The Old School Children's Centre

The Old School Children's Centre Church Hill, Whitchurch, TAVISTOCK, Devon, PL19 9ED

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 August 2017 27 October 2014

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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 ensures the learning environment provides a varied range of exciting opportunities that children enjoy. Resources are located easily, so all children can make independent play choices to extend their interests and develop new ones.  Staff are good role models for children. They interact positively with each other and form close bonds with children, helping them to feel safe and secure.  The manager monitors children's progress effectively. She completes regular analysis of children's development to help quickly identify and support any gaps. Children make good progress.  Since the last inspection, the team has made good improvements. Staff provide a greater range of opportunities for children to be creative in their learning. For example, older children mix vinegar and soda to re-create 'volcanic explosions'.  Self-evaluation is accurate. The management team seeks the views of staff, parents

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This provision is good

and children to contribute to improvement plans that positively support good outcomes for children. For example, there are clear plans to help staff extend children's communication skills even further.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not build on children's understanding of healthy eating to ensure they eat a variety of nutritious foods at lunch.  There are few opportunities for children to explore different cultures and people in their free play and learning.

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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

 build on opportunities to extend children's understanding of healthy eating  increase experiences for children to learn about different cultures and people during their everyday play and learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children playing in different spaces, with staff and other children.  The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and nominated person to discuss how the setting is organised.  The inspector sampled a range of documents, including children's learning records, policies and training records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff know how to identify and report any concerns they have about children's safety and welfare. They complete ongoing training to develop their knowledge and teaching skills. For example, recent training identified more ways to encourage children's early writing in the outdoors. The management team follows effective recruitment procedures. It ensures new staff are suitable to work with children through completing appropriate vetting checks. The manager provides ongoing support to staff and monitors their individual practice well. Together, they identify potential training to benefit and extend teaching standards across the nursery. Staff share their knowledge and skills during meetings. They work together well to find ways to extend opportunities for children, such as adapting spaces for more play opportunities.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff across the nursery use a range of techniques to support children's learning. For example, staff working with the youngest children describe what children do as they play, which helps children to develop their communication and vocabulary. Staff working with the older children pose challenging questions to help children think independently. For example, they ask them to think about what equipment they may need to make a 'fire engine'. Children in the younger age group make sense of their world and experiences through their play. For example, children learn self-care skills as they dress dolls.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff exchange a variety of information with parents to help provide consistent care and learning arrangements. For example, supporting children's emotional development through managing behaviour positively. Children are sociable and behave well. They interact well with others as they play, take turns and form good friendships. Staff regularly praise children. Their encouragement helps children to build positive self-esteem and be motivated to learn. Children are energetic and enjoy playing in different environments, such as outdoors. They develop their understanding of nature and how things change. For example, as they play imaginatively in a mud kitchen, they talk about mixing ingredients to make a cake.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children enjoy a range of activities that extends their skills across all areas of learning. They learn to express themselves successfully, such as dancing, and older children enthusiastically move pretending to be dinosaurs. Children develop very strong physical skills. Younger ones who are learning to walk strengthen their muscles well as they stand with the support of staff. Older children move confidently between the inside and outside spaces, climbing on apparatus and using slides. Children build very early writing skills, such as using a range of equipment to make marks. For example, the youngest children use sponges and water to make patterns and older ones confidently use pencils to draw on paper. Children prepare well for their next stages in learning and eventual move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY422875 Local authority Devon Inspection number 1071366 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 0 - 8 Total number of places 53 Number of children on roll 83 Name of registered person Lesley Griffiths, Natasha Weake & Abigail Gardiner Partnership

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 27 October 2014 Telephone number 01822612362

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reference number

The Old School Children's Centre registered in 2014. It is located in Tavistock, Devon. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am until 6pm, 51 weeks of the year. There are 22 members of staff, most of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification. Three staff, including the manager, hold qualified teacher status. One member of staff is qualified to level 5, one to level 4, 13 to level 3 and one to level 2. Three are unqualified, including a cleaner and a maintenance man. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, 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

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

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