Catkins Pre School

Catkins Pre School St. Catherines School, Davenwood, SWINDON, SN2 7LL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 June 2017 13 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 have a good understanding of how children develop. They provide a wide range of experiences and activities, and children are motivated to learn. All children make good progress from their initial starting points.  The manager and staff are good role models. They set clear boundaries and children demonstrate good behaviour and manners. Children know to share. They take turns, help with tasks and listen to each other carefully.  Partnerships with parents are good. The manager and staff use various strategies to engage parents, and share information about children's achievements. Parents praise all staff. They value the care and learning their children receive.  The manager provides good leadership for her staff. She evaluates the setting and recognises the strengths and any areas for further development. She has addressed the recommendations raised at the last inspection, to maintain children's good outcomes.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Sometimes, staff are too eager to provide answers to questions before giving children sufficient time to respond or to share their own ideas and experiences.  The manager does not use assessment information to check on the progress of different groups of children, to target teaching and ensure any gaps in learning are closing.

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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

 increase opportunities for children to share their own knowledge and ideas, and give them more time to respond to questions they are asked  use information from assessments more effectively to monitor the progress being made by different groups of children and target teaching even more precisely.

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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 sampled a range of documentation, including attendance records; staff suitability checks; the self-assessment information; children's observation, assessment and planning records; and documentation linked to managing children's progress.  The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection, and held meetings with the manager.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection, and from written parental feedback.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The manager and staff keep up to date with changes in legislation. They fully understand their responsibilities to respond to any concerns about a child's welfare. The manager follows rigorous recruitment and induction procedures to help ensure all staff are suitable for their roles. The manager regularly works alongside staff to support children's good outcomes. She holds one-to-one supervisory meetings, team meetings and appraisals with all staff to help evaluate the quality of their teaching. The manager and staff are well qualified and experienced. They update their skills and knowledge through targeted professional development opportunities. For example, staff's recent training was aligned with children's specific needs, and has enthused children even more in their mathematical learning. The manager works closely with a wide range of other professionals, to help support continuity in care.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff make regular observations and assessments of children's learning. They use this information to review and plan for children's future development. Overall, staff support children's language skills well. For example, they engage children in conversation and introduce new words, such as 'submerged' and 'floatation'. Staff encourage children to be imaginative and investigate different textures. For example, children collect earth and leaves to make 'pies' and 'soup'. They imaginatively negotiate waves with their tug boats and giggle when they send staff to jail. Staff support children's early reading skills well. For example, children develop an interest in books and enjoy listening to, and joining in with, storytelling sessions. Children sound out words from favourite books and find objects with the same initial sounds. Staff teach children about technology. Children use pretend telephones to call their friends and work together to take pictures on a camera.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children develop close relationships with their key person. They are happy and confident, and their key person and other staff support their emotional well-being well. Children develop good levels of independence. For example, they are encouraged to follow good hygiene routines and attend to their self-care needs. Staff teach children to adopt healthy lifestyles. For example, children discuss how healthy foods give them muscles. Children have regular access to fresh air. They learn to respect people's differences as they explore their own cultures and beliefs, and those of others.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children develop good skills in readiness for their eventual move to school. They are sociable, independent and inquisitive learners, and develop their early mathematical skills well. For example, they use simple addition and subtraction, and count, sort and match objects. Children develop their early writing skills well. For example, they practise writing their names and forming letters. They show pride in their achievements.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY397551 Local authority Swindon Inspection number 1094000 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 3 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 29 Name of registered person Catkins Preschool Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 March 2015 Telephone number 07586 353 207

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reference number

Catkins Pre School registered in 2009. It operates from within St Catherine's Primary School in Swindon, Wiltshire. The pre-school is open daily during term time only. Sessions are on Monday to Thursday from 8.45am to 3pm and on Friday from 8.45am to 1.45pm. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications between level 3 and level 6. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years.

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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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