Little Stars Pre-School Scole

Little Stars Pre-School Scole c/o Scole Community Centre, Ransome Avenue, Scole, Diss, Norfolk, IP21 4EA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 January 2018 22 March 2017

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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

 Since the last inspection, the committee and staff team have worked closely with local authority advisers to address previous weaknesses and improve outcomes for children. They have made many effective improvements to the indoor and outdoor environment, to promote children's enthusiasm for learning.  Senior staff are very well qualified. The manager uses her extensive experience of working with young children to successfully lead her newly formed staff team.  Children are happy to attend and quickly become engrossed in their play. They are motivated to learn and eager to explore activities and resources. They excitedly share their discoveries with staff and each other.  Parents are very pleased with the changes they can see in the pre-school. They offer comments, such as, 'activities for home are a brilliant addition to keep us as parents involved in our child's learning'.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always use information gained from assessment effectively, to plan for and target what individual children need to learn next.  Sometimes, staff do not make the best use of opportunities during daily routines and child-initiated play to provide children with higher levels of challenge.

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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

 use information gained from assessment more precisely to plan for and target what individual children need to learn next to promote their more rapid progress  monitor and evaluate practice more robustly to identify opportunities to extend children's learning and provide greater levels of challenge.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector met with the manager and members of the management committee. She viewed relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke to staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views from their written comments.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The committee and staff team are confident about the action to take to protect children and keep them safe from harm. Effective policies and procedures support them in their role. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures are followed to ensure staff are suitably qualified and safe to work with children. Performance management procedures, including regular supervision meetings, provide staff with good levels of support and guidance. The manager has introduced a number of new initiatives to successfully involve parents in their children's learning. The manager has also developed good relationships with the local school so that they can work together more effectively to support children's move on to school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff work closely with parents to gather accurate information about what children already know and can do when they first start at the pre-school. This enables staff to accurately identify children's stage of development and monitor whether they are making expected levels of progress. They implement well-targeted strategies using guidance from other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to help children needing additional support. Staff provide many opportunities, indoors and outdoors, to encourage children to make marks and develop their early writing skills. For example, children enjoy drawing and painting on large outdoor blackboards. Staff use props well to engage children's interest in stories. They encourage children to make their own suggestions about what will happen next in a book.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children settle well and quickly develop close relationships with their key person. Staff are sensitive towards children's individual personalities. They adapt their interactions well to encourage younger or less confident children to speak and share their ideas. Staff are good role models and help children learn the rules for expected behaviour. Children understand the need to share and take turns, such as when they use an egg timer to wait their turn on the bikes. The vastly improved outdoor area is used very well to provide children with a broad range of experiences in the fresh air. For example, children confidently get water from the water butt and then watch what happens when they pour it into wall-mounted guttering. Children enjoy healthy snacks. They carefully use tongs to pick up raw vegetable sticks at snack time and dip them into hummus.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children develop the key skills to support their move on to school. Their social skills are developing well and they show care and consideration towards each other. Children demonstrate their knowledge of mathematical concepts. For example, during well-planned group activities, they eagerly name two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Children are learning to use tools safely. They show pride in their ability to use hammers and nails during regular woodwork opportunities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 254260 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 1097396 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 20 Number of children on roll 13 Name of registered person Little Stars Pre-School Scole Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 22 March 2017 Telephone number 07907 294298

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reference number

Little Stars Pre-School Scole registered in 1970. The pre-school employs three members of childcare staff. One member of staff has early years professional status and one holds qualified teacher status. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, from 9.20am until 12.20pm, during term time only. The pre-school provides funded early education for 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

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

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