now make good use of cosy seating areas and dens as one

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This provision is good

of the ways they encourage children to sit and talk or look at books.  Improved procedures enable parents to share information with staff about their children's abilities and ongoing development. Staff offer parents information about the activity planning and ideas to build on this and extend their children's learning at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always offer as many outdoor learning opportunities, in order to fully extend the development of children who prefer to learn in this environment.  Staff do not consistently work as effectively as possible with other childcare settings that children attend to ensure that children's development is always fully promoted.

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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

 enhance the use of the outdoor area to offer children who prefer to learn outside further play and learning opportunities  build on the opportunities to work more effectively in partnership with other childcare settings that children attend.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector talked with staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. She completed a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school's deputy manager, who was acting as the representative of the owner. She looked at relevant documentation, discussed the pre-school's self-evaluation and saw evidence of the suitability of staff.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views. She also viewed written feedback from parents.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Managers make good use of their qualifications to inform their work and offer staff effective supervision. Improved self-evaluation procedures ensure that staff consistently review children's needs and make relevant improvements. The introduction of visual timetables helps to reassure children as they understand the routine. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff keep up to date with local procedures and any changes to national guidance. They keep clear records and understand the process for reporting any concerns about children's welfare. All accidents are appropriately recorded and risk assessments are regularly reviewed, contributing to children's safety.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff make good use of their assessments of children to plan activities that promote their development. They use children's interests as one of the ways of extending their learning. For example, children develop their language skills and understanding as they use interactive toys that depict their favourite television characters. Staff talk with children about their activities and use questions as a way of encouraging them to solve problems. For example, a staff member asks how the children used green paint when this is not in the palettes. The children eagerly describe how they mix the paints to create other colours. Staff use creative methods to encourage children to make marks and start to write. One example of this is an activity where children experiment by painting with feathers and twigs. Staff observe children and interact with them to help build their knowledge. For example, children and staff discuss a world map. They name countries and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

landmarks and talk about the different climates.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff work closely with parents in order to understand the needs of each child. Children respond to their caring approach and quickly build secure bonds with their key person and other staff. Children enjoy many activities, such as regular music and movement sessions, that support their physical development. Staff diligently observe children and offer them lots of praise and encouragement. Children enjoy talking about their work and eagerly celebrate their own achievements and those of their peers. This helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence, enabling them to develop positive emotional attitudes to daily learning and challenges. Staff support children in developing a practical understanding of safety. For example, children playing with role play building equipment competently explain why they need to wear hard hats and safety goggles.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children are making good progress. Staff support children well, helping them to develop the skills that underpin their learning and prepare them for school. Children enjoy participating in discussions. For example, they bring in photographs from home and talk about their different traditions. This supports them in understanding differences and in learning new vocabulary. Opportunities such as these also support children who speak English as an additional language and they move on to make good progress in developing their language skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 219184 Local authority Bedford Borough Inspection number 1059435 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 66 Number of children on roll 47 Name of registered person Janis Pamela Russell

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 September 2012 Telephone number 07729 583 331

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reference number

Almonds Pre-school opened in 1966. The pre-school employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and seven hold qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until midday, with the option of a lunch club until 1pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. They provide care for children who speak English as an additional language.

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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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