Charminster Preschool

Charminster Preschool St. Marys C of E VC First School, West Hill, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9RD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 January 2017 20 May 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 Outstanding 1

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This provision is good

 Staff know children very well and meet their individual needs superbly. Children form very strong attachments with staff and benefit enormously from the focused support for their social and emotional needs. They are very confident and happy, and eagerly join in with and initiate games and activities, showing an excellent attitude to learning.  The manager and staff assess children's development accurately to help them identify and target individual gaps in learning quickly. Children with developmental delays routinely receive carefully planned, effective support. All children make good progress.  The manager uses assessment information successfully to monitor the effectiveness of teaching and learning, and, overall, promptly implements plans to close any gaps in children's progress. For example, staff are currently focusing on developing children's skills and understanding with technology toys and equipment.

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This provision is good

 The manager continually evaluates the quality of the provision and successfully identifies how to deliver positive outcomes for children. This is helping her to look at how they can make children aware of the full range of available learning experiences.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasion, staff do not engage younger and less confident children effectively in discussion during group activities so they share their thoughts and ideas.  Staff do not consistently support children to practise their early writing skills and be more imaginative in their play.

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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

 provide more opportunities for younger and less confident children to share their thoughts and ideas during group activities  offer children more opportunities to practise their early writing skills and play imaginatively indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed the resources and the play areas, and observed interactions between children and staff.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with staff, children and parents during the inspection to gain their views.  The inspector had a meeting with the manager at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector sampled documentation, including children's learning records, staff suitability checks and training certificates, and accident records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a clear understanding of child protection issues and the action to take if they have concerns about a child's welfare. The manager ensures that new staff are suitable to care for children and clear about their responsibilities. She supports staff's ongoing professional development well. For example, she holds regular meetings with staff, regularly observes their practice, and encourages them to observe the practice of their colleagues. This has helped to strengthen their teaching skills and children's experiences. For instance, from observing others, staff have identified the need to slow down when talking to children to help them understand more. Through training, they have learnt about outdoor activities that support children's personal and emotional skills and teach them to consider and take risks in their play.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff are knowledgeable about the children. They carefully plan an interesting range of activities that build effectively on what children know and can do. For example, they encourage children to match sounds made by different musical instruments to support their listening and attention skills. Overall, staff skilfully support children to express themselves. For instance, staff use questions effectively to help children to think, and they teach them new words to extend their vocabulary. Partnerships with parents are successful. Staff routinely inform them about children's progress and proactively support parents to share information about children's learning at home.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children thrive in the very nurturing attachments they form with staff. They develop excellent social skills. For instance, children spontaneously help others and, with little support from staff, understand how to resolve occasional minor disputes themselves. Children's behaviour is excellent. They eagerly help staff with routine tasks and understand that other people have different ideas. For example, they learn to accept other children's views when voting to choose a story for staff to read. Staff help children very well to identify potential risks and consider their safety. For example, children take great care when climbing and understand how to build dens safely during adult-led outdoor activities.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are happy and independent learners. They show excellent confidence and perseverance to manage care tasks for themselves. They are motivated and eager to explore. Children acquire the skills they need for the next stage in their learning, including moving on to school. Children's mathematical development is particularly strong, for example, they recognise numerals and count in the correct sequence.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY337568 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1062008 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 34 Number of children on roll 46 Name of registered person Charminster Preschool Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 20 May 2013 Telephone number 07812 932 745 / 01305 251512

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reference number

Charminster Preschool re-registered in new premises on the site of St Mary's C of E VC First School in Charminster near Dorchester, Dorset in 2006. The pre-school operates five days a week during school term times from 9am to 3pm, also offering a breakfast club from 8am. It receives funding to provide free education for children aged three and four years. There are eight staff members employed, including the manager. Of these, seven hold a relevant qualification; two have early years professional status, one has a degree, and four hold qualifications between level 2 and level 4.

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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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