Sconce Hills Pre-School Playgroup

Sconce Hills Pre-School Playgroup Christchurch Hall, Boundary Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 4AJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 February 2016 14 July 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Staff effectively promote equality and teach children about diversity. Children learn about other faiths, cultures and beliefs through role play and discuss different food enjoyed by others. This helps them understand the customs and traditions of people beyond their own immediate communities.  The key-person system is well established. This helps children to settle quickly and enables staff to build strong partnerships with parents. Parents place high value on the information they receive about their children's achievements. They are encouraged to continue learning at home, actively supporting the progress of their children.  The pre-school is led by a strong management team. There is a strong commitment to raising the standards of care and education and staff are well supported to build their skills. This helps to continually improve outcomes for children.  Staff promote children's language and communication skills particularly well. Regular

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This provision is good

opportunities for signing words helps younger children to develop speech and confidence in their use of language.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Parents are not given enough opportunities to be actively involved in evaluating the provision.  Not enough opportunities are provided, across all age ranges, for children to fully develop their critical-thinking skills.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 devise further ways of involving parents in evaluating the provision to continually drive up standards  increase opportunities for children to develop their critical-thinking skills so that children of all ages are stretched and challenged to make the best possible progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with one of the pre-school managers.  The inspector spoke to a selection of parents and took account of their views.  The inspector spoke to staff and children throughout the inspection.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager.  Relevant documentation was looked at, such as, the pre-school's self-evaluation, policies and procedures and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre- school.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Managers and staff understand the Early Years Foundation Stage well. Safeguarding is effective. Staff assess and minimise risk successfully. They are confident about how to protect children and keep them safe from harm. Since the previous inspection, effective changes have taken place with the support of the Local Authority, to raise the quality of care and education. Staff now have more opportunities to reflect on their practice and this has led to better quality teaching. Managers promptly identify children at risk of falling behind and give them individual attention to close gaps in their learning. Self-evaluation is broadly accurate, however, parents are not given sufficient opportunities to influence improvements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff make accurate assessments of children's starting points and successfully build on what children already know. Staff work effectively as a team to establish routines and experiences that are meaningful and purposeful for each child's development. Children are confident and eager to learn. Early reading and writing skills are well taught and children have good opportunities to make marks, both indoors and outdoors. Children regularly share books with staff, who help them identify words and letter sounds to support their early reading skills. Staff introduce mathematical language well. For example, in the outdoor area, children fill trays and pots with soil and pour this into containers of different sizes. Staff provide a commentary on what children are doing as they divide the soil up into smaller trays explaining that some are now full and others empty.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Settling-in procedures are good. Staff ensure children feel safe and secure and provide them with good quality toys and learning experiences. The environment is bright and stimulating. It allows for the free-flow of play and supports children to be independent in their choice of toys and learning activities. Staff work alongside children to support their choices, ensuring their play opportunities are extended and meaningful. However, children are not given every opportunity to fully develop their critical-thinking skills. Children have good opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles and regularly play outside in the fresh air. Behaviour is good. This is because children help to make the rules and know what is expected of them. Staff model healthy eating and drinking by promoting nutritious snacks and lunches which include fruit, milk and water. Children develop good hygiene routines and quickly learn the importance of washing their hands after playing outside and before

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

meal times. This supports them to be independent in their self-care needs.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who receive funded education, make good progress from their starting points. They develop the skills they need to help them succeed in their next stage of education, including school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 253322 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 1022422 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 21 Name of provider Sconce Hills Pre School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 14 July 2015 Telephone number 07772525092

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Setting details

Sconce Hills Pre-School Playgroup was registered in 1966. The playgroup employs four members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The playgroup opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 8.30am until 12.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and from 8.30am until 3.45pm on Tuesday and Friday. The playgroup provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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.

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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.

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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