Althea Park Education Unit

Spring Road Pre-School The Scout Hut, 261 Spring Road, Sholing, SOUTHAMPTON SO19 2NZ

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Inspection date 7 March 2019 Previous inspection date 25 February 2016

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Good 2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

n The manager and her deputy are quick to attend new training opportunities and coach staff in ways to better prepare children for school. They meet with staff from local schools to moderate their detailed assessments and provide clear information to support children's successful transfer to school. n The manager makes excellent use of monitoring to check the levels of progress children make. For example, she identified weaker levels of progress in mathematics. In response, the manager successfully challenged staff to capture and extend children's understanding of concepts, such as water flow, capacity and measurement. Children then made rapid progress in their mathematics in time for school. n Staff provide children with rich experiences that both challenge and develop their understanding of different people and places in their community. For example, children visit a local care home to sing, dance and meet with their elderly neighbours.

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This provision is outstanding

n The manager and staff demonstrate an excellent commitment when working with other professionals, agencies and parents in order to secure any additional support which children require. Children are extremely well prepared and supported during times of change. n Children learn to make healthy choices and rapidly develop increasing levels of independence at mealtimes. For instance, they select and combine nutritious salads and protein when they make wraps for their snack. They take responsibility for handing out plates, use tongs when serving food to prevent the spread of germs and help to tidy away.

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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 build on the already excellent opportunities for children to understand growth, decay and how to care for their environment.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed, listened to and talked with children as they played indoors and during outdoor play. n The inspector talked with parents and listened to their views about the pre-school and their children's progress. n The inspector looked at children's records, discussed staff's planning and evaluation of activities, and discussed how they exchange information with parents. n The inspector observed care routines and completed a joint observation with the manager. Together they discussed how staff's training has contributed to children's learning and development. n The inspector spoke with the manager and deputy manager about the impact of staff's practice on raising outcomes for children.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

The well-qualified manager inspires a team of highly experienced early years practitioners who work exceptionally well with parents and carers. Partnership working is so effective that children thrive from the start and early support minimises the impact of any developmental delays. The manager makes excellent use of self-evaluation, regular parents' meetings and staff's appraisals to identify areas for further improvement. Raising the quality of the outdoor play area is a high priority. All concerned recognise the benefits of creating further opportunities for children to plant, grow and care for the environment. Both the manager and her long-serving deputy have an exceptionally thorough knowledge of safeguarding procedures. They work discretely and sensitively with parents and other professionals to protect children. The manager checks that staff know how to recognise and manage any concerns they may have about children's safety

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Extremely resourceful staff continue to raise the quality of their practice and inspire children with new activities and play areas. For instance, children listen to the sound of rain on metal objects and hats they have made from foil containers. They watch and describe the changing patterns as rain runs through coloured powder paint on dens made from clear tarpaulin. Staff make exemplary use of storytelling to extend the breadth of children's vocabulary and their confidence to join in. For example, they hold children's attention, manage their excitement and quickly return to excellent listening conditions. Children hear speech clearly. They use different voices for characters and stand in front of an audience to extremely confidently join in with familiar phrases and complete rhymes.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Excellent communication between staff and parents helps to rapidly raise outcomes for children at every stage of their development. Parents say their children 'absolutely love coming to pre-school'. Children settle in quickly, overcome shyness and eagerly explore and investigate. Staff share a wealth of information on children's current development, pre-school interests and future learning with parents. Children bring in favourite books from home to celebrate national Book Week. Continuity in care and learning is excellent. For example, parents look forward to sharing and developing their children's fascination with watching chicks hatch and caterpillars change into butterflies.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make excellent progress in developing the foundation skills they need for the next stage in their learning. For example, children with unclear speech learn to talk and express their ideas clearly and with confidence. Two-year-olds rapidly learn to adapt their behaviour to different situations and flourish as they develop new friendships. Children become extremely skilled in using a wide range of one-handed tools safely, such as hole punchers and scissors. Older children use tools for writing and add their name to artwork and notes they 'write' in imaginative play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 131561 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 10072364 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 24 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Spring Road Pre-school

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 25 February 2016 Telephone number 07764 201 695

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reference number

Spring Road Pre-School registered in 1982. It operates within the Sholing area of Southampton. The pre-school is open each weekday during school term times. Sessions are from 9.15am to 12.15pm, except on Wednesdays when the pre-school is open until 3.15pm. It receives funding to provide free early education for children age two, three and four years. There are seven members of staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 5.

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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.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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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

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