Magic Moments Pre-school

Magic Moments Pre- School 1st Baldock Scout, Park Drive, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 6EN

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25 June 2015 14 December 2009

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

p.1

This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is consistently good and some is outstanding. For example, after studying the life cycle of caterpillars, children use material to act out being in a cocoon. Staff challenge this superbly by encouraging children to move in different ways.  The environment is stimulating and friendly with busy, happy and active children who enjoy interacting with their friends.  The key-person system supports children very well. Each member of staff knows their key children well and are skilful in supporting their well-being. This means that children feel secure and form strong attachments with their peers and adults.  Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff and parents regularly exchange information about the children, building continuity of care and learning for the children.  Staff use self-evaluation processes effectively. Feedback from parents, local advisors, and recommendations from previous inspections determine targets and continuous

p.1

This provision is good

improvement. These successful developments have a positive impact on the children.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Occasionally, staff do not ask children to think about how materials change because of the way they have been played with. This means children's understanding of cause and effect is not fully maximised.  The provider does not make best use of staff supervisions to support all staff to deliver outstanding quality of teaching.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 encourage and support children in noticing the changes in properties of various media and materials, exploring cause and effect through their activities  extend the monitoring of staff performance to support the swift sharing of outstanding teaching to support children's rapid progress.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the hall and the outside area.  The inspector sampled a selection of documentation including policies, evidence of suitability, qualifications, first-aid certificates and information provided by the provision.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager.  The inspector reviewed a selection of children's observation and assessment development files with key persons.  The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children, and took their views into consideration during the inspection.  The inspector reviewed the provider's self-evaluation form.

p.2

who attend. This is good

Staff use observations of the children to effectively identify their starting points and promote their learning. This ensures children make good progress in their learning, and therefore, their readiness for school. Key persons share the regular assessments of their key children with their parents. This means that parents can complement children's learning at home. Staff spend time playing with the children, supporting children's social skills. They ask children skilful questions and introduce new vocabulary during conversations, which supports children's communication and language development effectively. Children are able to explore a variety of materials. However, occasionally, some staff do not encourage children to consider why or how materials and resources change while playing with them. For example, children explore the different ways they can use a straw to move paint. However, staff do not discuss the effect this creates with the

p.3

who attend. This is good

children. As result, children are not gaining a full awareness of cause and effect. Staff inspire children to express their thoughts and imaginations. They provide additional resources, such as watering cans and magnifying glasses, to extend children's learning. This effectively helps children to develop their understanding of the natural world.

p.3

good

Staff offer a very flexible settling-in process, meeting the needs of all children and their families. Children become confident because staff value their ideas and join in the games children initiate. Children behave well and follow the routine of the pre-school. For example, children encourage each other to tidy up and mealtimes allow children to practise independence skills fully. Staff also give children sufficient time to persist at tasks, such as dressing themselves for outdoor play. Children are gaining a good awareness of healthy lifestyles, as they talk about how to get stronger by doing different exercises. Additionally, children take part in activities where they have to use different parts of their body. This promotes large muscle coordination. The pre-school shares information with schools and other settings that children attend, in order to encourage a smooth move to other settings.

p.3

provision is good

The manager is highly qualified and has a strong understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Safeguarding is a high priority in order to protect children. All staff are knowledgeable about what to do in the event a concern needs to be raised. Staff track children's individual progress and the manager further monitors this information for the groups of children ensuring any concerns are identified early to narrow the gaps in learning. The manager completes supervisions with staff, including observing their practice, to support their quality of teaching. However, she does not make full use of a variety of strategies to support all staff to provide outstanding quality of teaching, that promotes children's rapid learning. For example, she does not make good use of peer observations to encourage staff to share exceptional practice more swiftly.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY239397 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 870063 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 3 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 57 Name of provider Magic Moments Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 14 December 2009 Telephone number 07980 400690

p.4

Setting details

Magic Moments Pre-School was registered in 2003. The pre-school employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including one with Early Years Professional status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two- and three-year-old children.

p.4

Setting details

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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.

p.4

Setting details

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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.

p.4

Setting details

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.5

Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.5