Daisy Chain Pre-School

Inspection of Daisy Chain Pre-School St Christopher's Hall, Renfrew Road, (North East), Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 3HE

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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 are confident and settle quickly. They happily leave their parents at the main gate and enter the pre-school, eagerly greeting staff and their friends. Children have good independence skills. They hang up their coats and know that they need to find their name to put on the registration board.

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The provision is good

Children have good relationships with their key person and the other staff. They enjoy reassuring cuddles and take their favourite book to staff for them to read, which helps to support early literacy skills. Children learn simple mathematical concepts as they identify shapes and colours. They use number language freely in their play. Children tell staff that their sandcastles are 'little' or 'big' and compare the sizes of the small world animals.

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The provision is good

Children enjoy role play. They crowd around the café, keen to be the chef or customers. Play money exchanges hands in return for pretend cakes and cups of tea, which children take to the table to 'eat' with their friends. Staff join in and use related words to help extend children's communication and language skills.

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The provision is good

All children make good progress in relation to their starting points, including those who receive additional funding. Staff decide what new resources would benefit the children the most and make careful purchases, such as role-play equipment, to help support their emotional well-being.

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need to do better?

n Children enjoy playing outside. They combine mud, sticks and leaves together in the mud kitchen and ask staff for water to add to their mixture. Staff encourage children to think about what they are making and what changes occur when they add the water. Staff have created an outdoor book area in a shed for children, nicely decorated with pictures from their favourite stories on the walls. Children access this area regularly, bringing books out into the garden area to sit and look at. However, staff have yet to make the most of the outside space, particularly for those children who prefer to spend the majority of their time learning in the fresh air. n Children, generally, enjoy group activities, such as story time and yoga sessions. However, staff do not always organise these times to meet the needs of all the children. For example, younger children are quickly distracted and get up, while older children take a more active part in the session.

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need to do better?

n Children, generally, behave well. Staff support children to learn the importance of sharing and talk to them to explain how their actions impact on their friends. Younger children are still learning how to share and, at times, they take toys from others. Staff quickly intervene to resolve any disagreements, which helps

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need to do better?

6 July 2021 children to learn to control their actions and develop good social skills. n Staff regularly observe children to find out what they know and identify possible next steps in their learning. Staff decide on a weekly basis what they want children to learn next. They plan activities that support children's learning and development, as well as responding to any emerging interests. n Partnerships with parents are good. They comment that they are very happy with the care and learning opportunities their children receive. Parents also comment that staff know their children really well and they can see the progress being made over time. During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic lockdown, the staff emailed parents with ideas for activities they could do at home with their children. They remained in constant touch with the parents to provide support and guidance when necessary. n The manager provides staff with regular supervision meetings to help support

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need to do better?

their professional development. Staff are currently completing higher level childcare qualifications to develop their understanding of how children learn. One member of staff has become a family practitioner and assists parents should they need advice about wider family matters. n To help children to move smoothly to school, teachers are encouraged to visit the children in the pre-school. They receive information from staff about each child's achievements prior to starting school. This helps to support children as they make the move on to the next stage in their learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and how to protect children. They recognise the possible signs and symptoms that would indicate a child is at risk of abuse or harm and know how to report their concerns. Staff are aware of more recent safeguarding issues, such as radicalisation, and are clear on what steps to follow should an allegation be made against a colleague. Daily risk assessments and head counts as the children play inside and outside in the garden help to keep children safe. Committee members have completed all required suitability checks.

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should:

n enhance staff's knowledge and skills to provide educational experiences that meet all children's needs, particularly when they are outside and taking part in group activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 251462 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10117974 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 19 Name of registered person Daisy Chain Playgroup (Ipswich)

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reference number

Telephone number 07432 550511 Date of previous inspection 4 July 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Daisy Chain Pre-School registered in 1974. The pre-school employs three members of childcare staff, two of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector viewed all areas of the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the curriculum and what it is the manager and staff want the children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation together. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability

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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

6 July 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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