Little Dragons Pre School

Little Dragons Pre School St. Georges C of E Primary School, White Lion Road, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9HX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 7 February 2018 5 March 2015

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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 manager has a positive attitude to continually raising the quality of the provision. She uses self-evaluation well and considers the views of staff, children and parents to help her identify and make changes.  The manager and staff are experienced and knowledgeable. They are quick to identify areas where children may need additional support. They work extremely well with parents and carers to ensure they meet children's needs swiftly. The manager uses additional funding effectively to benefit eligible children.  Children make good progress in their learning. Staff frequently observe children and identify their next steps. They use a good balance of planned adult-led activities and child-initiated play, to teach children what they need to learn next.  Parents comment very positively about their own, and their children's relationships, with staff. They say staff give a lot of useful feedback about their children's learning,

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This provision is good

verbally and through their children's learning record.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always reflect all children's individual cultural backgrounds in the learning environment, to enhance children's sense of belonging and self-esteem.  Staff do not always provide opportunities for children to think for themselves and develop their communication skills further.

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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

 reflect the cultural and home backgrounds of children, to fully promote their self- esteem and sense of belonging  provide more opportunities for children to think for themselves and develop their communication skills further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities throughout the pre-school.  The inspector held discussions with the management team, and spoke to children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including attendance records, staff suitability checks, the self-assessment information, information linked to managing children's progress, and children's observation, assessment and planning records.  The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers spoken on the day.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the nursery manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The experienced and long-standing manager and staff team have a thorough understanding of their professional responsibilities. Managers work closely with staff to identify where additional training can enhance their professional development. They take every opportunity to review their practice and implement new ideas. The whole team reflects on the impact that changes have had on children's learning. Partnerships with other professionals are effective. Staff act on specialist advice to devise targeted teaching plans for children who need additional support. Managers monitor children's progress well and identify where they can target additional funding to boost children's learning further. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a clear understanding of child protection procedures and can identify when children's well-being may be a cause for concern.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff provide a wealth of exciting opportunities for children that enhance all areas of their learning. Children develop their literacy and concentration skills well as they perceptively listen to a story. They provide a joyful narrative as they recite their favourite lines and excitedly predict what might happen next. Staff successfully build on children's existing skills. For example, they re-enact a jungle story and use available resources for children to make their way through the jungle. This supports children's imaginative and creative skills very well.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff know the children well. They accurately assess children's individual starting points and build on these through effective teaching. Staff gather relevant information from parents during settling-in visits and through their ongoing observations of children's play. Children have fun developing their physical skills. Indoors, they enjoy using tweezers to move dried pasta from one container to another, and singing action songs. Outside, children have access to large tubes, which make different music sounds for them to explore. Children's mealtimes are organised well. They learn to line up to go to the bathrooms before and after eating, and competently wash their hands. Children behave well and show kindness towards each other. For example, they share toy cars with others during play.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children build important skills that help them with their future learning and in readiness for school, such as being independent during hygiene routines and mealtimes. Children practise their small-muscle skills and mathematical skills as they manipulate and cut dough into different shapes and sizes. They receive good support from staff to discuss concepts, such as shape, number and size. These activities help children acquire manual dexterity in their hands, needed for later learning, such as holding a pen and handwriting.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY344912 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 1092924 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 46 Name of registered person Paul Kilby Aitchison

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 5 March 2015 Telephone number 01494 762799

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reference number

Little Dragons Pre School registered in November 2006. It is situated in the grounds of St George's Infant School in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. It operates weekdays from 8am to 6pm during term times and provides a breakfast and after-school club. There are nine staff employed and, of these, seven hold appropriate childcare qualifications at level 3 and above, including two with level 5 qualifications.

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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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