Small Explorers Ltd

Small Explorers Ltd Forestdale Forum, 1 Bardolph Avenue, CROYDON CR0 9BG

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Inspection date 17 September 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Not applicable Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 2 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2 Outcomes for children Good 2

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The provision is good

n Team working is strong. Staff are effectively deployed across all available spaces and attend to children's personal care and learning needs promptly and sensitively. n Parents highly commend the pre-school and are pleased with how effectively the manager follows up any issues or queries. Parents are kept up to date about their children's progress. They appreciate having a named key person to approach with any questions. n Play spaces are extremely well organised indoors and outdoors. Children have plenty of space to move around in freely. They enjoy the wide range of activities on offer and are extremely confident to make their own choices about where they wish to play. n Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff are skilled in helping children to settle in quickly and take action to address any areas where there may be a delay in children's learning. n Staff successfully engage children's learning in different ways. They extend children's

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The provision is good

learning effectively through planning exciting activities around their individual interests and preferences.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

n Staff do not fully consider how to use information gathered from younger children's assessments to further extend their learning. n Staff do not always organise group times highly effectively to enable all children to fully engage.

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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

n use assessments of younger children's development more extensively to plan next steps for their learning which are more sharply focused n consider additional ways to organise group times to extend learning opportunities for all children.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of interactions between staff and children indoors and outdoors. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager to discuss how effectively staff support children in their activities. n The inspector spoke to staff about safeguarding matters and checked relevant documentation. n The inspector discussed aspects of leadership and management with the manager.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff recognise the signs of abuse and understand what action to take if they have concerns about a child's welfare. The manager regularly observes, monitors and evaluates practice and identifies areas for further improvement. Any weaknesses in practice are tackled through regular staff meetings, supervisory sessions and training. The pre-school also works closely with the local authority to identify additional areas for improvement. Overall, the progress of children is closely monitored and any gaps in their learning are addressed. Partnerships with parents and the local community are very strong. For example, effective arrangements for breakfast and after- school provision have been organised for local schools. Parents are regularly consulted about their views. For example, during the summer holiday, stay-and-play sessions have been recently launched following requests from parents.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The quality of staff interactions with children is consistently good. Staff foster an interest in stories in playful ways. They help children to talk about what they have heard and understood. Staff are skilled in promoting children's mathematical development. For example, staff help children to count worms as they dig and hold their pretend weights in the air. Staff model and communicate language effectively. For instance, they make suggestions about where objects might be hidden and challenge children to follow simple instructions as they join in the search. Children excitedly try to explain where they found the objects. Staff make accurate assessments of children's learning and keep parents well informed about their children's progress.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Outdoors, staff build children's self-confidence and esteem as they help them to climb and have a go themselves. Children eat healthy snacks and enjoy helping to scrape their leftovers away independently. Staff speak calmly to children during toileting routines and make them aware of what is going to happen next. Children remember to wash their hands after using the toilet and proudly wipe their own noses. Staff are vigilant and manage children's behaviour effectively. Children's behaviour is good. Close links with a local woodland organisation provides additional opportunities for children to learn key skills for the future.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are confident to describe how they are feeling. Older children use the mathematical vocabulary of size and colour during story time. Children learn about diversity as they enthusiastically compare what is the same or different about each other. Older children notice the wind toys outdoors and pursue their interest in trying to make them work. They name shapes and enjoy making different patterns with them. Children pedal vehicles confidently and negotiate pathways well. Younger children enjoy making marks with different tools, and happily touch and press objects to explore how they work. Children make good progress from their starting points and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY500044 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 10076762 Type of provision Full day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 22 Name of registered person Small Explorers Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07971334648

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reference number

Small Explorers Ltd registered in 2016 and operates from the Forestdale Forum in Croydon. It opens each weekday from 7.30am to 6.00pm, during term time. It provides a breakfast and after-school club provision for local schools. The pre-school also provides a stay-and-play session once each week, during the summer holidays. There are six members of staff, five of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school provides funded free early education for children aged three and four years.

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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.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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

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

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