Bitterne Manor Preschool

Inspection of Bitterne Manor Preschool Bitterne Manor Primary School, Quayside Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO18 1DP

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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 Good

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The provision is good

The committee, the manager and her staff work well together to create a safe environment for children to play and learn. The curriculum is planned to take account of children's individual interests and to help build on their knowledge and skills well, overall. Children are keen to learn. Staff recognise the importance of creating activities which interest and inspire children to learn. This helps children to become confident learners who gain good attitudes to developing new skills. For instance, children enjoy balancing using 'monster feet' and share their achievements with their friends. Children develop good listening and attention skills. Staff recognise how to help children build on their language skills well. They introduce new language as children play, encourage children to think through and share ideas, and value the contributions children make through their conversations. This helps all children, including those who speak English as an additional

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The provision is good

language, to make good progress from their starting points.

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The provision is good

Children develop strong bonds with their key person and demonstrate they feel happy, safe and secure. Children cheerfully come into the pre-school and are greeted by staff members who are warm and welcoming. Children settle quickly into the routine of the day. Staff are good role models. They help children to understand how to work together to create a calm, respectful environment. Children behave well and understand the rules of the pre-school. They know how to play cooperatively with their friends. They are kind and well mannered as they talk to staff, visitors and to each other.

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need to do better?

n The manager, who is new to her role, is passionate about providing children with the best foundations for learning. She works closely with staff, and the committee, to ensure children benefit from good opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge, in preparation for their future learning. Additional funding is used well to enhance children's learning and development, particularly around developing their physical skills. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points. n Staff organise an inviting learning environment for children indoors and outside. Children quickly become engaged in purposeful learning, and are keen to try new activities. For instance, they enjoy using different resources to transfer water into pots, as they gain good coordination skills. Children concentrate well during activities and persevere when learning is challenging. Staff praise children as they attempt new tasks, such as putting their coats on independently. This

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need to do better?

helps children to develop good levels of self-esteem and contributes to their can- do attitudes to learning. n Staff have a good knowledge of what children know and can do. They provide

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need to do better?

31 January 2020 activities which continue to build on children's knowledge and skills. However, sometimes staff do not focus sharply on what children need to learn next, to inform how planned adult-led activities are tailored to children's individual learning needs. As a result, sometimes older children's mathematical skills are not supported as fully as possible. n Partnerships with parents are well established and are a strength of the setting. Staff use their good relationships with parents to share children's overall development with them regularly, to keep them informed of their children's key achievements. Staff work with parents to establish consistent routines to help children's development, including when potty training and when helping new children to settle happily into the pre-school. n Staff place a strong focus on building children's good communication and language skills. They recognise that children come from varied backgrounds and

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need to do better?

many speak English as an additional language. Staff focus on helping children to speak and communicate effectively. For instance, as children listen to favourite stories, staff encourage them to think about what might happen next. Staff give all children opportunities to answer questions and they praise them as they reply. This helps children to develop their confidence to talk, and supports their growing vocabulary skills well. n Staff feel they are well supported by the manager. Regular opportunities for staff to meet with the manager are used to support staff well-being effectively. Staff say that they feel valued and that workloads do not put them under any pressure. Staff attend mandatory training, including paediatric first aid, and refresh their safeguarding knowledge regularly. However, the manager does not consistently focus on the professional development of existing staff as well as she does for new staff, to broaden their quality of teaching.

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need to do better?

n Following the last inspection, the manager and staff have reflected on their provision to make improvements to support children's understanding of the world. For example, they have introduced a range of technological resources and toys for children in order to address the previous recommendations. Children relish opportunities to show visitors how to use new 'phones'. Staff show them how the toys work, as children enjoy helping to change batteries safely as they help to 'fix them'.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a robust understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. The manager and the committee follow safer recruitment procedures in order to ensure the suitability of all those who work at the pre-school. Staff benefit from regular training opportunities to understand how to identify concerns that indicate that a child might be at risk of harm. They know the reporting procedures to follow to ensure children are kept safe. Staff supervise children appropriately at all times and maintain ratios to minimise the risk of accidents. Daily checks ensure the pre-school is a safe place for children to play.

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should:

n enhance how planning focuses sharply on what children need to learn next to inform how adult-led activities are tailored to support children's individual needs n strengthen the professional development opportunities for staff to further their teaching skills and enhance how mathematics is taught.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY265650 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 10073235 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 22

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Name of registered person

Bitterne Manor Preschool Management Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 02380633144 Date of previous inspection 19 April 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Bitterne Manor Preschool registered in 1980. It operates from a room in Bitterne Manor Primary School, in the Bitterne Manor area of Southampton, Hampshire. The pre-school is open from 8.30am until 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during school term times. It receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school employs six members of staff, five of whom hold appropriate level 3 qualifications.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke with staff, committee members and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n A learning walk was completed with the pre-school manager to discuss the curriculum intent. n The inspector completed a joint evaluation of an activity with the pre-school manager. n The inspector held a leadership meeting with the manager and the chair of the committee. She reviewed a variety of documents, including qualifications, first- aid certificates and policies. n The inspector observed interactions between staff and children during activities, and assessed the impact of teaching on children's learning.

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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

31 January 2020 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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