Apple Tree Pre-School

Apple Tree Pre-School Deers Lodge Scout Hut Deerhurst, Soundwell, Bristol, BS15 1XH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 May 2018 3 November 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

 Children build strong relationships with staff as there is an effective key-person system. This helps support children's personal, social and emotional needs well.  Leaders give good guidance and support to staff. Staff work well as a team. For example, regular team meetings and one-to-one discussions help them in their role and improve practice.  Effective self-evaluation enables the manager to prioritise improvements and this helps to ensure good-quality care and learning for children. They seek the views of parents and children, and these help to inform plans for the changes they need to make.  Staff are good role models of communication for children. They extend children's vocabularies well and use effective skills to enhance their language. For example, they use sign language and visuals alongside speech. This is helping children to be confident communicators.  Children are happy and have good levels of self-esteem. Staff promote clear

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This provision is good

expectations, which helps children behave well and interact kindly with others.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Although staff build good relationships with parents, they are not fully effective in helping parents extend their children's learning at home.  Staff do not consistently sharply tailor their teaching techniques during group activities to engage all children fully.

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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

 extend the partnership working with parents to engage them all even more effectively in working with staff to promote children's learning and development at home  ensure all children are fully engaged during group sessions by selecting suitable resources, taking into account their age, interest and level of understanding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager at appropriate times during the inspection and in a scheduled meeting.  The inspector observed children's activities and the staff's teaching, indoors and outdoors.  The inspector looked at documentation, including a sample of children's records, planning and assessment records, and checked the suitability of committee members and staff to work with children.  The inspector took account of the views of children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of the inspection, and the setting's self-evaluation.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The committee supports the manager and running of the pre-school well. The manager encourages staff to make the most of training opportunities so they can further improve children's learning. For example, following a course, staff cascade what they have learned to their colleagues and together they action plan to find ways to put ideas into practice through their teaching. The manager tracks the progress of all groups of children well, helping them all progress well from their starting point and ensuring any gaps in their development are quickly identified and targeted so they do not widen. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have good safeguarding knowledge and are clear about the procedures they must follow if they have child protection concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff know children well and use their observations and assessments to plan effectively for their interests and next steps. Children arrive keen to get involved in the stimulating range of activities available to them. Staff take opportunities as they arise to extend children's mathematical knowledge, for example, when exploring water they talk about the capacity in the containers. They extend children's interests and spontaneously extend their learning through good teaching. For instance, they recognise children's interest in watching what happens to water when it is poured into tubes, so they add coloured paint to the water, which children watch travel through with fascination. This supports their creative development. Staff provide a good range of opportunities to develop children's literacy skills in preparation for school. For example, they support them to write letters of their names and discuss the meaning of the marks they have made.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff promote good health. They ensure snacks are healthy and nutritious, and children independently follow good hygiene routines. For example, they know to wash their hands before they eat. Children have good opportunities to learn about the community. They regularly visit the neighbouring care home, engage in conversations with elderly residents and learn about their pet chickens. Staff use resources well to help children learn about the differences and similarities between themselves and others. Children are encouraged to do things for themselves, such as pour drinks and get dressed. This supports them well for the eventual move to school. Staff provide children with good opportunities to play outdoors and this helps children develop a good range of muscle skills, and builds on their knowledge and understanding of the natural world.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children learn good skills that prepare them well for the next stage in learning and eventual move to school. Children show a developing knowledge of phonics when they learn the letters in their name. All children, including those in receipt of early years pupil premium funding, make good progress in their development. Children enjoy a wide range of songs that they know well and sing with excitement. Children are motivated learners.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 135973 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 1127010 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 45 Name of registered person Apple Tree Pre-School, Kingswood Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 3 November 2015 Telephone number 01179568749

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reference number

Apple Tree Pre-School registered in 1995. It operates from the Scout Hall in Soundwell, Bristol. The group opens during term time only. Sessions run from Monday to Thursday from 9am to midday and from 12pm to 3pm. On Fridays, the group operates from 9am to midday. The pre-school is funded to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years old. There are seven members of staff working with the children; six of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 or above.

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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

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