The Links Primary School

Holway Community Pre-school Holway Primary School, Shakespeare Avenue, Taunton, Somerset TA1 2JA

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Inspection date 31 January 2019 Previous inspection date 24 February 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 2 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2 Outcomes for children Good 2

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This provision is good

n Children make good progress, relative to their starting points. Although some children are below expected developmental levels on entry in their speech and language, staff's good skills in promoting this area of learning help them to catch up and achieve. n Staff's highly effective relationships with other professionals and with parents help ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive very good support to help them achieve well. n Self-evaluation is thorough and helps the manager prioritise improvements that have the most positive impact on outcomes for children. For example, improving the quality of information gained from parents before children first attend means staff are more able to engage children in play from the start and they settle more quickly. n Children are confident and have good self-esteem. Their good relationships with each other and their close attachments to staff show they feel emotionally secure.

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This provision is good

n New committee members have not submitted information to Ofsted so their suitability can be checked, as required. However, the setting does not allow them to take up their role until confirmation of suitability is received from Ofsted, so safeguarding remains effective. n Some planned activities do not engage younger children effectively. For example, activities to teach children about letters and sounds are at times too complex for the younger children.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure there is a suitably robust process in place to make sure new committee members submit the information required for Ofsted to check their suitability and that they do so within the required timescale. 28/02/2019

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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

n review the planning of activities that promote children's literacy so that these are appropriate for the younger children.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector talked to the manager, the nominated individual, staff, parents and children. n The inspector reviewed required documents, including safeguarding procedures and children's records. n The inspector observed children and staff engaged in learning activities, indoors and outdoors. n The inspector reviewed the setting's self evaluation and the manager's systems for monitoring the effectiveness of the learning programme. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager and discussed how she evaluated the quality of teaching.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The management team provides strong support for staff and encourages them to develop their skills further. The manager holds regular training days where she and staff analyse any gaps in learning for individuals and groups of children and plan to address these. For example, they developed opportunities for children to grow plants indoors to encourage their understanding of the world. Children responded with enthusiasm and are currently helping staff to plan an outdoor growing area to plant in the spring, developing their knowledge further. Safeguarding is effective. Staff are vigilant and all visitors, including parents and committee members, are supervised at all times. Staff know local safeguarding procedures well and have experience of working with other agencies to help protect children from harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff make good observations and assessments of children, which the manager monitors effectively to ensure these accurately reflect each child's stage of development. Staff use these well to plan interesting activities that, overall, challenge children well and help them make good progress. Staff use their good communication skills well to extend children's learning and encourage them to use what they know to solve problems. For example, when children organised a bear hunt, staff asked them what bears eat. Children replied 'honey', and staff told them they could smell honey so the bear must be near. Children tip-toed quietly to where it might be hidden. Staff help children to have the confidence to explore and try new things. For example, they showed younger children how to squeeze and release the bulb on the turkey baster to transfer water between containers. Children concentrated well as they learned this new skill, helping to

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children's behaviour is good and they understand what is expected of them at different times of the day. For example, before lunch, they select books and read these quietly together while staff clean the tables. Children enjoy being active and using the climbing and balancing equipment outside. They are well coordinated and show a good understanding of how to act safely on the large apparatus. For example, they wait until the child in front has jumped off the next log before they step onto it, knowing this helps to prevent accidents.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children learn good skills that prepare them well for their next stage in learning, including going to school. For example, younger children quickly respond when it is time to tidy up before lunch and they take care that toys go back where they belong. Children who learn English as an additional language receive extremely good support and they progress very well. Although some children have little or no English on entry, by the time they start school most are fluent.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 143077 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10067695 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person Holway Community Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 24 February 2016 Telephone number 01823 274535

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reference number

Holway Community Pre-school registered in 1992. It operates from a classroom on the site of Holway Park Primary School, Taunton. The pre-school is open weekdays during term times from 9am to 3pm. It is in receipt of funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school employs six staff. Of these, one member of staff holds an early years qualification at level 6, one holds a qualification at level 5, three members of staff are qualified at level 3 and one is qualified at level 2.

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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.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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