Pebbles Pre-School

Pebbles Pre-School Foxearth Village Hall, The Street, Foxearth, Sudbury, CO10 7JH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 May 2018 13 July 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 key-person system is effective. Children are given good emotional support when settling into the pre-school. Strong bonds are established and children soon grow in confidence and become active learners.  Staff interact positively with children during play. For example, they join in their pretend games, make suggestions and ask questions to extend children's thinking.  The small and friendly staff team provides a nurturing environment. It establishes strong and trusting partnerships with parents and outside agencies. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to support children's individual care, development and learning needs.  Children benefit from a well-balanced educational programme of enjoyable and interactive activities. Teaching is good and this helps to secure positive outcomes for children. All children make good progress.  Staff promote children's understanding of the world very well. For example, children

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This provision is good

enjoy investigating what plants need to grow. Staff skilfully extend older children's learning as they teach them the correct vocabulary for the different parts of a plant.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 At times, adult-led activities are not sufficiently well organised to meet the learning needs of the very youngest children consistently.  Occasionally, the monitoring of assessments of some children is not rigorous enough to identify swiftly any emerging gaps in achievement.

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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

 sharpen the planning of adult-led activities to take even more account of the needs of the youngest children  embed monitoring practices further to ensure that the learning and progress children make are deeply understood by all staff so they can identify emerging gaps even more swiftly.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through discussion and reading the written feedback provided.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The manager ensures that staff access regular safeguarding training. As a result, staff understand their statutory responsibilities and know the process to follow if they have any safeguarding concerns. Staff are well supported by the manager who provides calm and purposeful leadership to the team. For example, staff meet with the manager and attend regular training. Self-evaluation is effective. The manager regularly considers the views of staff, parents and children to help her initiate improvements. Feedback from parents is positive. They say that they could not ask for a better experience for their children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have a good understanding of how children learn. The manager and staff use lots of exciting ways to support children to explore the natural world. For example, children look at tadpoles and learn about the life cycle of a frog. Staff support children's creativity extremely well. For example, children access a wide range of resources during a craft activity where they are making bumble bees. Staff tell them that they can 'make it however they want' and support them to gain inspiration by looking through non-fiction books about insects. Staff support children's number recognition and counting well. For example, children enthusiastically join in with finding numbers during a fishing game at the water tray.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are relaxed and happy at this welcoming pre-school. They build secure emotional attachments with staff who are responsive to their needs. Staff are good role models and use a variety of successful strategies to help children to understand the boundaries and behave well. Children take turns, share toys and cooperate well. Staff support children to understand the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Children have daily opportunities to develop their physical skills, for example, as they climb and balance on equipment in the outdoor area. They negotiate the space available and develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Children thoroughly enjoy regular visits to the pre-school vegetable patch. This provides them with invaluable opportunities to 'have a go' at growing plants and enjoy learning in the fresh air.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children gain the skills they need for future learning and starting school. They take part in activities with enthusiasm and enjoy learning. Children gain good independence. For example, they follow good hygiene routines confidently and tidy away the toys they have used. All children are making good progress in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY317043 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1129383 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 22 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Pebbles Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 July 2015 Telephone number 01787 880675

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reference number

Pebbles Pre-School registered in 2005. The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications ranging from level 3 to level 6. The manager holds qualified teacher status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during school term time. Sessions are from 9am to 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, 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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