Magic Moments Pre-school

Inspection of Magic Moments Pre- school The Scout Hut, Park Drive, Baldock, Hertfordshire SG7 6EN

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Staff are not deployed effectively enough to meet all children's needs well. They do not always notice where some children are not occupied in purposeful play and are not consistently successful at engaging them in the activities. At times, staff do not respond when children want to become involved in activities. For example, when preparing the snack staff overlook opportunities to encourage interested children to join in. Indoor play spaces are not well organised. There are too many resources on display and staff are not always available to encourage children's involvement in a particular task or game. This means that some children find it difficult to focus on individual activities.

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The provision requires improvement

Children are well supported to manage their own feelings and behaviour. Where children find it hard to share toys with others, staff sensitively help them to express their feelings in safe ways. Staff encourage children to understand the impact of their behaviour on others. Children show they feel safe at pre-school and come in happily. Most children eagerly chat to staff and each other and develop their conversation skills. Some children explore flour in a tray, making marks with vehicles and commenting on the marks they make. Other children ride on toys in the garden, shouting gleefully as they whizz down a path.

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need to do better?

n Staff work closely with parents to find out about the experiences children have had before they come to pre-school. However, they do not use this information effectively for all children to identify gaps in their learning from the very start. This means that some children's progress at pre-school is better than others. Some children have developed strong language skills over time, but staff have not swiftly identified all children who may need external support. n The management team has a plan in place to make improvements in the pre- school, but managers have not fully embedded the changes they have made so far. They intend to focus on the learning environment to improve children's ability to engage with individual activities. They are keen to continue to develop staff practice to ensure that all children's needs are met to a high standard. n Staff enjoy working at the pre-school. They appreciate access to a wide range

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need to do better?

of training and feel that their workload is manageable. They feel well-supported by managers and confident to share any concerns they may have. Staff have access to regular meetings with managers to discuss their work and identify training needs to develop their practice. n Changes to the way staff plan for children's learning and deliver the curriculum are not yet embedded. This, along with inconsistent staff deployment, has led to some children benefiting from more staff involvement than others. n Overall, children are developing skills to support them for their next stage of

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need to do better?

3 October 2019 learning. Children gain confidence with toileting and are able to make independent choices about their play. They help to put toys away and are learning to manage their own personal needs. For example, children put their own shoes on and know that they need their coats to play outside on cold days. Children are becoming independent as they build towers out of blocks and choose toys to play with. They are beginning to link the marks they make with their meaning. Children enjoy pointing out letters they recognise as staff read to them from large-print books. n Children explore lots of sensory activities. They hide familiar toys in shaving foam and they uncover their toys with a squeal of delight. They explore trays of pasta, scooping and pouring the pasta as they look for things at the bottom of the tray. n Parents share that they are happy with the care and support their children receive at pre-school. They praise how well the staff have helped their children

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need to do better?

settle in and enjoy the close support from their children's key person. The management team has forged some effective links with external professionals to help improve outcomes for children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand and can identify the potential signs of concern among children in their care. They know how to respond to any concerns that a child's welfare may be at risk and are familiar with the Local Safeguarding Children Board arrangements to make any child protection referrals promptly. The areas of the pre-school used by children are safe. Staff use thorough risk assessments to ensure that children play with suitable toys and that the indoor and outdoor spaces are secure.

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Due date

improve the deployment of staff to ensure they meet children's needs at all times, in particular in relation to enabling staff to respond to children's preferences and choices. 09/11/2019

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should:

3 October 2019 n enhance the learning environment so that children can easily access resources that support them to develop high levels of curiosity and concentration n develop the arrangements for assessing children when they first start, particularly where there may be concerns about their development, in order to close gaps in development as soon as possible.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY239397 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10106672 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 to 5 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 27 Name of registered person Magic Moments Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07980 400 690 Date of previous inspection 25 June 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Magic Moments Pre-school registered in 2003. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one with early years professional status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two- and three-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to the manager and staff about the activities and experiences that they offer the children in their care. n The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector carried out two joint observations of practice with the pre-school manager. n The inspector spoke to the pre-school manager and the chair of the management committee about the management arrangements at the pre- school. n The inspector spoke to parents of children who attend the pre-school to gather their views about the setting. n The inspector reviewed documentation that relates to the suitability of staff who work with children in the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

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

3 October 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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