Bedford Road Pre-School

Inspection of Bedford Road Pre-School Wilbury Hall, Bedford Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 4DU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children form close and relaxed relationships with staff. They feel safe and secure in the knowledge that they can express their feelings and views. Children are encouraged to make their own decisions. They are supported by highly perceptive staff. This allows children to grow in their independence and they display high levels of emotional well-being.

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The provision is good

Children find caterpillars in the flower beds in the garden and remember the storybook that they read the previous term. Staff are quick to adapt activities and areas of learning as they follow children's interests. For example, they provide children with large magnifying glasses so that they can investigate the plants and count how many caterpillars they can find. Children excitedly point out the half- eaten leaves where the caterpillars have munched through them. Children thoroughly enjoy making and decorating butterflies at craft tables.

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The provision is good

Children are well behaved and try very hard to succeed at tasks. Staff provide challenging activities that inspire children to give things a go. Children hold hands as they help one another to balance on planks that are supported by tyres and empty milk crates. Before long, they have mastered doing it by themselves. They are delighted by their achievements.

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need to do better?

n Children sing songs together and thoroughly enjoy performing the actions. They change the words of the songs to make them even more enjoyable. Children laugh with delight as they stomp their feet and pretend to roar with great enthusiasm. However, sometimes, staff do not give children specific praise so that they develop a better understanding of what they have done well. n Partnerships with parents are excellent. Parents comment that staff are fantastic and they are well informed about all areas of their children's development. They are delighted with the progress their children make. Parents say staff support them to move confidently on to school when they leave. n Children enjoy eating their lunch with staff and it is a lively, sociable time. They join in the conversations and learn about healthy lifestyles. Staff demonstrate good examples to children as they also eat very healthy meals that they discuss

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need to do better?

and compare. Children have good manners and are kind and considerate to everyone. They learn to peel their own fruit at lunchtime and know which bin to put the peelings into. n Managers take the happiness and well-being of staff members very seriously. As a result, they retain highly experienced staff who have been at the setting for a long time. Staff have a wealth of knowledge between them and they are constantly attending new training courses. Children benefit from the expert

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need to do better?

6 September 2019 teaching skills that each staff member brings to the team. n Children thoroughly enjoy the wide range of activities provided and they play with great enthusiasm. Staff provide children with inventive and imaginative resources which encourage children to explore all of their senses. However, staff do not always provide children who prefer to play and learn outdoors with resources to fully develop their early literacy skills. n Staff have a well-thought-out settling-in procedure that helps children and parents to feel confident and happy. They offer a staggered start at the beginning of the term so that each child has the time to settle confidently at their own pace. Staff observe children in their settling-in sessions and assess their level of development and interests. This allows children to make progress from the very start. n Children are given experiences to understand how different people live and how

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need to do better?

they celebrate. For instance, staff offer craft activities and opportunities to try food from different cultures. Children also listen to stories about other children's customs. n Children are making good and steady progress from their starting points. They are challenged to make the best progress possible through good tracking and monitoring by staff and management. Children receive focused learning time both individually and in groups. These sessions are aimed at closing gaps in learning for some children and also, extending learning for the most able children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers place a high priority on making sure that children are safe and this is well managed throughout the building. Staff have regular training and their knowledge of child protection is refreshed regularly in staff meetings. Staff know the signs and symptoms to look for and the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's welfare.

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should:

n seek to develop resources that extend children's early literacy skills in the outdoor area n reflect on ways that staff praise children to help them to develop a better understanding of what is expected of them.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY428097 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10063631 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Keighley, Karen Louise

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reference number

Telephone number 07834224207 Date of previous inspection 7 July 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Bedford Road Pre-School registered in 2011. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an early years qualification at level 4, and four hold qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 2pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector had a walk with managers through all areas of the pre-school and discussed how the curriculum is organised. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the pre-school manager. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n A meeting was held between the inspector and managers. n The inspector looked at a sample of relevant documents, including evidence of staff's qualifications and their suitability to work with children.

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Inspection activities

6 September 2019 We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

6 September 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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