The Ark At Tresillian

Inspection of The Ark At Tresillian Tresillian Early Years, Kingsbridge Community College, 112 Fore Street, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 1AW

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children arrive happy and receive a warm welcome from staff as they enter the setting. Children of all ages and abilities make independent choices in their learning from the wide range of high-quality resources and equipment on offer. The outdoor learning environment is extremely well planned and organised. Children are well behaved as they confidently explore their environments. For example, children excitedly join in a game of bat and ball with their friends. They giggle with delight as they attempt to use their bat to hit the ball, developing their hand-to-eye coordination. Children demonstrate increasing control over the bat as they develop their physical skills.

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning and staff have high expectations for every child. For example, older children show impressive levels of concentration as they use pens to develop their early writing skills. Children successfully form letters to write their names. They excitedly approach staff to share their accomplishments. Children beam with pride as staff praise them for their achievements. This builds children's confidence and self-esteem.

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The provision is good

Children show they have formed positive relationships with staff. Babies approach staff for cuddles. They smile and show they feel safe and secure through the nurturing comfort they receive from the staff. This helps to support children's emotional development.

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need to do better?

n Managers are very passionate about their roles in supporting staff within the setting. They clearly understand how to support staff to deliver high-quality early years care and education. They support staff to recognise and identify emerging gaps in children's development, and any gaps are narrowed promptly. n Staff express that they feel well supported by the managers. Staff have access to regular training, enabling them to further develop their skills. Recently, staff participated in storytelling training. They use props to captivate children's interest at story time. This helps to support children to develop their listening and attention skills. n Managers continuously evaluate their setting, recognising how to make positive changes that promote children's learning and development effectively. They strive to make the setting the very best it can be for the children who attend, as well as their families. For example, they have recently developed a forest school

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need to do better?

area within the outdoor environment and introduced forest school sessions for children. Managers say children learn to problem-solve and take appropriate risks. These sessions have had a positive impact on promoting self-confidence and independence in children of all ages and abilities.

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need to do better?

8 July 2022 n Staff use effective strategies to help support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to make good progress in their learning and development. They use picture cards and sign language when communicating and this supports children's understanding and language skills effectively. n Staff plan an array of interesting adult-led learning activities for children. Overall, children are making good progress across the curriculum. However, at times, staff do not have a clear enough focus on the learning intent for these activities. Therefore, children do not always achieve what staff expect, preventing them from making even more progress. n Staff promote positive behaviour through play. For example, as younger children actively attempt to climb up and slide down soft-play resources, staff encourage them to take turns. Children learn to develop their social skills for their future

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need to do better?

learning. n Staff offer children a wealth of rich learning experiences that capture children's interests. Younger children inquisitively watch tadpoles moving in the pond in the community garden. These experiences support children's curiosity and they learn and develop an interest in the world around them. n Overall, staff interact well with children to support their communication and language skills. Staff have discussions with older children. For example, they talk about how they recently grew potatoes in the garden and enjoyed eating them in a potato salad for tea. However, at times, staff do not always support communication and language skills with younger children, and opportunities for them to further extend their vocabulary are not always promoted. n Parents speak very highly of the setting. They express that they feel very happy and well supported. Parents say that new children who have joined the setting

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need to do better?

have settled extremely well and that they feel reassured by the ongoing updates from staff. Parents discuss how communication about children's learning is shared daily, which enables them to extend children's learning at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff have a good knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They understand safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. They know who they would contact for advice should they have a concern over the welfare of a child. Staff are aware of the whistle-blowing policy and when they would use this. Managers know the steps to take to recruit staff effectively. They carry out thorough induction training for new staff to support them in their role. Staff carry out daily risk assessments of the environment and regularly monitor younger children and babies when they are sleeping to ensure their welfare.

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should:

8 July 2022 n support staff to focus clearly on the learning intentions, particularly for adult-led activities, to further extend children's learning n increase opportunities for younger children to build on new vocabulary and further develop their language skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2507257 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10194504 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

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inspection

Total number of places 59 Number of children on roll 99 Name of registered person The Exwick Ark Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01548 852443 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The Ark At Tresillian registered in 2018. It is located in Kingsbridge, Devon. The setting is open Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm, all year round. The setting receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 13 members of staff, three of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 6, and six hold early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 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 managers conducted a learning walk with the inspector of all areas of the setting and talked to the inspector about the curriculum. n The inspector and the managers carried out a joint observation and discussed the quality of teaching. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children during indoor and outdoor play and discussed children's progress. n The inspector held discussions with parents to consider their views. n The inspector viewed relevant documentation, including first-aid qualifications and the policies and procedures.

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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

8 July 2022 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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