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Little Spinnakers Pre-School

Ofsted: Good
(Jun 2024)
·
5.0(3 parent reviews) ·United Reformed Church, 239 Milton Road, Portsmouth, PO4 8PH · Portsmouth
Number of places
40 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jun 2024
Local authority
Portsmouth

About this day nursery

Little Spinnakers Pre-School, located in Portsmouth, operates from the United Reformed Church and was established in 2010. The pre-school provides a nurturing environment where children aged two to four years happily settle, forming strong bonds with staff due to detailed induction processes that cater to each child's individual needs.

The curriculum is ambitious and offers a diverse range of experiences, including engaging projects like hatching chicks, which introduces children to new vocabulary and concepts. Staff are adept at identifying communication skill gaps and work with external professionals to offer targeted support, such as one-to-one activities.

The pre-school also excels in supporting children who speak English as an additional language, using visual aids, translators, and inviting parents to read stories in their home languages. Regular events celebrating diverse cultures further enrich children's understanding of the wider world.

The dedicated committee and staff have effectively addressed previous inspection weaknesses, making significant improvements, including refining mealtime routines for a calm atmosphere and implementing robust supervision procedures for staff development. The management team fosters an inclusive curriculum, ensuring consistent support for all children, and strategically uses additional funding to enhance learning experiences, such as through animal handling workshops.

What it's like

Children arrive happy, leave their parents with ease, and settle quickly. Staff's understanding of each child's unique needs, supported by detailed inductions, helps form strong attachments. The ambitious curriculum offers exciting experiences, such as hatching chicks, alongside strong support for communication skills and English as an additional language. Regular parent events celebrate diverse cultures, enriching children's learning about the wider world.

Ambitious curriculumStrong parent partnershipsEffective SEND supportSupports EAL childrenCalm environment

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds

Key facts

Opening hours

8am until 3.30pm Monday to Friday

Term time / All Year

Term_time_only

Established

2010

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Little Spinnakers Pre-School

Last inspected 12 June 2024

Overall effectiveness
Good

What it's like to attend

Children arrive happy, leave their parents with ease, and settle quickly. Staff's understanding of each child's unique needs, supported by detailed inductions, helps form strong attachments. The ambitious curriculum offers exciting experiences, such as hatching chicks, alongside strong support for communication skills and English as an additional language. Regular parent events celebrate diverse cultures, enriching children's learning about the wider world.

Inspector highlights

  • Children arrive happy and settle quickly due to strong relationships with staff and tailored inductions.
  • The curriculum is ambitious, offering exciting experiences like hatching chicks which introduces new language.
  • Staff effectively identify communication gaps and provide targeted support, including one-to-one activities.
  • Support for children with English as an additional language is strong, using visual aids and translators.
  • Regular parent events celebrate diverse cultures, enhancing children's understanding of the wider world.
  • Management and staff have successfully addressed previous weaknesses, improving overall provision.
  • An inclusive curriculum is delivered with consistent support for all children.
  • Additional funding is well-utilised for resources and experiences, such as animal handling workshops and items to support communication.
  • The SENCo and managers prioritise early intervention for children with developmental gaps or SEND, collaborating with parents and professionals.
  • Partnerships with parents are highly effective, promoting continuity in meeting children's needs and supporting home learning through initiatives like oral health activities and home learning bags.

Areas to develop

  • 1Support staff working with younger children to provide engaging activities that support children's next steps for learning.
  • 2Strengthen behaviour management strategies to support children to learn more about feelings and how their behaviour impacts others.
Inspection #10331733 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The SENCo and managers are proactive in early intervention, identifying developmental gaps or SEND needs upon entry. They collaborate with parents and other professionals for timely referrals and tailored support plans, ensuring children receive appropriate assistance.

EAL / language support

Staff effectively support children who speak English as an additional language through visual aids, translators, and by inviting parents to read stories in their home languages, fostering a broader understanding of the world.

Parent Reviews of Little Spinnakers Pre-School

5.0
(3)
It's A Fur Thing
a year ago

From the first visit, we knew our daughter would thrive here. A warm welcome and a room full of smiles - from the staff and the children! The staff have a wonderful bond with the children, our daughter shakes with excitement and screams when they open the gates in the morning. And we love hearing about all of the things she gets up to. There's a fantastic range of activities and they enjoy trips to the local park, library and retirement home. Our daughter always comes home with a big smile on her face. We viewed a few other pre-schools before this one, and they were all lovely. But, the moment we walked through the doors here, it just felt right. The children were so happy, the staff were so friendly and everything felt so natural. They didn't put on a show and nothing felt forced. We couldn't have felt more at home and I will highly recommend them to everyone that's looking for a placement for their 2 year old (and up).

Read on Google
Martin Silman
8 years ago

Great staff, lovely environment for little ones

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Little Spinnakers Pre-School. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history
Improved from Inadequate → Good in 2024

Date: January 2011

  • June 2024Good
  • January 2024Inadequate
  • March 2019Good
  • March 2016Good
  • January 2011Good

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