Buttons@Wavendon Gate

Inspection of Buttons@wavendon Gate Wavendon Gate Pavilion Ltd, Isaacson Drive, Wavendon Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK7 7RZ

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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 enjoy an extensive range of highly stimulating activities. The exceptionally professional, enthusiastic staff team place children at the centre of all that they do. Buttons pre-school aims to support local families in a truly inclusive way and staff mentor and develop each child to ensure they achieve the best that they can be. The owner is adamant that the pre-school will provide whatever support a family needs so that no child goes without. For example, during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, management and staff kept in close touch with families to deliver extra food and learning resources.

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The provision is outstanding

Children learn rapidly in this beacon of excellence, which is a safe haven for them. They develop high levels of confidence and self-esteem, learning to manage their own needs independently and expressing their creativity freely. Children use fresh flowers and vegetables from the role-play shop to extend their play in different activities around the hall. Children learn excellent social skills and behave exceptionally well.

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The provision is outstanding

Children form close bonds with staff. They run to warmly hug their key person or eagerly climb onto the manager's lap for a special conversation on the toy telephone. The owner and her management team have the highest expectations for all children regardless of background and foster a culture of trust amongst the families of the children who attend.

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need to do better?

n The pre-school is owned by a highly experienced and dynamic leader. Her senior management team ensure that staff benefit from ample internal and external training opportunities. Staff well-being is a high priority and the regular well- being circle meetings ensure that everyone routinely offers support to a colleague who is not feeling their best. The new manager is benefitting from a thorough and generous induction programme. Staff teaching skills improve consistently and this means that children make rapid progress in their learning. n When staff identify a need within a family likely to have a negative impact upon the well-being of a child, the staff provide the necessary advice or equipment to help to resolve that issue. Consequently, parents report extremely strong and effective partnerships and high levels of trust in the pre-school, its staff and management. Parents receive regular information about their children's progress

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need to do better?

via an online platform. Key persons actively encourage parents to share information from home. This contributes to children receiving a highly consistent approach to their care needs and learning. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported exceptionally well. The staff work tirelessly to secure early interventions. They

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need to do better?

28 June 2021 help children to learn that everyone is different, and children show care and concern for each other. Children develop high levels of self-control and perseverance when encountering difficulties, such as using a visual time line. Staff are always nearby to sensitively support their attempts, encourage their successes and praise their achievements. n The curriculum is coherently arranged to sequence children's knowledge and skills for their future learning. A garden activity extends on children's earlier sensory experiences exploring herbal teas. Children make potions using coloured water, herbs, soap, flower petals, jelly and coloured foam. Staff ask open questions to promote conversation and encourage children to count the petals being added, 'one more' and 'one less'. Children use mathematical language for capacity, such as 'full' and 'empty', as they pour their potions into vases. n Forest school sessions challenge children to prepare the ingredients for the

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need to do better?

'Gruffalo's' tea. They squat and kneel at the tuff spot tray in the garden to peel and chop carrots, onions, broccoli, kiwi, limes and potatoes, using peelers, knives and scissors. Staff encourage children to use new vocabulary and extend language. For example, a child asks, 'what are the black bits coming out of the kiwi?' The teacher links this to what the child already knows about an apple. n Children are totally immersed in their purposeful play. They choose what they do and whether they play indoors or out. They readily respond to the 'Clap hands and wriggle your fingers' song. This signals changes in the daily routine and children quickly help to tidy activities, or move to small group sessions or to sit for lunch. n Staff take small groups of children out of the main session to offer targeted support for those with speech and language difficulties or listening and attention issues. Children divide into age groups for story time so that the chosen book is

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need to do better?

suitable for their stage of development. Older children take part in short phonics sessions in readiness for school. n Children follow a pictorial recipe to count and measure ingredients to make their own play dough. Using the context of one of their favourite stories, children make their blue dough into aliens with coloured matchsticks, pipe cleaners and googly eyes. They creatively stick the play dough onto their foreheads, pushing the googly eyes into the dough and become aliens who dance around the hall. n Children relish the music and movement sessions where they expend energy dancing to 'Baby shark' or run, jump and jog to a familiar tune. Children have free flow access to the outdoor space to practise their physical skills. n Following their interests, children explore plastic dinosaurs in the 'Dinosaur swamp home'. Using non-fiction books staff help children to identify and pronounce challenging words, such as 'Euoplocephalus' and 'Petaceratops'.

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need to do better?

Children say that the dinosaur is 'a great stocky dinosaur, built like a tank and covered with spiky armour'.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The owner is passionate about safeguarding children and ensures that every

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Safeguarding

28 June 2021 member of staff at whatever level of seniority confidently understands their roles and responsibilities in this regard. All staff complete regular safeguarding training. They are very confident with the pre-school policies and procedures in relation to making referrals, dealing with allegations and whistle blowing. Thorough checks are made on new and employed staff to ensure they are and remain suitable to work with children. Staff maintain a safe environment for children. Management and staff liaise effectively with other agencies where necessary. Staff are proactive in promoting partnerships with local schools to help to ensure smooth transitions for children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2505271 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 10194411 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

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inspection

Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person Buttons Preschools Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07973 158368 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Buttons@wavendon Gate registered in 2018 and is privately owned. It is one of a chain of nine pre-schools currently operating in the Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire area. The pre-school employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications between level 2 and 6. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 8am until 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are children on roll in receipt of early years pupil premium and also children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager, the peripatetic manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The manager completed a joint observation of a planned activity with the inspector. n The inspector talked to children and staff and held meetings with the owner and her executive director. She reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school. n The inspector spoke to 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

28 June 2021 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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