Sarratt Ducklings Pre-School

Inspection of Sarratt Ducklings Pre- School c/o Sarratt JMI School, The Green, Sarratt, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 6AS

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children who attend this highly inclusive and welcoming pre-school receive the very best start to their education. They are consistently taught the skills needed to help them prepare for their life ahead. Children are compassionate towards others and demonstrate the skills needed for forming long-lasting friendships. Children confidently tell staff that they are working as a team when digging in mud to find buried worms, and have great fun making up stories together in role-play situations.

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The provision is outstanding

Children and staff have formed very secure attachments that give them a strong sense of belonging. Children happily talk about home life. They confidently discuss different subjects, such as the weather and seasons, with staff at snack time. This is used very effectively as a time to encourage children's social skills and language development. Children behave very well. They receive lots of meaningful praise for their achievements, which helps to build high levels of self-esteem and confidence. These achievements are purposefully shared with other children and staff. Staff tell children how proud they are of them, and their work is displayed for all to admire.

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The provision is outstanding

Children's own ideas and thoughts are given high consideration when planning the learning environment. Children help to design their own fairy and dinosaur gardens to develop their imaginative play. Staff follow children's interests as they happen. For example, they make and fly paper kites in the wind.

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need to do better?

n Staff are highly skilled and experienced in childcare. They are motivating and enthusiastic in all activities that they support. This positive attitude excites children and makes them want to learn and have a go. Staff know the children they care for very well. The curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure that staff are consistently building on what they know children can do and what they need to learn next. n The management team has high expectations of all staff. They offer clear support and meaningful professional development opportunities that enable them to fulfil their roles to a high standard and consistently improve children's experiences. Staff well-being is high on the management's agenda, and staff feel truly supported and valued. n Staff provide children with a language-rich environment. They skilfully build children's communication skills. Children have excellent opportunities to engage

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need to do better?

in meaningful conversations with staff, who consistently show a genuine interest in what they have to say. Children are confident to ask questions and staff give them time to think and resolve problems, such as how they can get dry mud to form a castle shape from a bucket. They enjoy a range of stories that are read

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need to do better?

23 February 2022 to them with enthusiasm, and eagerly choose the songs they want to sing. n Children's mathematical development is given a high priority and is carefully weaved into activities by confident staff. Children learn to sort and match by colour and object, deciding themselves how they are going to group the hidden toy bugs they find in the mud. Older children confidently count and recognise numbers beyond 20. Children use mathematical language as they play, describing whether they have found 'more' or 'less' bugs than their friends. n There are very strong links in place with the local community, which helps children to gain a strong sense of the immediate world around them. For example, children have taken part in the local horticultural show and made an Easter display for the village shop's window. They visited the car garage when learning about different methods of transport. Children use the host school's

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need to do better?

facilities for baking and physical education lessons in preparation for school life. Children learn about the wider world through a range of activities and books. n Parents' excellent support for the setting is unwavering. They help to contribute to their children's pre-school life in a variety of ways, such as building a mud kitchen and bringing in a live chicken as part of children's learning about farm animals. Parents feel they are very well informed about all aspects of the setting and that nothing is too much trouble for the staff. n Staff are extremely quick to identify and put appropriate plans in place where children require extra support in their learning and development. They work very closely with parents to meet children's needs. Parents' opinions are highly valued, and they are fully consulted with when deciding how to spend any additional funds that will help to improve outcomes for their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff demonstrate strong safeguarding knowledge and can confidently talk about signs and symptoms of abuse. This includes the risks associated with radicalisation and county lines. They understand how to report their concerns about children and adults in the setting. Safeguarding issues are regularly discussed as a team and knowledge is kept up to date through regular training. Staff recruitment processes are robust and suitable systems are in place to check that staff always remain suitable for their role.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 130613 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10127374 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 26 Number of children on roll 35 Name of registered person Sarratt Ducklings Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01923 260885 Date of previous inspection 3 November 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Sarratt Ducklings Pre-School registered in 1992. The pre-school employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, all staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Opening hours are from 9am until 3pm. 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 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. 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 inspector carried out joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school. n The inspector spoke to parents and a grandparent during the inspection and

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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

23 February 2022 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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