My Little Explorers

My Little Explorers HQ 2 Standon Main Road, Hursley, Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 2JH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 February 2018 1 April 2014

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The manager and her staff work exceptionally well together to provide children with an inspirational learning environment. Staff are well qualified and highly experienced in guiding and nurturing children's learning and development. This helps to ensure that all children make outstanding progress, to build a strong foundation for future learning.  Children are highly motivated in their learning. Staff place a strong focus on nurturing children's excellent understanding of the natural world through spontaneous play experiences. For instance, children talk about how they can make a hole for the frog to breathe, as they carefully chip away at the ice on the pond.  Staff develop strong bonds with younger children to support their emotional well-being exceptionally well. They are sensitive to their individual needs and help children to learn how to care for one another. Older children are very kind and develop warm, respectful

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This provision is outstanding

relationships with staff and with their friends.  Staff develop excellent relationships with parents and successfully encourage them to contribute fully to children's learning. For instance, staff regularly share children's progress and suggest activities that parents can complete at home. This strong partnership helps ensure outcomes for all children are outstanding.  Parents speak very highly of the setting. In particular, they comment on how staff develop children's self-esteem, confidence and support children in learning to assess and manage risks appropriately, to help them learn to keep themselves physically safe.

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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

 continue to build on the excellent relationships established with local schools, to help enhance children's already excellent readiness for their next stage in learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and children's learning, outdoors and inside.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at convenient times during the inspection.  The inspector spoke to parents during the day and considered their views alongside parents' written feedback.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of the staff team, risk assessments, recruitment procedures, looked at a selection of children's records and discussed safeguarding procedures and the self-evaluation process.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager and her team work closely together to drive improvement and improve children's outstanding learning even further. For instance, they have successfully improved how they help develop older children's reading and writing skills. They are considering even further ways to build on the excellent relationships with schools. Staff are highly motivated in continuing with their professional development. They extend their skills, for example, through training, to improve the already excellent quality of teaching. The manager and staff keep a close check on children's progress. Where they identify gaps in children's progress, they swiftly put precise plans in place to enable children to catch up very quickly. This helps children to continue to achieve excellent outcomes. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a robust understanding of how to keep children safe, including what action they would take if they had concerns about children's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff use their skilful knowledge of children's interests to provide innovative learning experiences. Children gain excellent communication, language and thinking skills. Staff consistently encourage children to think through their ideas to help them think critically and solve problems. For instance, children talk about how to manoeuvre a bench to be able to climb safely to collect snow. Staff's insightful knowledge of children's abilities helps them to guide their learning, following their interests well. For example, children experiment with how to build the train track, as they compare the size and shapes of pieces they will need to complete this. Staff's observation, planning and assessment are exceptionally rigorous. Staff have excellent links with the other settings that children attend, to share comprehensive information and complement learning exceptionally well.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff help children to develop an excellent understanding of the world. Children enjoy enriching opportunities to explore, investigate and work together to motivate their play. Younger children gain exceptional physical skills and know how to follow routines to keep themselves safe. For instance, they talk to staff about how to use knives safely to cut fruits as they prepare snacks. Children behave exceptionally well. For example, they listen intently during story time, and recognise and value each other's contributions as they ask questions and listen to each other respectfully.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children are confident and competent learners, who thrive in an enjoyable learning environment. They make excellent progress in all areas of their development. For instance, they develop excellent counting skills, recognise the letters and the sounds they represent, and gain abundant physical coordination skills, such as in climbing and balancing activities. Older children gain exemplary social skills, to help them build positive relationships with others. They gain excellent levels of confidence in their own abilities and high levels of self-esteem, to support their readiness for their future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY467166 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1069629 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 47 Name of registered person Samantha Jane Victoria

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 1 April 2014 Telephone number 07766812541

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reference number

My Little Explorers registered in 2013 and is located near Hursley, Winchester, Hampshire. The setting promotes the forest school principles towards children's learning. The setting is open during term time, from 8.30am to 4pm on Monday to Friday. The pre-school is in receipt of funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years old. There are six members of staff, five of whom hold appropriate qualifications at level 3.

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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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