Merchistoun Minnows

Merchistoun Minnows Merchistoun Hall, 106 Portsmouth Road, Horndean, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 9LJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 March 2018 14 July 2015

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Good 2

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Children's well-being is not consistently assured because first-aid requirements are not effectively met. The manager and trustees have not considered the setting layout or any contingency plans in the event that the first-aid qualified member of staff is not available.  The evaluation of the setting is not effective enough to identify actions that need to be taken to ensure children's welfare is met at all times.  Children are not encouraged to consistently develop their independence skills. Staff carry out tasks for older children that they could manage themselves.

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It has the following strengths

 Children enjoy their time at the setting. Staff are playful partners and children form strong bonds with them and each other. Children's emotional development is supported well.  Staff are positive role models for children, and children behave well. Children learn good manners and help each other as they play, for example, as they collaboratively build a train track.  Staff provide an inviting environment for children to play, explore and learn. There is a good variety of resources to help support children's learning and development.  Staff monitor children's progress regularly and quickly take action to close any gaps seen. Staff work well with others involved in children's care to provide consistency for children's learning.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure there are sufficient staff who hold a suitable paediatric first- aid qualification, taking into account the setting layout, to be able to respond quickly to any emergency. 22/04/2018

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 improve the methods used and the accuracy of evaluation to ensure that essential training, such as first aid, is not overlooked  encourage children to consistently manage simple tasks for themselves and support their developing independence skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed, listened to and spoke to staff and children as they played indoors and outdoors.  The inspector completed joint observations with the manager. Together they discussed how staff training and performance contributed to children's learning and development.  The inspector held meetings with the trustees and manager to discuss the vision for the future of the setting and raising children's outcomes.  The inspector spoke to parents available on the day of inspection.  The inspector sampled documentation, including staff suitability checks and children's records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. The trustees and manager ensure all staff are knowledgeable about child protection and how to promote children's welfare. They know what actions to take if they have any concerns. Staff keep their knowledge current, for example, by attending training courses. Staff recruitment follows a robust procedure. Induction and ongoing supervision are effective to help ensure staff practice is consistently good. At times, children visit the garden area without a first-aid qualified staff member, although the qualified first-aid staff member is usually available upstairs in the setting. Additionally, the impact is lessened as staff have recent previous knowledge of first aid. However, the manager has not considered any back-up plans if the first-aid qualified staff member is unavailable.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff know the children well. They work effectively with parents to support children's learning at home and in the setting. Staff make regular observations of what children can do and plan activities to extend children's learning. For example, children enjoy using tweezers to sort coloured toy bugs. This supports their hand-muscle development in readiness for later writing skills. Staff support children to effectively develop their mathematical skills. For instance, children compare sizes of dinosaurs and measure the lengths of their tails. Children have many opportunities to learn new words and explore their meaning, such as when talking about foggy weather rather than a cloudy day.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

The lack of sufficient staff with a suitable first-aid qualification means children's welfare cannot be assured at all times. However, staff do meet children's other needs well. For example, children enjoy nutritious snacks the staff provide and daily opportunities for energetic exercise outdoors. Children learn about the wider world, for example, when they visit local care homes. Staff support children's developing imagination well. For example, they follow children's lead as they create a farm, which develops into a dinosaur jungle and airport. Staff do not consistently support children's developing independence skills. For example, they do not encourage older children to fasten their own zips on their coats before going outdoors.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in their learning and development from their starting points and are ready to move on to school. They learn useful skills, such as how to play with their friends and ask for help when needed. Children learn about the sounds letters represent and to recognise their written name. This supports their early reading skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 110340 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1126575 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 Horndean Community Association Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 14 July 2015 Telephone number 023 92597114 Ext 26

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reference number

Merchistoun Minnows registered in 1998. It operates from Merchistoun Hall, in Horndean, Hampshire. The pre-school opens each weekday during school term time, from 9am to 3pm. It receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are five members of staff employed to work with the children, including the manager. Of these, one is a qualified teacher, two staff hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 and two staff hold relevant early years qualifications at level 2.

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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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