Squirrels Preschool

Squirrels Preschool West Totton Centre, Hazel Farm Road, Totton, SOUTHAMPTON SO40 8WU

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Inspection date 11 June 2019 Previous inspection date 21 January 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 The manager knows the team of practitioners well. She supports their professional development by giving feedback after observing their teaching. Together they then discuss targets during one-to-one supervisions. This has a positive impact on children's learning and development. n The manager reflects on practice and the overall experience children receive at the setting. She gathers views from children, parents and practitioners. This leads to the setting continually developing, ensuring children receive good quality care and education. n Practitioners question children skilfully and listen in order to reshape activities when needed. For example, during a communication and language group, a practitioner asks children 'where is the small dinosaur?' while pointing to objects on the floor. Children struggle with this so the practitioner holds the two dinosaurs and asks again. The children successfully complete this activity after the practitioner reshapes the question.

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This provision is good

n The practitioners do not always respond to children's individual concentration levels and adapt activities to suit these during group times. This impacts the learning children receive during these times. n Children have strong attachments with their key people. They feel safe and secure in the setting and demonstrate good behaviour. n Children are prepared well for the next stage of their learning. For example, children who are starting school in September walk in from the main gate to the practitioner on the door. This supports children's independence and self-confidence. n Parents speak highly of the setting. They feel that the practitioners show passion in working with their children. They are well informed about their children's development and have been supported well with toilet training. n The setting has not fully embedded partnership working with other settings that children attend or other agencies, to promote a fully well-rounded system of

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This provision is good

communication. This impacts the rate at which children progress.

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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 strengthen partnerships with other settings that children attend and with other agencies, to promote a more well-rounded system of communication to support individual children's needs n continue to develop the confidence of practitioners when working with larger groups so that they respond better to children's individual concentration levels and can then adapt activities to suit these.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector observed the quality of teaching to assess the impact on children's learning. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager to discuss and evaluate practice. n The inspector sampled documents, including safeguarding procedures, staff suitability checks and children's development records. n The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children and took into consideration their views. n The inspector tracked children's learning and development from their starting points to view progress made.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The manager gathers views from parents by using a questionnaire each term and a postbox in the entrance for anonymous feedback. She then actions any suggestions and reports this back to parents. The manager has a good knowledge of the curriculum and uses this to support practitioners' professional development. She monitors children's progress effectively, and meets with room leaders to discuss the rates at which children progress. She monitors children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) alongside the pre-school SEND coordinator to review their progress. This helps children receive early intervention and closes gaps in development. The manager is the designated safeguarding lead for the setting. She has a robust knowledge of her role and is confident in the process of making referrals. Practitioners are all trained in safeguarding, which supports their knowledge of signs and symptoms of abuse and how

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

to protect children. The manager regularly checks practitioners' knowledge through scenario questioning. Safeguarding is effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Practitioners have high expectations of children. They carry out accurate assessments and arrange further support where needed, such as children attending small focus groups to develop their communication and language along with turn taking. These take place with the setting's trained SEND coordinator. Children make good progress. Practitioners have a broad knowledge of the curriculum, which promotes a stimulating environment for all children. Practitioners follow children's emerging interests. For example, they have a role-play hairdressers, after children spoke about visiting the hairdresser. Practitioners work closely with parents to celebrate their family cultures to provide children with different experiences. For example, Chinese families bring in their home-cooked food for Chinese New Year and teach children their traditions. This encourages children to value diversity and different ways of life.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Practitioners give clear messages to children about why it is important to have a healthy diet. Children explain 'we don't have chocolate for snack as that's sweet', 'we have crackers and fruit instead, as that's healthy'. Children are beginning to understand different food groups and how to stay healthy. Children go on regular walks to promote their physical health. Practitioners have recently introduced meditation time, where children have a few minutes to self-reflect and be calm. They 'blow out candles' to help them focus on breathing. This supports children's emotional well-being and encourages them to self-regulate their emotions. Children's behaviour is good.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are eager learners. They demonstrate confidence through their daily activities in the setting. For example, children can get themselves ready to go outside and write their names on their creative pictures to show who they belong to. Those children in receipt of additional funding make consistent levels of progress within their age and stage of development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 511345 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10072987 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 Sessional day care Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 96

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Name of registered person

West Totton Squirrels Pre-School Learning Alliance Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 21 January 2016 Telephone number 02380 862 266

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reference number

Squirrels Preschool registered in 1989. It operates in Totton, Hampshire. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It is open each weekday during school term times from 7.55am to 3.55pm. There are 16 members of staff, 15 of whom have appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 4. In addition, the pre-school employs an administrative assistant.

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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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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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