Little Companions Pre-School

Little Companions Pre- School Acorn Youth Club, Columbia Avenue Off Beech Avenue, Eastocte, Middlesex, HA4 9SU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 November 2017 26 March 2014

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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

 The owners regularly evaluate the quality of their service. They take account of the views of others and how well children are progressing. Plans for improvement are precisely targeted to enhance children's learning and enjoyment. For instance, they have expanded their resources to help strengthen girls' interest in technology.  Staff get to know the children well and have a good understanding of their individual needs and personalities. They develop close and caring relationships that help the children to feel confident and secure at the pre-school.  The managers and staff build strong links with parents to promote continuity in children's care and learning. Parents feel that staff teach their children well.  The managers supervise staff effectively to help ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is good and consistently improving. For instance, they use regular supervision and observations to help identify staff's strengths and areas for development.

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This provision is good

 Children express themselves imaginatively in a variety of ways. For example, they use natural materials inventively as they 'cook' in the 'mud kitchen'. They create colourful paintings and collages, and highly detailed constructions.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasion, staff do not use questioning effectively to develop children's thinking skills and encourage them to put their thoughts into words.  Some daily activities do not consistently engage all of the children to help support their learning as well as possible.

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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

 strengthen staff's questioning techniques to help all children to express their thoughts and ideas to extend their learning even further  review the organisation of some activities to maximise learning opportunities for children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed a range of activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the quality of teaching and its impact on children's learning.  The inspector had a meeting with the owners. She also explored the views of staff and children at intervals during the inspection.  The inspector had discussions with parents and considered their views, along with samples of parents' written feedback.  The inspector looked at a sample of documentation, including policies and procedures, staff's suitability checks and children's learning records.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager and staff work in partnership with parents and, where appropriate, other professionals to help children achieve as much as they can. Additional funding is spent effectively. For instance, to provide resources and extra care which help to support children's needs within the setting and at home. The well-qualified staff make good use of additional training to build on their professional knowledge. For instance, they have developed their use of pictorial aids to support children's communication skills. This has been especially effective in helping children to make progress where their speech is delayed. Safeguarding is effective. Staff are secure in their understanding of how to keep children safe. They know the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and how to report any concerns about children's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff regularly observe children's learning to assess their progress and ascertain what they need to learn next. Where children's development is not as expected, this is quickly identified and plans are put in place to support their progress. Staff use specialised teaching strategies during small-group activities to support children's confidence and social interactions. Staff introduce a range of topics to broaden children's understanding of the world. They provide interesting and adaptable resources that enable children to explore these themes in their own ways. For instance, while learning about the solar system, children used art materials to create imaginative pictures of aliens, dressed up and pretended to be astronauts, and made spacecraft using large cardboard boxes.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff act as good role models for children. They manage behaviour calmly and encourage children to be kind towards each other. Children behave well and learn to play cooperatively with, and alongside, their peers. For example, children worked alone or in pairs to design and build houses for toy animals. They showed interest in the ideas of others and took pride in their own achievements. Staff encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles. For instance, play in the garden is an integral part of the daily routine and provides children with plenty of fresh air and exercise. This is enhanced by regular sessions with sports coaches to help promote children's enjoyment of vigorous play.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress from their individual starting points. This includes children who have special educational needs (SEN) and those who receive additional funding. Children who are learning English as an additional language soon learn to speak and understand English. Children develop a good range of skills as they progress to the next stages in their development, including being well prepared for starting school. Older children learn to write their names and begin to recognise letters of the alphabet, linking these to the sounds that they represent. They learn how to count accurately, recognise numbers and solve simple mathematical problems.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY462146 Local authority Hillingdon Inspection number 1069284 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person Little Companions Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 26 March 2014 Telephone number 07957398476

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reference number

Little Companions Pre-School registered in 2013 and operates term time only. It is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm, apart from Thursday, when it offers afternoon only sessions from midday to 2.30pm. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school employs six staff to work with the children, all of whom hold relevant early years qualifications. The manager has early years teacher status and one staff member has a level 7 qualification. Other staff are qualified to level 3 and level 2.

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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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