Ambleside Centre

Ambleside Centre The Ambleside Centre, Ambleside Close, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4JJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 July 2017 15 May 2014

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The headteacher is highly qualified and continues to extend and share her knowledge and skills. She is particularly effective in giving individual parents, families, staff and other professionals from the local community opportunities to raise outcomes for the children. For instance, she organises stay-and-play sessions, training and workshops.  Skilled staff use a range of small-group sessions very effectively to target specific skills and next steps in learning for each child. For example, they use brief key-group sessions to nurture children's self-confidence and relationships. Staff use various language groups to raise children's skills in listening and speaking, while other sessions prepare children for moves to pre-school.  Staff are highly effective in working in partnership with parents, linked professionals and other local settings. They are extremely good at increasing children's emotional

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This provision is outstanding

well-being and educational outcomes.  Children are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their learning at the adjacent or other local pre-schools. Children are self-assured and ready for change.  Parents say the care children receive is 'phenomenal'. Staff quickly understand children's individual needs and personalities. They value and learn from children's parents and easily share their observations and expertise with parents. Continuity in children's care, welfare and learning is outstanding.

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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

 refine the arrangements to share information about children's progress with their parents to make the process as efficient as possible.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed, listened to and talked with children as they played indoors and during outdoor play.  The inspector talked with parents and listened to their views about the nursery and their children's progress.  The inspector looked at children's records, discussed the planning and evaluation of activities, and how the staff exchange information with parents.  The inspector reviewed records and procedures relating to safeguarding and risk assessment, and discussed a range of other procedures relating to children's welfare with the headteacher.  The inspector observed care routines and completed a joint observation with the headteacher. Together they discussed how staff training had contributed to children's learning and development.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The headteacher quickly engages parents and equips them with any additional knowledge and skills they need to help their children flourish at the nursery. She excels in raising outcomes for children who are vulnerable, including those with delayed language skills. The headteacher consults widely to identify and make improvements to children's care and learning at the nursery. She has ambitious plans to further develop the already excellent assessments and information sharing. However, she does not evaluate how well the sharing of information about children's progress meets parents' expectations. Safeguarding is effective. The headteacher ensures that all staff know how to respond appropriately to any child protection concerns. She checks that staff follow clear policies and daily procedures to keep children safe and healthy.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff know and assess the children's interests and skills extremely well. They create diverse learning environments that inspire children's curiosity to explore, experiment and learn. Observant, highly skilled staff catch and expand children's enthusiasm for new subjects. For example, staff build on children's fascination for home-grown, freshly picked cucumbers, which children examine, chop and eat for a snack. Staff show children how to use a computer tablet to research and locate videos of cucumbers growing; from planting seeds to harvesting. Toddlers wonder at the life cycle, link it with their own experiences of planting and take an added interest in choosing healthy foods to eat.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff place the highest priority on settling children into the nursery at a pace that suits their individual needs. They work exceptionally sensitively with families to understand and adapt care to address their priorities. The headteacher monitors every aspect of children's care and progress personally. For example, she joins home visits and has worked to provide equipment to help keep children safe as families walk to the nursery. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and consistently model positive approaches to resolving minor conflicts and interacting kindly with each other. Young children try to work problems out nicely together and begin to form good friendships.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make excellent progress at the nursery. For example, children who lack confidence grow in self-esteem and children with poor language skills become effective communicators. Children learning to speak more than one language make significant gains. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress with a clearly defined and evaluated package of support. Children develop excellent levels of independence as they tidy away, clean up and prepare themselves for new activities. They show respect for their friends and teachers and greet them warmly.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY284428 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 1068703 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 3 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 62 Name of registered person The Ambleside Centre Governing Body

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 15 May 2014 Telephone number 0118 377 6444

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reference number

The Ambleside Centre registered in 2004. The centre is situated in Woodley, near Reading, Berkshire. The Ambleside Centre includes Pastures nursery which is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, for 48 weeks of the year. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two and three years. There are 12 staff and four apprentices working directly with the children; of these, 10 hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 and above. Three members of staff are qualified at level 6 or 7 and hold qualified teacher status. The centre also employs an administrator and domestic staff.

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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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