Walton Pre-School

Inspection of Walton Pre-School Walton Community Centre, Standley Road, WALTON ON THE NAZE, Essex CO14 8PT

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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

Children enter the pre-school enthusiastically. With a quick wave or a hug, children part from their parents and carers and become immediately engrossed in their chosen play. They are greeted by caring staff, who show great interest in their well-being. Children are busy, keen learners throughout their pre-school day. They chat confidently with their friends, planning and organising games, especially in the role-play area. Children behave well and show respect for each other. They use clear manners when asking for things and patiently wait for their turn. Children proficiently use sand timers as a measurement of time and know that this is a fair way of sharing the resources.

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The provision is good

Children are happy and behave in ways that show that they feel safe. Staff provide children with some opportunities to take risks and solve problems for themselves, such as cutting their own fruit up and exploring in the extended outdoor area. All children make good progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who learn English as an additional language. Staff are extremely knowledgeable about every child's needs and stage of development.

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need to do better?

n The pre-school is run and managed by a committee. A number of the staff are employed directly as one-to-one support staff for individual children. The committee and management team of the pre-school have undergone several changes over the past couple of years. The team is now stable and working hard to build strong links and management strategies. Staff are well supported, for example, through regular supervision meetings and online training opportunities. n Parents speak extremely highly of the pre-school management team and staff. They comment on how well staff know their children and how they support the whole family. Parents like using the online system to receive regular updates on their children's activities at pre-school. Staff provide parents with regular assessments to show what progress their children are making. They involve them in deciding their children's next steps in learning. n Children excitedly explore a tank of tadpoles. They listen intently as staff read

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need to do better?

about the life cycle of a frog and show them the various parts of the tadpole. Children know that when the tadpoles become frogs, they will need to put them in the local wildlife pond to live. n Children explore weight and measurement when they make their own play dough. They learn about how the ingredients change when they add water. Children talk about the feel of the dough once made and find a range of utensils from the self-select trays to enhance their play. n Staff present children with a wide and interesting range of resources each day.

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need to do better?

13 March 2020 They use the information about each child to provide activities that they know will capture their interests. Staff use some explanation and clear language to help children to make the best of the activities. However, they do not consistently extend and enhance children's thinking, for example, through effective questioning skills. n Children enjoy singing, dancing and listening to stories. For example, some children enthusiastically participate in dance activities. At times, however, staff do not plan group activities such as this well enough to fully engage all children present. They do not always prepare the environment well enough to enable children to explore a large space or organise them into a large circle so that all can see the activity. n Children who require additional help or who receive specific funding are very well supported. Funding is spent wisely to provide additional staff so that

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need to do better?

children can be well supported to gain the best from their pre-school experiences. An early years teacher spends one morning per week providing more focused activities to help to close gaps identified in some children's learning. She shares her expertise with other staff through in-house training sessions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and managers demonstrate good knowledge of the types of abuse. They are aware of the main indicators that might alert them to a child's safety or welfare being compromised. Staff and managers regularly update their safeguarding knowledge, for example, through in-house meetings and online training. The committee has effective procedures in place for the safe recruitment of new staff. They undertake a series of checks to assess the person's suitability to work with children. New staff complete a thorough induction programme, which includes familiarising themselves with the pre-school's policies and procedures.

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should:

n review and develop the organisation of planned and adult-led activities to make better use of the available space to help capture more children's interests and enable them to extend their learning further n strengthen staff's interactions with children and questioning skills to help to raise children's learning experiences even higher.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 203482 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10127378 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

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 43 Name of registered person Walton Pre-School

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reference number

Telephone number 01255 672189 Date of previous inspection 6 November 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Walton Pre-School registered in 2000. The pre-school employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including the manager who holds level 6. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am to 3.30pm Monday, Tuesday and Friday. On Tuesday and Wednesday sessions are from 8.45am to 12.15pm. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and office administrator. She looked at a range of documentation, including the qualifications and suitability information relating to staff. n The inspector had a tour of the premises and discussed how the manager and staff use the available space to deliver the curriculum. n The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector discussed adult-led activities with the manager and reviewed the learning intentions and impact. n The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.

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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

13 March 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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