Harpsden Woodland Pre-School

Inspection of Harpsden Pre-School Playgroup Harpsden Village Hall, Harpsden, HENLEY-ON-THAMES, Oxfordshire RG9 4HH

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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 feel safe and secure and confidently explore the variety of spaces at the pre-school. They delight in playing outdoors, where a lot of their learning takes place. The outdoor learning environment is stimulating and interesting, and outdoor learning is given high priority for all children. Children have opportunities to play inside and outside. They eagerly take part in forest-school sessions in the woodland garden. Staff support children to make independent choices and take appropriate risks. For example, children choose to explore the wooded areas, looking for 'bugs', and carefully negotiate around obstacles, such as piles of wood. They enthusiastically learn about the world around them and how to use the resources within it. For instance, they crush blackberries into a paste and use this to paint their faces and create camouflage.

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The provision is good

Children show curiosity and are keen and motivated to learn and develop their skills. They concentrate well in activities that interest them. Children have great fun imaginatively 'cooking' and serving play food. They show their good knowledge as they name items and tell staff they have made them 'raspberry tea'.

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The provision is good

Children are eager and motivated to join in and they have high levels of self- control. They have respect for one another and listen to adults, responding quickly to their instructions. For example, they play group games and understand the importance of sharing and taking turns.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide a warm and welcoming environment for children. They know the children well and have a good understanding of how they learn and develop. Staff appreciate the importance of providing a range of activities to prepare children for their next stage in learning. They encourage children to be independent in their self-help skills and, as a result, children quickly learn how to take care of themselves. For example, they find their own belongings, make good progress in toilet training and know when to wash their hands. n Effective implementation of the curriculum intent has had a significant impact on the personal, social and emotional development of the children. The result of staff's consistent building of children's secure attachments are evident. Children are entirely at ease. They are settled and eager to explore. This provides good foundations for children's confidence and ability to learn.

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need to do better?

n Staff support children's communication and language well. They listen with interest to what children have to say and encourage them to recall their past experiences. However, during their discussions with children, staff sometimes overlook opportunities to challenge and extend children's interests and build on what they already know and can do.

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need to do better?

22 September 2021 n Children have many opportunities to develop basic mathematical skills. The staff display numbers around the setting to encourage children to recognise them. However, at times, staff are not quick enough to extend children's mathematical knowledge. For instance, when children comment on insects of interest and discuss the number of legs they have, this interest is not followed through by staff to add depth to children's mathematical understanding. n Leaders and staff have a proactive approach to working in partnership with parents. They arrange regular meetings and provide guidance to support parents in contributing to children's early education and well-being. Parents are highly positive in their comments about the pre-school, especially regarding the progress that children make and how well staff care for them. n Staff support children's early literacy skills well. Children show an interest in

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need to do better?

books and enjoy sitting quietly in the outdoor wigwam looking at them. As they 'read', children make remarks about what they see. For instance, they comment that the dog in the book has 'fluffy' ears. n There are good partnerships with other agencies involved in children's care. Staff seek interventions and support for children with special education needs and/or disabilities. They work effectively with parents and agencies to ensure that children receive the support they need to make good progress. n The manager supports staff well. For example, she meets with staff regularly to discuss and manage their workload and to identify any training or support needs. Staff are encouraged to attend face-to-face and online training to continually develop their existing knowledge and skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have thorough recruitment and induction procedures in place to check that staff are suitable to care for children. The premises are clean, safe and secure and staff carry out checks to maintain good standards. Leaders ensure that staff undertake safeguarding training and attend meetings to keep their safeguarding knowledge current. Staff are very knowledgeable about how to keep children safe. This includes the wider aspects of safeguarding, such as female genital mutilation and the 'Prevent' duty. They know the signs to look out for in children and their wider families and who to report these concerns to, including to agencies outside of their organisation.

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should:

n make better use of opportunities for children to extend their understanding of numbers and counting n strengthen staff's interactions with children to make the most of opportunities to

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should:

22 September 2021 provide challenging learning experiences that build on what children already know and can do.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 133683 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 10108481 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 15 Name of registered person Harpsden Pre School Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01491 598280 Date of previous inspection 30 April 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Harpsden Pre-School Playgroup registered in 1993. It is operates from Harpsden Village Hall, near Henley-on-Thames. The pre-school is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between 9.15am and 2.45pm and Wednesday from 9.15am to 1pm. The pre-school is open during term time only. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The pre- school employs six staff, of whom one holds qualified teacher status and four hold qualifications at level 3.

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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 her evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager and discussed the quality of teaching. n The inspector asked staff questions throughout the inspection to establish their understanding of how to safeguard children. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and the children and considered the impact on their learning. n The inspector spoke to the parents to gain their views on the quality of the setting.

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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

22 September 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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