Highfield Hoppers Ltd

Inspection of Highfield Hoppers Ltd Alsager Highfields Cp School, Fairview Avenue, Alsager, STOKE-ON-TRENT ST7 2NW

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

The leaders are passionate about their role and have a clear vision for their team. They adopt a curriculum that is rich in language. Staff actively promote children's communication skills and are good role models. Children have opportunities to borrow books to take home from the sharing library. This helps to promote early reading skills, and children gain a love of reading from a very young age.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from a range of exciting activities across different areas of learning in early years. They become engrossed in their learning while they play 'noisy neighbour'. Children listen attentively to hidden noises around the classroom. They successfully identify objects that could be making the same sound. Children enjoy recognising rhyming words in whole-group activities. This helps to promote children's early literacy skills. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to extend children's learning even further.

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The provision is good

Staff create a welcoming and calm environment for children to play and explore in. Children feel safe and they demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They show high levels of curiosity in their play. They are captivated while investigating the properties of ice in the outdoor area.

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The provision is good

Children are happy and settled. They have formed strong attachments with staff and made close friendships with their peers. Children behave well because staff embed the rules of the setting from an early age. Children play well together, taking turns and sharing equipment.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have forged partnerships with a range of professionals. They work well with relevant agencies, which ensures children receive the specialist support they need. This helps to improve staff's knowledge of how to support children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n Staff introduce mathematical language such as 'bigger' and 'smaller' to children as they play. Younger children order three objects by size, from the smallest to the biggest. Older children use magnetic fishing rods to count how many fish they can catch in the water tray. This helps to promote mathematical skills. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to question children in their play, to extend their learning even further. n Staff liaise effectively with the local school. The headteacher reads the children a story every month. A book containing photographs of children's new teachers and the school environment is sent home over the summer holidays. This helps

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need to do better?

to prepare children for their move to school. n Parents are thrilled with the level of care that children receive. They are thankful

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need to do better?

18 November 2019 for the large bank of activities sent home. This helps parents to extend their children's learning at home. Parents state that staff 'go above and beyond' to support families. Staff have recently supported parents with finding specialist provision. n Staff track the development of all children, which ensures that they can plan effectively for children's next steps. Children make good progress from their starting points. Leaders ensure they provide children with access to experiences and opportunities that help them to gain the key skills needed for the next stage in their development and eventual move to school. n Self-evaluation includes the views of staff, children and parents. Leaders have recently altered the prices of sessions following parents' feedback. They have also introduced a daily menu board in the entranceway. n The manager monitors the practice of staff through supervision meetings.

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need to do better?

However, systems for assessing the quality of teaching have not been embedded. Professional development opportunities are not focused on improving teaching. n Children are becoming independent learners. Younger children put on their own coats and freely access the resources. Older children put on costumes by themselves and manage their own personal hygiene well. n Leaders recently failed to notify Ofsted about a significant event. They have since evaluated their practice and put appropriate measures in place to ensure the incident does not happen again.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good understanding of what constitutes a safeguarding concern. They understand the procedures to follow to protect children from harm. Staff attend training courses, access online training and have monthly staff meetings to improve their safeguarding knowledge. Good recruitment procedures and rigorous background checks ensure that children are always cared for by suitable adults who have the necessary skills to fulfil their roles in the setting. Risk assessments are completed to minimise any risks to children. Children are supervised well in all areas of the setting. Consequently, children are protected.

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should:

n support staff to ask children even more challenging questions to further extend their learning n enhance professional development opportunities for staff to focus on raising the quality of teaching and learning even higher.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY338686 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 10109743 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 Full day care Age range of children 2 to 10 Total number of places 46 Number of children on roll 28 Name of registered person Highfields Hoppers Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01270 878205 Date of previous inspection 16 January 2013

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Information about this early years setting

Highfield Hoppers Ltd registered in 2006. The setting employs 10 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The manager holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 6. The setting opens Monday to Friday and sessions are from 7.45am until 6pm. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities inside and outdoors and evaluated the impact this has on children's learning. n A joint observation was completed by the inspector and the manager. n The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n A meeting was held between the inspector and the managers. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting. n Parents were spoken to during the inspection, and the inspector took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

18 November 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

18 November 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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