Thurlton Pre School

Thurlton Pre School Thurlton Village Hall, Beccles Road, Thurlton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 6AJ

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 March 2018 6 June 2017

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is consistently good. All children make good progress in their learning. The support for older children is outstanding and they are very well prepared to start school. For example, they are highly motivated learners who interact very well with their friends.  Children enjoy a wide range of learning experiences. They enthusiastically play in the sandpit with staff, who help them to count how many sandcastles they have made.  Children behave well at the pre-school. Overall, they are very kind to their friends and listen to the caring staff, who help them to understand and follow the rules.  Parents are highly involved in their child's learning. They are encouraged to share lots of information about what their child can do and activities they enjoy at home. Staff give parents detailed ideas about how they can continue their child's learning at home.  Staff make the most of their community links to support children's learning and well-

p.1

This provision is good

being. For example, children enjoy visits from the 'reading dog' from the local school, which regularly visits the pre-school with her owner.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 On a few occasions, teaching for younger children is not as highly focused on their emotional development, for example, for those who are new to the pre-school and need additional support to communicate how they are feeling.  The manager's evaluation of the quality of the provision is not always incisive, to support all staff to consistently develop their practice to the very highest level.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 strengthen the support for younger children to be even more precisely focused on their individual needs  enhance the evaluation of the provision and staff knowledge and skills even further, to inform more highly focused professional development.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching practices indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact these have on children's learning.  The inspector held discussions with the chairperson, manager, staff, children and parents. She spoke with the headteacher of the local school to gain her views.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager and held discussions about the quality of teaching and learning.  The inspector viewed children's development information and records.  The inspector read some of the pre-school's documentation, including the safeguarding policy and procedures.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The committee and manager have worked hard to address the action and recommendations raised at the last inspection. The chairperson has attended training to strengthen her knowledge of her role and responsibilities. All the required information has been given to Ofsted to enable it to carry out the relevant suitability checks on committee members. The staff work well together. The enthusiastic manager is a good role model and encourages staff to share ideas, for example, during their regular meetings. Staff carry out detailed assessments of children's progress and use this information to plan focused next steps for their learning. They identify any gaps in children's knowledge and put plans in place to help them catch up.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff give careful thought to how they plan the pre-school environment and set up learning activities. For example, they create an 'art area' where children choose their own materials. Children show high levels of independence. They choose the paint they would like to use to make pictures and spontaneously explore what happens when they mix colours together. Staff support children to develop strength in their hands to help them gain the control they need to learn how to write. An example of this is when children mould play dough and use it to stick together small wooden bricks. They carefully use a spirit level to check that the walls of their building are straight. Children use their imagination well and work together with their friends to build a 'house'. Staff thoughtfully comment on what the children do and ask well-thought-out questions. Children show good thinking skills and are proud of their work.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Overall, children develop secure bonds with their key person and the small staff team. Staff provide good support for children's physical development. When children are ready, staff work well with their parents to provide good support and guidance for potty training. Staff give children lots of opportunities to develop their self-confidence. For instance, children carefully set out cups and plates for their snack in the 'manners cafe', and count that they have enough. Older children are very well prepared for their move on to school. The regularly visit the local school to get used to the environment, teachers and routines, such as attending a lunchtime session.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Children are developing the skills they require for the next stage in their learning. Younger children choose their fruit for snack and spread their own toast. Older children show an excellent understanding of sounds in words. They quickly identify objects beginning with the same letter in their 'sound bags'. Children show high levels of confidence as they make decisions and use numbers in their play.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 254321 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 1100531 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 20 Number of children on roll 17 Name of registered person Thurlton Pre-School Committee

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 6 June 2017 Telephone number 01508 548 342

p.4

reference number

Thurlton Pre School registered in 1992. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays during term time. Sessions last from 9am until 3.30pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

reference number

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

p.5