Dodleston Pre-School

Dodleston Pre-School Village Hall, Pulford Lane, Dodleston, CHESTER, CH4 9NN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 March 2018 23 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 new manager's self-evaluation is accurate. She has taken carefully planned and well-executed steps to enhance the quality of the pre-school. Leaders seek the views of staff, parents and children to help develop their action plans.  The quality of teaching is good. All staff demonstrate a good level of understanding of how children learn. Staff carefully and successfully follow children's individual interests as they challenge children and build on their next steps in learning.  Children's behaviour is good. Staff are positive role models for children and help them to understand how to manage their emotions and play alongside others.  All children are progressing well from their individual starting points. Leaders make good use of additional funding to help children catch up with their peers and enjoy learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Leaders do not make the very best use of the supervision of staff to develop their teaching skills to the highest possible level.  Staff have not fully considered all of the ways that they can enhance parental involvement in all aspects of children's learning and development.

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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

 make better use of the supervision of staff to develop the quality of teaching to the highest possible level  enhance the existing arrangements for working with parents to involve them in all aspects of children's learning and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the areas of the premises used for childcare purposes.  The inspector spoke with parents and reviewed their written feedback.  The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. She reviewed and discussed children's records.  The inspector observed practice in the indoor and outdoor areas. She completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a leadership meeting to discuss the pre-school's self-evaluation and review evidence of staff's suitability and qualifications.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Leaders and staff have a good understanding of their responsibility to identify, monitor and report concerns relating to children's welfare. Leaders have implemented robust recruitment procedures to assess and verify the suitability of staff. Parents provide positive feedback about the quality of the pre-school. They feel that the child-led approach staff take to learning is particularly effective in supporting their children's enjoyment and progress. Staff are suitably qualified and benefit from some professional development opportunities. For example, the staff team has undertaken training to refresh their knowledge of current safeguarding practices and wider child protection issues.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff's teaching skills are good. Their new planning system focuses more sharply on individual children's interests and their self-chosen play. Staff observe and assess children's progress regularly. They make good use of this information to challenge children and support them as they work towards their next steps. Children enjoy playing outdoors. Staff enable them to construct a den, which they learn to use to shelter from the rain. Staff help children to learn more about the natural world. For example, staff help children to carefully handle a worm, and discuss where they come from and what they eat. Staff extend children's interests and help them to find solutions to problems. For instance, staff help children to measure the height of a tower using a ruler. They discuss how to make this bigger, and use play dough to help the blocks stick together.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children have good relationships with staff. Children enter the pre-school happily and most children separate easily from their parents. Staff successfully draw children into play and activities. Staff manage the pre-school's routine well. Children know it is time to start tidying up when they are called to the carpet and fully cooperate with this routine. Staff use praise well. This helps to promote children's self-confidence. Children enjoy sitting together and socialising during snack time. Staff provide fresh, healthy snacks for children and encourage them to follow hygiene routines. Staff have created an interesting and stimulating indoor and outdoor learning environment. Children can independently access a wide variety of resources and play with them how and where they like.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are developing a range of skills that supports their readiness for school. Older children, for example, learn to think critically and make predictions. For example, they enjoy conducting experiments with staff and guess what will happen next when they put folded pieces of paper into a water tray. Children use written letters and symbols for a purpose, as they label their work or create 'closed' signs for a puppet show. Older children also show a good awareness of number, and can correctly count and match quantities of objects to written numerals.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 305044 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 1090594 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 27 Name of registered person Dodleston Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 23 March 2015 Telephone number 07938465435 or 01244 661611

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reference number

Dodleston Pre-School opened in 1981. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. The pre- school operates on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9am until 3.15pm. On a Wednesday the pre-school operates from 9am until 1pm. The pre-school is open in term time only and is in receipt of funding to offer free early education for two-, 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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