Merry-Go-Round Under 5's

Merry-Go-Round Under 5's The Mobile, Hartsfield School, Clothall Road, Baldock, Hertfordshire SG7 6PB

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Inspection date 30 April 2019 Previous inspection date 20 April 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 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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This provision is good

n The staff team is very well established and staff turnover is low. Despite this, the manager and committee members have rigorous recruitment procedures in place to help ensure that any new staff are suitable to work with children. All staff are supported through supervision meetings and monitoring from the management team. n Staff are effective at identifying any gaps in children's learning, or development delay, which could indicate that children have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work in close partnership with parents and external agencies to help ensure that children receive support as early as possible. n Children engage very well in imaginative play. For example, they work out roles for each other as they pretend to ride on a train and take turns to be the driver. Outside, children pretend the sand area is a beach and talk about the picnics they are having. n Staff prepare children for moving on to school well. They have established a good

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This provision is good

relationship with the on-site school. Staff provide regular visits to the school and use the grounds for activities. These opportunities support children well through times of transition. n Although overall children behave well, there are occasions when staff do not consistently teach children to consider the effect their actions have on others. n At times, staff miss opportunities to challenge the older children's understanding of number.

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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 provide consistent opportunities for children to continually develop their awareness of other children's needs, feelings and emotions n make more effective use of the good opportunities available to challenge children's understanding of number to the highest levels.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outside, and assessed the impact this has on the children's learning. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the pre-school manager. n The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including safeguarding policies and suitability checks of staff and committee members. n The inspector discussed the progress children are making with the manager and staff, and sampled children's records and assessment files. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a good understanding of their responsibility to act on any concerns about children's safety or welfare. They regularly assess risk in the environment and on outings with children. Managers and staff are proactive in making continuous improvements which to help raise the outcomes for children further. They seek and reflect on the views of parents and children and implement their ideas where they can. The well-qualified staff attend further training to build on their already good skills. They talk about how this impacts on their teaching skills. For example, staff have developed wider knowledge on how to teach phonics. This is helping them to prepare children to form words in readiness for reading and writing.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff provide stimulating environments, both indoors and outside. Children are excited to investigate the learning opportunities on offer. Staff use good questioning techniques to challenge children and skilfully develop their ability to solve problems. For example, when a ball goes over the fence, they ask children what they think they should do. Children have many ideas, which staff encourage them to try out. When they are successful in retrieving the ball, children clap and cheer. At other times, staff sensitively teach children through modelling. For example, they introduce shape names into conversations as children complete puzzles and offer them prompts to help children succeed. Staff regularly observe and assess children's progress and share this information with parents. They provide activities for children to take home, to help extend their learning further.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are highly sociable and thank visitors for coming to the pre-school. They confidently introduce other children by name and talk about what they like to do. Children greatly benefit from the sustained amounts of time they spend outdoors. They have many opportunities to be active, for example climbing up slides and scrambling through tunnels. Children demonstrate their good independence skills, such as when they help to prepare snack or engage in tidying up. Children show good attachments to their key person. For example, they choose to sit close to them as they play and seek out their key person when they need reassurance. Parents speak very positively about the pre-school. They feel that their children are happy and are developing good knowledge and skills.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those in receipt of additional funding, are developing skills to support them in their next stage of learning and the move on to school. They develop good early writing skills. They make marks on paper with pens and use chalk to make bigger marks on the floor. Children enjoy listening to stories and are able to express their ideas and anticipate what might come next. This prepares them well for reading and understanding how books can be used for pleasure and to gain information.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 146799 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10063671 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 46 Name of registered person Merry-Go-Round Under 5's Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 20 April 2016 Telephone number 01462 896322

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Merry-Go-Round Under 5's registered in 1992 and is run by a voluntary management committee. The pre-school employs 10 members of staff, nine of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday from 8.30am until 4pm, during term time. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

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