Little Crickets Pre-School

Little Crickets Pre-School BYPA Hall, Baydon Youth Centre, Manor Lane, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2JD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 February 2016 1 October 2015

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The management team and staff do not always monitor children's learning thoroughly enough. They do not consistently provide challenging activities to ensure children make good progress.  Although staff respond to children's accidents appropriately, they do not always maintain records to show they have informed parents so they are fully aware of the care their children receive.  Staff often over direct children's play rather than encouraging them to explore independently. This reduces opportunities for children to make choices, build on their interests and develop their own ideas.  Staff do not provide all children with clear explanations about their expectations and changes in routines, to help children understand what is happening next. This does not effectively support children's emotional well-being.

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It has the following strengths

 Since the last inspection, the management team and staff have improved their knowledge and understanding of the requirements and made positive changes.  Children have a good understanding of numbers and develop their mathematical skills well, in preparation for the next stage in their learning and school.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure children's learning is effectively monitored so that every child is consistently challenged to make good progress in all areas of learning. 27/06/2016

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Due Date

 ensure parents are informed of any accidents or injury sustained by their children on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practical. 23/05/2016

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 provide more opportunities for children to lead their own play, to help them explore and develop their own ideas, and build on their interests.  help all children to understand what is going to happen next so they can end their play for themselves.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager at appropriate times during the inspection and in a scheduled meeting.  The inspector observed children's activities and staff teaching, inside and outside.  The inspector looked at documentation, including a sample of children's records, planning and assessment records, and checked the suitability of committee members and staff to work with children.  The inspector took account of the views of children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of the inspection, and of the provider's self-evaluation.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The management team holds regular staff meetings to help staff understand their responsibilities. Safeguarding is effective. Since the last inspection, staff receive more regular support and their teaching is monitored closely to identify training needs, and improve practice. The managers have put an action plan together, which has helped them successfully meet the actions set at the last inspection. It is helping them to work towards meeting further areas that require improvement. They show a commitment to ongoing development of the pre-school to improve outcomes for children. The process staff follow for sharing accidents with parents is not fully effective, as they do not make all parents aware of the accidents their children have. This has the potential to compromise children's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Overall, children at the pre-school make adequate progress in their learning and development. Since the last inspection, the management team introduced new processes to monitor children's learning. However, staff are still in the process of establishing the new system. Although staff use their observations to plan activities linked to children's interests, they do not always extend these further to provide children with enough challenge. For example, staff tend to over direct children's learning rather than allowing children to develop and respond to their own ideas. Children begin to lose interest in learning and move away. Nevertheless, staff promote literacy skills well to children. For example, they help them sound out familiar letters, such as letters of their names and they model writing to them.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

All children are allocated a key person when they start, helping them to form appropriate bonds with familiar people. Children are happy and confidently explore their surroundings. Staff teach children suitable hygiene skills. They provide nutritious snacks and discuss healthy options as children serve themselves at snack time. This helps children to build an understanding of being healthy and doing things for themselves. Children generally behave well. However at times, staff do not give children enough warning and clear explanations about changes in routines, such as tidying up. Staff plan well for children's use of the outdoor space to cover all areas of learning. Children are keen to spend time outside.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are making suitable progress in their learning and development from their starting points. They are confident and demonstrate a keenness to learn. Children socialise well together and make friends.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 146023 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 1030168 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 3 Total number of places 13 Number of children on roll 17 Name of provider Little Crickets Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 1 October 2015 Telephone number 07896 780007

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Setting details

Little Cricket's Pre-School registered in 2005 and is located near Marlborough in Wiltshire. The pre-school is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 3pm during school terms only. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged three and four years. The pre-school employs five staff, including the manager, who work directly with the children. Four of the staff have appropriate early years childcare qualifications at level 3 or above.

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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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