Springfield Stars Preschool

Springfield Stars Preschool Springfield Primary School, Forsythia Close, CHELMSFORD, CM1 6XW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 June 2017 10 December 2012

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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 are happy and have good relationships with their key person and other staff. They confidently say goodbye to their parents and settle quickly into play with their friends and other children.  Staff have close working partnerships with parents. There are daily opportunities for parents to share information about their children and they appreciate being able to ring the manager and staff to check on their children's well-being.  Children enjoy an exciting range of activities. For example, they use sit-on toys, such as diggers, to scoop and move sand around the large sand pit outside. Children are curious, motivated and eager to learn.  All children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. Staff observe and assess children's play, and plan activities to help extend their learning and development.

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This provision is good

 Staff understand the importance of sharing information from the other settings that children attend. This helps to provide consistency as children move between settings.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently make the most of all opportunities to extend children's imaginative play.  At times, staff do not provide children with enough time to think through and solve problems for themselves.

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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

 make greater use of opportunities to extend children's imaginative play further  provide children with more opportunities to think through and solve problems in their own time.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with the deputy manager and held discussions with her regarding children's learning and rates of progress.  The inspector spoke to parents, staff, children and the manager.  The inspector observed the quality of the interactions between staff and children.  The inspector sampled relevant documentation, including staff qualifications, suitability checks and safeguarding policies and procedures.  The inspector looked at children's learning journals and records of their achievements.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff know what to do if they have any concern about children's safety and welfare. They undertake training to help stay aware of current guidance and practice. The manager observes her staff and discusses their individual practice with them regularly. She provides staff with ongoing support and identifies areas to develop further. For example, she books training to increase staff's confidence and understanding of supporting children who speak English as an additional language more effectively. The manager seeks the views of the staff, parents and children to help her identify areas of the pre-school to develop further. For example, there have been many requests from children for the garden, including creating a fairy house.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff make effective use of resources, such as dried cereal and pasta, along with toy farm animals and buildings, to support children's learning. For example, they encourage children to listen to the noise the cereal makes when crushed. Staff use relevant words to help extend children's vocabulary and describe the sound cereal makes as it is broken up. This helps to support children's speaking and listening skills. Staff support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. There are very close working partnerships between staff, parents and all professionals involved in children's care and learning. Consistent one-to-one key-person support helps children to make good progress, one step at a time.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff gather detailed information from parents when children start to help them understand children's care and emotional needs. For example, staff recognise when children are tired or need a reassuring cuddle. Children behave well. Staff make good use of resources, such as sand timers, to help younger children learn how to share and take turns. There are good links with local schools. Staff take children to meet their teachers and see the classrooms. Staff complete reports, which they pass on to the teachers, to help them identify what children know and can do prior to starting school.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are ready for the next stage in their learning and the move to school. They are independent and easily manage their own care needs, which helps to develop their confidence. Children learn to follow instructions and routines well. For example, they know to sit quietly on the carpet and listen to their names being called from the register. Children eagerly explore construction toys, such as magnetic blocks. This helps them to learn about simple science, such as magnetic forces, in a fun way.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY447019 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1060232 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 44 Name of registered person Learning is Fun Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 10 December 2012 Telephone number 01245467120

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reference number

Springfield Stars Preschool registered in 2012. It is privately owned by Learning is Fun Ltd and is situated in the grounds of the Springfield Primary School in Chelmsford, Essex. The pre-school employs nine members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday from 9am until midday, and from 12.15pm until 3.15pm on Monday, Thursday and Friday, when children can stay for lunch. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

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reference number

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

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