The Mulberry Bush Pre- School

The Mulberry Bush Pre- School Fernside Avenue, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD5 8PQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 January 2017 17 October 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

 The manager is an excellent role model. The team members are hard-working and dedicated to their role. The manager and staff evaluate all aspects of their pre-school and welcome parents views.  The team is well qualified and experienced in supporting vulnerable families. Successful relationships with other professionals and agencies ensure that all children, including those who have special educational needs or disabilities, get the additional support they require.  Children's emotional well-being is paramount to the pre-school. Children are extremely happy and secure. They show high levels of motivation and confidence within their environment. They have formed strong attachments to their key person.  Teaching is consistently strong and some is outstanding. Staff eagerly join in children's play and support their learning. Skilful interactions, clear explanations and excellent questioning support children to make very good progress in their language

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always meet the needs of all children when delivering group times. The size of the group can be too large, which occasionally results in some children becoming restless and wandering off.  Management's monitoring of children's progress is not always rigorous enough to analyse the progress made by different groups of children.

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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

 review how group times are organised so that the needs of all the children are fully catered for  focus more precisely on comparing the progress made by different groups of children to increase the potential for them to achieve at the highest possible level.

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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 completed a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the pre-school's self-evaluation and action plans.  The inspector checked the qualifications and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

All staff ensure the statutory welfare requirements are consistently applied. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff fully understand the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child's welfare. The manager observes staff practice in order to discuss strengths and areas for improvement during supervision sessions. Together they identify targets and possible training opportunities to enhance staff knowledge and strengthen individual teaching skills. Furthermore, the manager recognises the strengths of each practitioner and utilises these well to continue to motivate staff and enhance children's learning even more. The pre-school has a well-qualified team that has been established for over ten years.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Child-led play is at the heart of this provision. Children are given the time, freedom and flexibility to initiate their own play. They are engrossed in the activities they choose for a significant period of time. Staff instinctively engage and expertly challenge children as they play. They are superb at weaving in opportunities for children to develop their mathematical understanding. For example, during a play dough activity staff introduce a set of scales. They encourage children to test out their thoughts and prompt thinking by asking, 'How do you know that it is balanced?' and 'Which one do you think might be heavier?' Children are truly active learners and thrive in an environment which provides endless opportunities for learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children flourish, as time spent getting to know them initially enables staff to form warm and caring relationships. Effective settling-in procedures and detailed discussions with parents allow staff to identify if any early support is needed. This means that staff can plan for any extra support the child might need. Children's needs are fully met from the start. Children develop an excellent understanding of how to stay safe and are given plenty of opportunities to manage risks. For example, children work together to carefully carry logs and manoeuvre these around the uneven terrain. They are reminded also of the need to drag their sticks, so they don't poke someone in the eye. Children are learning about the importance of personal hygiene routines and developing self-help skills. These opportunities help children to start to understand about healthy lifestyles.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in their learning given their starting points. They fully immerse themselves into their chosen activities. Children are learning early literacy skills as they begin to recognise their own name and practise their early writing skills using chalk outside. They learn early design skills as they plan what they would like to make. Children look at pictures and then choose what they want to make, draw this on paper and then use the materials to bring it to life. All children are developing a real thirst for learning that helps prepare them their next steps, such as school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 311296 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 1063999 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 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 42 Name of registered person Monica Jane Wells

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 17 October 2013 Telephone number 07979 485816

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reference number

The Mulberry Bush Pre-school was registered in 1993. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3, including one member of staff who has qualified teacher status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Thursday 7.30 to 6pm and Friday from 7.30 to 3.15pm term time only. The preschool provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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

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

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