The Commons Pre-School Llp

Inspection of The Commons Pre- School Llp Howlands Baptist Church (the Annexe Building), The Commons, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL7 4RS

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is outstanding

Children thrive in the pre-school. They are cared for by highly skilled and attentive staff who know each child extremely well and understand their backgrounds and needs. Children are inspired by play spaces that promote their eagerness to learn through their own curiosity, and to explore imaginative play. For example they dig up fresh vegetables from real soil in the play farm. Staff encourage them to be curious and investigate the things they find. Children identify leeks using their sense of smell and matching pictures in a book. They decide to make leek and potato soup and staff ensure this is added to the next week's planning. This demonstrates that staff are highly responsive to children's curious natures and interests. Children develop an exceptional sense of self-worth as staff encourage them to take safe risks and to be highly independent. For example, as children play at being builders, they scoop and transport mud and sand from the play kitchen

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The provision is outstanding

and sandpit in wheelbarrows. As they move around, children riding bikes expertly move out of their way to avoid collisions. Other children use a play traffic light to direct the bike riders, demonstrating their swiftly developing understanding of road safety.

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need to do better?

n Staff make excellent use of insightful assessments of children's progress to plan activities that help them to rapidly reach next steps in learning. They extend children's learning, expertly taking children's prior experiences and spontaneous interests into account. Staff have made very strong links with parents to ensure that they know anything that might affect children's mood or development. Parents report that they are extremely pleased with the care and education their children receive and they feel thoroughly informed about things their children do at pre-school. Leaders and managers use many opportunities to speak with parents and any other settings that children attend. This helps them to know what each child's needs are and ensure their staff meet them to a very high level. n All children show extremely high levels of self-control. All staff thoroughly support children to learn about the impact of their behaviour on others. Children

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need to do better?

show great care and concern for their friends, for instance ensuring they avoid each other as they ride their bikes. They help others complete tasks, for example as they hold tubes for others to push cars down. Staff give children freedom to investigate their own imaginative ideas as they experiment with holding to tube higher, to see if the cars go faster. n Children enjoy exciting opportunities to play and learn outside. Children explore the muddy puddles in the sandpit after it has rained. They splash about, giggling with delight as they jump up and down. Other children use play bricks to build a wall. They show excellent understanding of keeping themselves safe. For

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need to do better?

14 January 2020 example, they put on hard hats as they build and check they have clear space around them when they knock their wall down. n Children are excited to come to pre-school. They are thoroughly enthusiastic learners who take pride in sharing their knowledge and skills with others. They make close friendships, speaking eagerly and articulately to children and adults alike. Staff shape activities expertly, based on thorough knowledge of things that children can already do. This gives children ample opportunity to reach their full potential and underpins their best possible chance of future success. n Leaders and managers are highly ambitious about their plans for the pre-school. Senior managers are excellent role models. They share their knowledge and expertise to help all staff meet children's needs to a very high level. Staff report that they feel very supported by managers and really enjoy working at the pre-

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need to do better?

school. They can access a very broad range of training that helps them to continuously improve their practice and the practice of others. For example, recent training on storytelling was shared with all staff to make story times more vibrant and engaging. This supports all children's language and imaginative development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and managers are uncompromising about their responsibility to keep children safe. They thoroughly understand the local procedures to refer concerns about children or adults working with children to agencies with statutory responsibilities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY550636 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10133672 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 8 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 50 Name of registered person The Commons Pre-School LLP

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reference number

Telephone number 07766407317 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The Commons Pre-School Llp registered in 2017 and is one of four pre-schools run as a private partnership. The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, all 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, during term time only. A breakfast club runs from 7.40am to 8.40am, and pre-school sessions are from 8.45am to 11.45am, with an optional lunch club until 12.45pm. Afternoon pre-school sessions run from 11.45am to 2.45pm and an after-school club runs from 3.10pm to 6pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to staff, children and parents at appropriate times to gather their views about the pre-school. n The inspector spoke to the manager and senior leaders of the pre-school about the plans for children's care and education. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager of the pre-school. n The inspector reviewed arrangements for ensuring the suitability of adults who work with children, including recruitment procedures and suitability checks. n The inspector observed children taking part in activities indoors and outdoors.

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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

14 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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