Swan Pre-School

Inspection of Skylark Pre-School 4 Shackleton Road, Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 9SG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Children learn how they are both the same and different from other children. They giggle loudly as they work together. They closely examine their own eyes in a mirror and they carefully copy what they see. Children develop good physical skills as they firmly grip pens and write familiar letters. Staff plan a range of challenging activities and children are fully engaged in their play.

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The provision is good

Children develop a good awareness of boundaries. They have great fun with friends and re-enact a range of different role-play scenarios. Staff listen carefully to children's conversations and they remind them to always use kind language. Children treat their friends with high levels of respect and kindness. Although children are confident to speak in a range of situations they do not always share their emotions with others.

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The provision is good

Staff encourage children to collaborate with each other as they engage in physical play. Children form groups to use see-saws. They make the most of available space and move round until all children can sit down. They carefully raise their legs to climb onto large toys without banging into friends. Staff supervise children well in all areas of the pre-school and children are quick to approach them if they need help. However, staff do not consistently help children to strengthen their counting skills.

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need to do better?

n The quality of teaching is now consistently good. Staff model activities very well and they help children to practise new skills. For instance, they show children how to chop fruit safely. Children assess some risks as they use small knives and follow simple rules. Staff teach children how to make comparisons between size and shape, however, they do not routinely encourage children to use numbers in their play. n Staff encourage children to experiment with different textures. Younger children swish their fingers around in paint. Older children choose brushes of various sizes to make interesting marks on paper. Staff have a good understanding of children's individual interests and they fully incorporate these into the planning. Children learn to socialise with friends, such as when they pretend to cook together in the outdoor kitchen. Staff accurately assess children's knowledge and they help them to make continual progress in their development.

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need to do better?

n The manager and senior leaders have worked hard to significantly improve the quality of the service they deliver to families. They reviewed the indoor and outdoor areas and have made considerable changes to the layout of the rooms. Staff now make sure that resources are easy to access. Children continually make their own choices and collect toys they want to use. Children demonstrate

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need to do better?

13 September 2019 an understanding of the world when they collect bricks and figures to rebuild their castle. Staff visit other settings and share tips for good practice with other practitioners. For instance, recently they gained ideas about how to improve the garden area, and introduced more opportunities for children to experiment with natural resources. n Staff gain a good understanding about children's backgrounds when they first start at pre-school, as well as learning as much as possible about their daily routine. Parents enthusiastically praise staff for the support they offer children. They are comfortable to share information about what children can do at home. Staff offer children new experiences and the chance to develop their awareness of the world. For example, they arrange for children to stroke and examine reptiles. Children have fun as they make the most of the different play opportunities available to them.

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need to do better?

n Staff skilfully encourage children to respond to questions and to develop their vocabulary. They ask children about their home life and children freely discuss their family's daily routines. Children are animated as they talk about regular trips to their local supermarket. Staff show an interest in children's lives and children develop secure attachments to their key person. However, staff do not consistently encourage children to talk about their feelings with others.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager understands that the safety of children is of paramount importance. She has a secure knowledge of how to recognise children at risk of harm. The manager frequently checks that staff fully understand the safeguarding policies and procedures and know how to raise a concern. As the designated safeguarding lead she shares information promptly with other agencies to keep children safe. Staff often access training courses which focus on safeguarding. Recently they learnt more about how to keep children safe online. The staff team is confident to approach the manager and seek additional guidance on a range of sensitive topics.

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should:

n provide plenty of opportunities for children to explore their emotions and to express how they are feeling n support children to become more familiar with numbers and to develop their counting skills further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 109792 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10081179 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 to 4 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 12 Name of registered person Naval Under Fives (Eastern Area) Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 077 7315 4757 Date of previous inspection 26 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Skylark Pre-School registered in 1992. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 5pm. It operates during school term time and at times during the school holidays. There are two permanent members of staff and one temporary member of staff, all of whom hold a childcare qualification at level 3. The pre- school receives government funding for early years education for children aged three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the manager conducted a learning walk together. They discussed how staff plan activities to meet the needs of individual children. n The inspector observed activities with the manager both indoors and outdoors, and they evaluated what they had seen. n Parents were invited to share their views about the pre-school with the inspector. n A leadership and management meeting took place, at which the inspector, manager and the provider's representative were present. n The inspector spoke to staff about the progress children are making in their development.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

13 September 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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