Castle Gardens Pre-school

Castle Gardens Pre-school The Lambert Rooms, Mount Pleasant, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1SJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 May 2017 24 March 2015

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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 and staff are qualified and experienced. They have a clear understanding of the learning and development requirements and implement these effectively.  Children have fun at the small and friendly pre-school. They form firm bonds with the staff who help them to feel valued members of the group and to grow in confidence. They enjoy a variety of interesting and worthwhile activities and are keen learners.  Staff accurately monitor children's development. They tailor activities so that every child makes good progress, including those at risk of falling behind and the most able.  Staff teach the basics well. Children learn to play with others and manage their feelings. They are physically very able. A clear focus on developing children's speaking and listening skills has helped those at risk of falling behind.  Staff work closely with parents, sharing information and keeping them well informed of

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This provision is good

their children's progress. Staff provide helpful advice and activities, such as lending story books, enabling parents to better support their children's learning and development at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 At times, staff are not as effective as they could be in supporting children to develop their own play and ideas.  Staff, sometimes, jump in too soon with an answer or their own views without giving children enough time to think and express their own thoughts.

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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 teaching skills to enable staff to support children more effectively in pursuing their own ideas and following their own interests through their self-chosen activities  give children time to think about what they want to say and put their thoughts into words.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this had on children's learning.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as evidence of the suitability of staff, the pre-school's self-evaluation and children's records.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector held discussions with the management team, including safeguarding arrangements, monitoring the quality of the provision and plans for improvement.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager has ensured that she and her staff are fully trained in safeguarding procedures and first aid. They take care to ensure other adults using the premises do not have unsupervised access to the children. Safeguarding is effective. The manager regularly monitors the quality of teaching and ensures that staff receive appropriate training. She reflects critically on her practice and welcomes parents' views to help make improvements, such as discussing children's progress more frequently with them. Staff work effectively with other professionals to benefit children, such as establishing firm links with the local school and following the advice of speech and language therapists.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff interact very well with the children. They help them make links in their learning, such as understanding the dry weather means they need to water the garden. They observe change, for example, noticing how pastry is soft and squidgy as they knead it and hard when it is cooked. Staff know the children extremely well and use their current fascinations to motivate and excite children to learn. For example, staff display a dinosaur poster near model dinosaurs. Children talk excitedly about this and find models to match the pictures. They keenly share their knowledge of volcanoes and compare the different dinosaurs. A member of staff finds them a detailed picture book and they spend a long time talking about this, using new words, such as skeleton.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children show a real sense of belonging as they greet friends and staff cheerfully. They are happy and form strong relationships. They understand what is expected of them as staff reinforce boundaries consistently. Staff praise children's efforts, so they gain confidence and feel good about themselves. Staff encourage children to take some responsibility, such as dressing for outdoor play and attending to their own personal needs. Staff give children clear messages about the importance of healthy lifestyles and they learn more through activities, such as growing vegetables. They play energetically every day in the pre-school garden. This provides excellent opportunities for children to manage risks, for example, as they run gleefully down the grassy slope.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are helpful, kind and follow instructions. They become familiar with some of the daily routines they will experience at school, such as managing their own belongings. They keenly express their ideas and listen to others. During routines and activities, they count, identify shapes and solve simple sums. They demonstrate great control of their movements, including making marks with various tools, preparing them well for writing. They enjoy books and begin to hear sounds in words and link them to letters.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 145841 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 1089716 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 3 - 5 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 10 Name of registered person Castle Gardens Pre-School

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 24 March 2015 Telephone number 07759 929 588

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reference number

Castle Gardens Pre-school registered in 2001. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during school terms. Sessions are from 8.50am until 11.50am. Two members of staff work with the children. They hold early years qualifications at level 5 and 3. The pre- school provides funded early education for 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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