Lovat Hall Preschool

Inspection of Lovat Hall Preschool Lovat Hall, Silver Street, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire MK16 0EJ

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Children are happy and settled. They enjoy the company of the jolly staff and the other children. There are plenty of interesting learning experiences on offer. Children confidently make choices about what to do. They cooperate well with routines, such as getting ready to go outside. They understand how to stay safe as they walk together to the enclosed outdoor space. They behave well and show that they are learning how to share and take turns.

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The provision is good

The manager and staff have improved the curriculum so that it more closely meets the needs of the children who attend. All children find what is on offer interesting and stimulating. Staff now have high expectations of what children can achieve. They provide additional challenge for older children. For example, they encourage them to write their names on pictures and teach them about letters and the sounds they represent.

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The provision is good

Staff focus effectively on supporting children's communication skills. They enter into lots of conversations with children, listening to what children say and responding accordingly. Children enjoy these opportunities to talk about their homes, families and interests. They are developing a wide vocabulary and the skills to take turns in conversations.

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need to do better?

n Children show good levels of well-being. Staff show a real interest in children's lives. For example, at the beginning of each day, there are opportunities for children to share their news and staff listen respectfully to what children have to say. n Staff are good role models. They show, through example, the value of keeping your word. For example, when they promise to look at a particular book with children, they ensure that they do so. Children are proud and happy to show these favourite books to staff and snuggle in to read the story together. n Staff have a much improved understanding of the purpose of observing children. They now use their observations effectively to assess learning and to plan for the individual needs and interests of children. All staff are now involved in this process, which helps ensure that there are learning experiences that meet the needs of all children well. n Staff organise the day well so that children's learning is not interrupted

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need to do better?

unnecessarily. Children quickly become familiar with the routines and respond promptly to requests from staff, such as to help tidy up or find and put on their coats. These smooth transition times are used well to build children's independence skills. n Staff carefully consider how they can incorporate the teaching of important skills

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need to do better?

7 January 2020 into the curriculum in interesting ways. For instance, they have identified that because children bring packed lunches they do not have regular opportunities to learn how to use knives and forks. Therefore, they include the teaching of these skills in other activities, such as dough play. n Staff join in children's play and are effective in ensuring play is purposeful as well as enjoyable. The impact of this is illustrated when staff join children in the home corner. They spend time showing children how to make pretend food and drink and how to ask each other questions about what they would like to try. Children listen and watch carefully and then practise these skills with each other. n Parents speak very highly of staff. They find them approachable and helpful. Staff encourage them to borrow books to share with their children at home to support further children's literacy skills. Staff share general information with

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need to do better?

parents about activities and topics that children have enjoyed. They are less successful at ensuring parents gain a clear understanding of the specific progress their child is making. n The committee has taken on a much more strategic role. There are more regular meetings with the manager and her workload has been reorganised to give her more time to monitor practice and support staff. This has had a positive impact on the quality of the provision. Members of the committee and the manager recognise that there needs to be further close monitoring of the curriculum to build further on staff's good teaching skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand their role in keeping children safe. They have a thorough understanding of the signs of potential abuse. They know how to raise these concerns to help protect children from harm. Members of the committee and the manager closely monitor staff's safeguarding knowledge to ensure it remains secure. All staff have undertaken further safeguarding training to improve their understanding of wider safeguarding issues, such as female genital mutilation. Staff know what to do if they have concerns about a colleague's conduct. They supervise children closely and ensure the premises are safe and secure.

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should:

n monitor teaching and the curriculum more closely so that support for staff can focus on developing their good teaching skills further n provide parents with more specific information about their children's progress to further enable parents to support learning at home.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 141835 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 10112556 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 4 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 24 Name of registered person Lovat Hall Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07950791952 Date of previous inspection 6 June 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Lovat Hall Preschool registered in 1974. It is situated in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. The provider employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The pre-school is open from 9.20am to 2.50pm, Monday to Friday, term time only.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the manager undertook a learning walk of the provision and the manager explained how the curriculum is organised. n The manager and inspector completed a joint observation and evaluated the quality of teaching and learning. n Parents shared their views and the inspector took these into account. n The inspector spoke with staff at convenient times during the day. n The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke with the chair of the committee.

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Inspection activities

7 January 2020 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

7 January 2020 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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