Squirrels Corner Pre- School

Squirrels Corner Pre- School Moorlands Community Centre, Townhill Way, West End, Southampton, SO18 3NU

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 May 2018 23 September 2015

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 staff know the children very well. They greet all children warmly and help them to settle quickly. Children grow in confidence quickly and enter the pre-school willingly. They happily engage in self-chosen activities and make good progress.  Leadership is strong. The management team and committee work very closely. They effectively monitor the provision and actively plan ways to make future improvements.  The manager carries out effective supervision with staff. She quickly identifies any training needs and encourages staff to expand their knowledge and skills.  Children have lots of fun during their time at pre-school. They choose from a wide range of stimulating activities. For instance, older children discover the life cycle of caterpillars and enjoy watching them turn into butterflies that they later release.  The manager and staff build strong partnerships with other professionals. This helps

p.1

This provision is good

staff to support consistently the development of children who attend other settings.  The manager and her team carry out observations of each other's practice. This enables them to reflect and build on their existing skills.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 At times, some younger children and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are not fully engaged during group times.  Occasionally, children's assessments are not fully accurate. As a result, planning is not always as effective as possible to support children's next stages of development fully.

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

 find ways to support all children's interests during group times to help them listen and focus more effectively  strengthen the systems used to ensure assessment and planning are consistently accurate.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector listened to the views of parents and considered these.  The inspector spoke to the management team and members of the committee.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector sampled relevant documentation, including training documents and policies, and looked at children's progress with staff.  The inspector observed staff interactions with children inside and outside.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff are vigilant in identifying signs that a child may be at risk. They refer their concerns in a timely manner. The manager and committee keep up to date with legislative changes and act swiftly to meet these requirements. Furthermore, staff have recently attended Local Authority training to promote building relationships with other professionals and liaised with other settings. The setting has made many improvements since its last inspection. It has strengthened links with parents, to share information about their children. Parents speak highly of the team and value the shared approach to support children's learning at home. Recruitment and induction procedures are effective and ensure staff ongoing suitability to work with the children.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Teaching is strong. Overall, all staff interact with children enthusiastically and encourage them to actively think for themselves. Children are encouraged to repeat familiar songs and phrases. This helps them to build their communication and language skills. Staff use lots of good questions and children share their thoughts and ideas regularly. Children are engaged in their imaginative play, as they pretend to cook with the wide range of resources available. Others use different containers to transfer water to different areas outside. Staff support children's physical development very well, for example, they provide many opportunities for children to move freely in the outside space and enjoy using ride- on cars. Older and younger children enjoy taking part in physically active groups that promote movement and rhyme.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children demonstrate good levels of consistent behaviour. They resolve conflicts and are learning to respect each other's feelings. Children feel safe in their surroundings and build strong bonds with staff. Children grow in confidence quickly and make good friendships. Staff are kind and patient, they include all children in their discussions and help children to keep safe. For instance, they encourage children to put on sun cream and talk about healthy food choices. Children learn skills that help them to prepare for their next stages of development. For instance, staff encourage all children to think about others and show care for one another. Children learn to be responsible for their actions.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

All children are happy and make good progress in readiness for school. This includes children who have SEN and/or disabilities and those for whom the provider receives additional funding. Children are keen to take part in activities that support their communication and language skills. They repeat familiar phrases and enjoy reading books. All children develop their independence skills, for example, they spread their own toppings on bread at snack time and clear their plates.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 131562 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 1126921 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 26 Number of children on roll 45 Name of registered person Squirrels Corner Pre-School Management Committee

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 23 September 2015 Telephone number 07808436313

p.4

reference number

Squirrels Corner Pre-School opened in 1991. It operates from Moorlands Community Centre in West End, Southampton. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9am to 3pm, during school term times. The pre-school provides free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are eight staff, seven of whom hold early years qualifications at level 3 or above.

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