Croughton Pre-School

Inspection of Croughton Pre-School Croughton Village Hall, Wheelers Rise, Croughton, Northamptonshire NN13 5ND

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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 have a wonderful time playing with their friends. They come in to the pre- school happy and receive a warm and friendly welcome from the staff. They form strong bonds with the staff and make new and lasting friendships with their peers. Staff provide good levels of supervision, which helps children to feel safe and secure. They work hard to set up the resources and activities each day to create a stimulating environment.

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate positive attitudes and show they are confident and inquisitive learners, who delight in making new discoveries. For instance, they create binoculars from cardboard tubes, and tell visitors they are going to use them to look for 'bears' in the woods. Children use tools and equipment skilfully, such as using knives to cut and slice vegetables for the soup they are making with staff. They know their colours and are able to name the vegetables. For example, they tell staff they have a 'big red pepper' and a 'hard orange carrot'.

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The provision is good

Children behave well. They are learning to control their feelings and share their toys. Staff have high expectations for all children. They provide them with plenty of praise and encouragement. This supports children's self-esteem and helps them to understand what is expected of them.

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need to do better?

n Children's language and communication skills are promoted well. Staff consistently engage children in conversations about what they are doing and extend their vocabulary. Outdoors, children discuss the ingredients they are using in the 'cakes' they are making in the mud kitchen. Staff guide the children to the visual recipe cards and they follow the instructions well as they make 'mud buns' and pretend to cook them. n Staff support children to learn about what makes them unique and different from others. For instance, children love to look at the display of photographs of them when they were babies and guess who is who. They talk about their families with confidence and tell their friends about the pets they have at home. Staff provide children with exciting experiences that build on their prior knowledge. For example, they go on walks through the woods and children recall, 'That's where the bear lives.'

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need to do better?

n Staff provide activities that take account of children's interests and that promote their next steps in learning. Children delight in listening to stories and enjoy joining in with the staff to do the actions. Overall, staff's interactions with children are effective. However, during some group activities, staff miss opportunities to enhance the enjoyment and learning of the younger children. n Children are highly independent. They help themselves to snack and clear away

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need to do better?

10 February 2020 their plates and know to put their leftovers in the compost bin. Staff ensure that they meet the individual needs of all the children. For instance, they have care plans in place for all children who have a particular dietary or medical requirement. Staff sit and chat with children and they make mealtimes into a sociable occasion. However, staff do not always make the most of these opportunities to build on children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. n Parents speak very highly of the approachable and caring staff. They value staff's support and appreciate the feedback they receive about the progress their children are making. Staff provide a lending library and parents are encouraged to borrow books to share with their children at home. n Staff comment that they are well supported by the manager and that their well- being is given a high priority. Their workload is manageable and they are given

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need to do better?

time to complete observations and assessments on their key children. Staff say that they enjoy coming to work and relish seeing the progress the children are making. They are committed to continuing to strengthen their practice through coaching and professional development opportunities. n The manager understands the importance of reflecting on the quality of the provision to ensure continuous improvement. She seeks feedback from staff and parents to help her to continually improve the provision. However, some records were not easily accessible during inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a secure understanding of their responsibilities to keep children safe and protect them from possible harm and neglect. They attend regular safeguarding training to refresh their knowledge and discuss updates in team meetings. Staff know the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. They are confident in responding to any concerns relating to child protection or wider safeguarding issues. Since their last inspection, the manager has implemented effective processes to ensure that all committee members and staff working with children are suitable to do so.

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should:

n strengthen staff interactions during group activities to enhance children's learning and enjoyment even further n make the most of opportunities to further develop children's understanding of healthy eating and the importance of making positive food choices n make sure that all required documentation is easily accessible for inspection.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY233529 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 10099092 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 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person Croughton Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01869 811968 Date of previous inspection 14 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Croughton Pre-School registered in 2002 and is located in Croughton, Northamptonshire. The pre-school employs three members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. They open from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 9am to 1pm on a Monday and Friday and from 9am to 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The pre- school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector completed a learning walk with the manager and staff, and discussed how the early years provision and curriculum are organised. n The inspector held discussions with staff and spoke with children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector completed a joint evaluation of an activity with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and looked at relevant documents, including evidence of the suitability of staff and members of the committee who have responsibility for overseeing the running of the pre-school. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

10 February 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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