Croston Pre-School

Inspection of Croston Pre-School The Old School, Church Street, Croston, Leyland, Lancashire PR26 9HA

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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

From the start of the day, there is a calm but industrious atmosphere. Children settle quickly and engage with a variety of toys and interesting activities. Staff observe and assess children's needs as they play. They successfully build on what each child already knows and can do to help them make good progress.

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The provision is good

Children develop a range of physical skills and good social and communication skills as they play together imaginatively. They cut cabbage with scissors to make a pretend lunch. They mould scented dough to make sweets and biscuits and cook them in the role-play cooker. They use a range of teapots, jugs, flavoured teabags, water and pretend milk to make cups of tea. Staff help children to experiment and identify how to make the tea darker in colour. These and other activities help children to gain essential skills to support their later learning in school and life.

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The provision is good

The views of staff, parents and children are used to help identify areas to improve. Changes to the environment since the last inspection include extending the indoor sand pit and self-selection craft areas. These have increased opportunities for children to be independent and to learn how to work cooperatively. Staff help children to behave well and be considerate to others. Children are praised, for instance when holding the door open for others to come through. They receive certificates for good behaviour and good work, which are displayed. This helps to promote children's self-esteem.

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need to do better?

n Staff successfully model how to play and then step back so children can use what they know to organise their own games. For example, children manoeuvre scooters and wheeled vehicles around the garden, stopping and starting appropriately when the red, amber and green signs are displayed. They stop while their vehicle is filled with petrol and pay the requested amount. n In a range of ways, staff skilfully help children to make good progress in mathematics. Children use good-quality photographs of their fingers to count, order and talk about numbers. Outdoors, children keenly count the natural items, such as conkers and pine cones, on the pyramid abacus which has been purposefully constructed by staff. n Some activities, such as decorating a Christmas tree in the neighbouring church, provide opportunities for children to talk about their community, culture and traditions. Occasionally, craft activities link to calendar events, such as Diwali

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need to do better?

and Chinese New Year. However, on the whole, children have few opportunities to learn about people, families and communities beyond their experience. n Indoors and outdoors, children enjoy a range of activities which help to develop the large and fine movements needed for writing. They swirl ribbons in large

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need to do better?

7 January 2020 circles and draw in the sand with sticks. They manipulate dough and concentrate well as they join wooden blocks with foam. While enjoying a range of well- planned sensory play experiences, children also extend their mathematical and speaking skills. They count the number of blocks used to construct their tower and repeat new words, such as 'cement', introduced by staff. n Literacy skills are promoted well. Children make good use of their name cards to find their place at the lunch table and to write their own name on their work. They listen attentively to books read by staff. Children keenly retell familiar stories and those they have heard being read or on the television at home. n The manager works closely with staff and holds regular supervision meetings to discuss their performance. She is beginning to use a tablet to record practice that they can look at and discuss together. However, although the staff are well

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need to do better?

qualified, observations of their practice are not used sufficiently to identify further training in order to enhance their good teaching. Currently, their ongoing training is mainly linked to safeguarding and health and safety. n Parents are involved in the leadership of the pre-school. They form the committee that meets regularly to evaluate practice, discuss issues and plan further developments. Since the last inspection, parents are increasingly becoming better informed about their children's learning. n Children demonstrate an awareness of technology. They hold a camera correctly as they pretend to take photographs. They operate controls with increasing skill as they move images on the computer while playing number and literacy games.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff follow comprehensive policies and procedures to safeguard children. They regularly refresh their training on child protection and understand how to identify and report concerns. Good use is made of stories to help children to identify ways to stay safe and to manage their own risks. For example, they talk about how the character, Goldilocks, in the story could have made different choices to keep herself safe.

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should:

n link the professional development of staff with evaluations of their practice to help to build on their good teaching skills n enhance opportunities for children to learn about people, families and communities and help them to recognise similarities and differences between themselves and others.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 502193 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10067499 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 22 Name of registered person Croston Pre-School

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reference number

Telephone number 01772 601241 Date of previous inspection 8 May 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Croston Pre-School registered in 2001. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 3, one holds level 4 and one holds qualified teacher status and early years professional status. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday from 9am until 4pm, during term time only. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector had a tour of all areas of the pre-school to gain an understanding of how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the manager. n The inspector held discussions with the management team, staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at a sample of the pre-school's documents. This included evidence of staff suitability and training.

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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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