Dartmouth Pre-School

Dartmouth Pre-School South Ford Road, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 9QS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 June 2018 6 March 2015

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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

 Staff do not routinely support children's learning well enough and do not always link planned activities closely to each child's development. Activities do not consistently provide good challenge to help all children make as much progress as they could.  The manager does not monitor staff practice effectively and the quality of teaching is variable. Staff do not routinely manage children's behaviour well, extend their literacy development, and promote children's creativity during craft activities.  The manager does not share what she knows about the children with other settings they attend early on, to help children receive more consistent care and settle in quickly.  Self-evaluation processes have not been successful in targeting areas for development quickly, to maintain good outcomes for children.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are friendly and get to know the children well. Children build positive relationships with staff and other children, and arrive confidently and happily.  The manager and staff observe and assess children accurately. The manager monitors the children's steady progress appropriately and uses this information to enhance the learning environment. For example, she has added more writing utensils to different play areas, to interest and encourage the boys more to draw and make marks.  Partnerships with parents are effective, to keep them informed of their 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 staff routinely use information about what individual children know and can do, to help them plan challenging activities that extend each child's learning 08/08/2018

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Due Date

 improve the monitoring of staff practice to coach all staff to use more-effective behaviour management strategies and to provide better support for children's literacy development. 08/08/2018

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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

 develop closer links with other settings that children attend from the start, to provide greater consistency in children's care and learning  provide more opportunities for children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively during craft activities, to enable them to follow their own ideas  develop self-evaluation processes to reflect on the quality of teaching and learning more thoroughly, and take prompt action to target areas for improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed several adult-led activities and children's interactions with staff during their self-chosen play.  The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager, to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning during planned activities.  The inspector spoke with children, parents and staff throughout the inspection, to take account of their views.  The inspector held meetings with the manager at their convenience during the inspection.  The inspector sampled a range of documents, including children's learning records, staff and committee's suitability checks, and risk assessments.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The manager has ideas to develop the play areas and has made some changes. However, self-evaluation is not fully effective. For example, she has not identified that new committee members have not followed the correct process to notify Ofsted of their connection with the pre-school. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding issues and what to do if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. The manager does not effectively monitor the use of behaviour management strategies or the quality of teaching, to develop staff practice and improve outcomes for children further. For instance, staff do not routinely support children's early writing skills well, to inspire them to make specific marks with more control and help the older children to write their name. Staff receive some opportunities to develop their skills, such as through training, which has helped them to consider what toys to put out. Play

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

spaces are attractive and motivate children to explore the available toys.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The quality of teaching is inconsistent and does not help children to make as much progress as they are capable. Activities do not always provide the necessary challenge for children, to build on what they know. As a result, children sometimes find the activities too easy or too difficult, and move on to find something else to do. Staff clearly model language for children and frequently engage in detailed discussion with them. Children are confident communicators, and learn to count and recognise simple shapes. Staff do not always encourage children to be creative, to design and make things using their own ideas. For instance, during a craft activity, children's only choice is the colour of paper with which they decorate turtle shells. Links with other settings are not fully effective, to share information about children from the start and support complementary experiences.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Weaknesses in teaching mean that staff do not always support children well enough to become highly motivated learners. For example, staff do not recognise when children lose interest in a story, and they proceed to read a second book. As a result, some children become bored and distracted. Staff do not routinely use positive strategies to help children understand the boundaries. For instance, at times, they give children mixed messages and do not follow up when children behave inappropriately. Staff promote children's welfare and meet their individual care needs effectively. They are playful and enthusiastically join in with games, to the children's delight and amusement.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children do not consistently receive sufficient challenge from staff to help them make as much progress in their learning as they could. Children acquire some basic skills for their future learning, including school. They confidently 'have a go' at managing their self-care needs, such as putting on and taking off aprons, and washing their hands. Children develop control and coordination, for example, when rolling and shaping play dough.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 106107 Local authority Devon Inspection number 1088971 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 12 Number of children on roll 18 Name of registered person Dartmouth Pre-school Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 6 March 2015 Telephone number 01803 834449

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reference number

Dartmouth Pre-School opened in 1961 and registered in 1992. It operates from an old Victorian school hall in the heart of Dartmouth, Devon. The pre-school is open between 9am and 3pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and between 9am and 12.30pm on Thursday, during term time. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are five members of staff, four of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to level 2 or 3.

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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

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

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