Little Orchard Pre-School

Inspection of Little Orchard Pre-School Woodford Valley Primary School, Middle Woodford, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 6NR

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the pre-school. They are happy and form strong attachments with caring and enthusiastic staff. They demonstrate they feel safe and settle quickly on arrival. Children of all ages are highly motivated to engage in the wealth of activities and experiences on offer. They become deeply absorbed in their learning as they explore resources to build a shelter for a worm to protect it from the sun, for example.

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The provision is outstanding

Children demonstrate excellent social skills and their behaviour is exemplary. Younger children play happily alongside their peers and older children develop friendships. They take turns, share resources, respect others, and use good manners. When children want a toy that their peers have, staff teach children to use their voice and ask, 'Please can I have a turn?'

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The provision is outstanding

Children benefit greatly from a well-targeted curriculum. Staff support children to develop high levels of confidence in social situations. For example, children enjoy engaging in a story, 'When I'm happy'. They recognise a pattern in the story and are able to predict and finish sentences. Staff ask children effective questions to encourage them to talk about what makes them happy and sad. Children sustain concentration for long periods. They then take turns to create an emotion on a cardboard face with cut out eyes and mouth shapes, and talk confidently about how they are feeling to the rest of the group.

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need to do better?

n The manager has high aspirations for all children and knows what she wants them to learn. Staff have an excellent understanding of how to implement the curriculum. They skilfully adapt their practice during activities to meet children's individual learning needs. Staff's excellent interactions help children to make the best progress possible from their starting points. n The manager reflects on the quality of the provision constantly. She has changed the assessment process to reduce the burden of unnecessary paperwork for staff. She is highly committed to ongoing professional development and provides a wealth of training to keep staff skills up to date. Recent phonics training has ensured children receive effective teaching in literacy. n Staff plan activities that build on what children already know and can do. They regularly ask children to recall their prior learning and experiences to check children's understanding, before extending learning to the next level. For

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need to do better?

example, they talk with children about a visit from the fire service. Children know that they need to dial 999 and have learned their home address, so that they can share this information with the emergency services should the need

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need to do better?

14 October 2021 arise. n Children become very competent communicators and gain excellent language skills. They talk fluently about using the firefighter's hose to squirt water at the cones. Staff role model and extend children's language effectively, providing a commentary for children's play. They introduce new words to extend vocabulary, for example by asking children to pass the 'ladle'. n Children thrive in the stimulating outdoor environment that supports all areas of learning. They develop strength and coordination as they climb the spider's web, swing on ropes and balance on logs. They regularly explore resources that strengthen the muscles in their fingers in preparation for early writing. Staff embed mathematics into all activities. Younger children develop their imagination as they follow a 'recipe' to bake cakes in the mud kitchen. They count scoops of mud accurately to five as they carefully fill a cupcake tray and

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need to do better?

say that '10 minutes is a long time'. n Staff encourage children to develop excellent resilience. For instance, they provide children with a teapot with a hole in the bottom and challenge them to fill the teapot with water, using a variety of containers and funnels. Staff encourage all children to work together to solve the problem. Children persevere as they experiment with different natural resources to try and block the hole. They show delight as they excitedly tell others that the water is, 'getting deeper' and 'it's almost full'. n Parents speak glowingly of the pre-school and are full of praise for the staff. They know what their children are learning and appreciate the support they receive. The manager works effectively with parents and other professionals, to devise and implement individual education plans to help close any gaps in learning. n Children are very well prepared for school. They show excellent listening and

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need to do better?

attention skills and understand boundaries. They develop their self-care and independence skills effectively and learn about healthy practices.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff understand their role and responsibility to keep children safe from harm. They have a secure understanding of child protection and wider safeguarding issues. They know the correct procedures to follow, should they have any concerns about a child or adult. Staff help children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, as children play a phonics game, staff notice a caterpillar crawling on children's clothing. They encourage the group to look at the characteristics of the caterpillar, teaching them that if it is colourful and furry to avoid touching it as it may be poisonous and irritate their skin.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY344612 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 10126107 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 21 Number of children on roll 27 Name of registered person Little Orchard Pre-School Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 01722 782878 Date of previous inspection 16 May 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Little Orchard Pre-School opened in 2003 and moved to its current site at Woodford Valley Primary School in 2007. The pre-school opens each weekday during school term times from 8.45am to 3pm. The pre-school employs six childcare staff, including the manager who holds a relevant early years qualification at level 6. Other staff hold relevant early years qualifications at levels 3 and 4. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together. The manager talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector spoke to the manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. She observed the interactions between staff and children. n The manager carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the inspector. n The inspector talked to parents and considered their views. n The inspector sampled some documentation, including staff suitability checks and qualifications, and paediatric first-aid certificates.

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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

14 October 2021 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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