Little Lions Pre-School & Nursery

Little Lions Pre-School & Nursery Oxlease Methodist Church, Woods Avenue, HATFIELD, Hertfordshire, AL10 8NA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 7 March 2017 Not applicable

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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

 Children benefit from a keen focus on developing their communication and language skills. Staff use many methods to support all children in this area, including using visual prompts and some sign language. Management has received positive feedback regarding how it supports children to develop their communication skills from a recent audit conducted by a local children's centre.  The key-person system is used effectively. Staff confidently explain how they plan to help children achieve their next steps in learning. Children develop caring relationships with staff.  Management is strong. It keeps up to date with changes in legislation and accurately evaluates the quality of the provision. Following recent feedback from parents, information about planned activities is now more detailed and prominently displayed.  Staff are vigilant regarding safeguarding. They are aware of how to refer any concerns

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This provision is good

about a child's welfare. Staff communicate any potential concerns swiftly and professionally to management. They have regular safeguarding training and discuss safeguarding at all team meetings to help refresh their knowledge.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Management have not fully refined the use of systems to track and monitor the progress made by different groups of children in order to identify those who may need targeted planning or additional support to help them make the best possible progress.  At times, staff do not provide older children with highly challenging opportunities to develop their numeracy 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

 refine the systems for tracking the progress made by different groups of children in order to more swiftly identify those who may need targeted planning or additional support to help them make the best possible progress  provide older children with more highly challenging opportunities to develop their numeracy skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector observed a planned activity and evaluated this with the manager.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection and looked at a range of documents.  The inspector held a meeting with the management and discussed the nursery's self- evaluation process. She also looked at records, including evidence of the suitability of the staff working at the nursery.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have been carefully checked for their suitability to work with children. They have thorough inductions and regular supervision meetings to ensure they are clear about their responsibilities and to help improve their practice. Staff have developed strong working relationships with parents. All parents are invited to regularly review their children's progress, and staff encourage them to share information on their children's learning at home. Staff work closely with other professionals and parents to support individual children. For example, speech therapists are invited in to the nursery and their recommendations are followed. Parents are made aware of agencies that may be able to support them and offer advice, such as the children's centre.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children are keen to explore the exciting variety of activities available indoors and outdoors. They enjoy playing with the sand, using their hands and tools to develop their physical skills. Staff model how to build a sandcastle with buckets and spades, and praise children's attempts. Children persevere until they make a sandcastle, developing a positive attitude to learning. Older children develop their imagination as they pretend to be pirates and look together for treasure in the sand. Staff listen carefully to children as they play and follow their interests, asking probing questions to extend children's learning opportunities. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported by staff in a number of ways. One example of this is the use of key words in children's home language to help them develop their vocabulary.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children behave well and understand staff's consistent expectations. Staff have had training in behaviour management and have implemented additional positive strategies to improve behaviour. They use various methods, including timers, and talk about emotions to support young children to learn to share and take turns. Older children model good behaviour. They share toys willingly as they play with their friends. Children are starting to understand how to keep themselves safe and can explain why they do not run inside. Children are independent. For example, they dress themselves in dressing-up clothes and wash their hands as they discuss with staff what they will choose to eat as their healthy snack.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children are making clear progress over time. This includes those whose initial assessments were below the development typical for their age, children who speak English as an additional language and those in receipt of additional funding. Children are confident and are engaged in their play. They enjoy making marks in flour and are encouraged to learn to hold small tools in the same way as a pencil. Older children are learning to link sounds to letters. They trace and copy their name, helping to develop their literacy skills. These are some of the skills children acquire to help them prepare for the move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY484159 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1005149 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 - 4 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 55 Name of registered person M J Rochford And S L Heywood Partnership

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07731399773

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reference number

Little Lions Pre-School & Nursery was registered in 2015. The setting employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 or above, including two who hold level 4. The setting opens from 9.15am until 3.30pm, Monday to Thursday and 12.30pm until 3.30pm on a Friday, during term time only. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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