Caterpillars Pre-School (Sussex) Limited

Inspection of Caterpillars Pre-School (Sussex) Limited Community Centre, Ditchling Hill, CRAWLEY, West Sussex RH11 8QL

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

Children enjoy their time at the pre-school and become completely engrossed in their pretend play. They show great delight and enthusiasm in engaging staff in their chosen imaginative play experiences, such as making potions. Staff are skilled at weaving in what children need to learn next in these interactions, such as extending their communication and language skills. Children relish outdoor play and choose to spend most of their time in the garden. They become fully involved in developing their car wash, which staff support to great effect. Children confidently explain what they are doing and freely express their enjoyment. Mealtimes are social events where all children and staff sit together. This helps the youngest children to develop good social skills. Children talk with staff during these times about healthy eating.

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The provision is good

The manager has clear ambitions for the care and learning of all children and shares these readily with staff. This enables them to work together in their goals for the curriculum and provide good-quality outcomes for children. Older children thoroughly enjoy their story sessions, where they pretend to go on a dragon hunt. They join in animatedly with the actions of opening the castle door. They make suggestions about what they find on their journey and excitedly run home before the dragon catches them. Children understand how to use their voices quietly or loudly to sing along to songs, enhancing their understanding of tone and rhythm.

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need to do better?

n Children greet their friends warmly and with enthusiasm. For example, when a child arrived, his friend excitedly said, 'Hello, are you ok?'. Children learn the golden rules for the pre-school and staff remind children about being kind. Staff give children explanations as to why their actions are not appropriate. However, staff do not consistently explore different ways to help children to learn about working together to negotiate turn taking independently. n Staff forge good partnerships with parents. They provide feedback to parents on a daily basis and also share developmental information using an online system and at parents' meetings. Staff actively seek the views of parents and take action to make well-targeted improvements. For example, there are plans in place to hold open days to share more about children's experiences at the setting. Parents comment positively about the setting and feel that their children

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need to do better?

have developed good levels of confidence and have improved communication skills. n Children readily share their views with staff, who help them to extend their play and build good levels of concentration. For instance, following children's recent interest in living creatures and also about members of their families, they searched for worms in the soil. They created a family of worms, deciding on

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need to do better?

21 March 2022 which family members they were according to their size. Staff successfully extended children's vocabulary throughout, introducing words such as 'gigantic'. n Children who speak more than one language receive good levels of support. Staff learn key words in children's home languages. However, staff do not purposefully explore and plan ways in which they can successfully embrace the heritage and cultural backgrounds of children attending the setting. This does not fully support all children's awareness of similarities and differences in their community and the wider world. n Staff celebrate children's new-found skills. For example, during the morning session, one child learned to pedal the tricycle. The child beamed with delight at the praise received. The staff member stated that she would complete a 'WOW' leaf for the achievement tree and that the child would have a certificate to go home. This enables parents to also be involved in this achievement as well as

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need to do better?

enhancing children's well-being. n The provider and manager engage with staff continually to ensure that they are fully aware of any pressures on their well-being. Staff report that they feel fully supported in their roles and that they have good opportunities for professional development. They comment that the provider plans team-building events and finds varying ways to boost their well-being. n Staff actively seek support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This enables early diagnosis and support plans to be implemented without delay so gaps in learning can be closed swiftly. Staff use additional funding children receive successfully to support each child's individual needs.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff fully understand their role and responsibilities in safeguarding children. They have a clear understanding of child protection, including a wide range of safeguarding aspects. Staff complete regular training to keep their knowledge up to date with current practice. They have a clear knowledge of the importance of making prompt referrals should they have any concerns about a child or family member. This supports children's safety and welfare. Staff have recently reviewed their knowledge of risk assessments to ensure that they promptly identify and minimise any hazards to keep children safe.

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should:

n increase staff's understanding of how to embrace children's cultural backgrounds and how to plan more effectively for this n explore different ways to enable children to learn more about managing turn taking independently.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY496854 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10213396 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 52 Number of children on roll 75 Name of registered person Caterpillars Pre-School (Sussex) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01293544516 Date of previous inspection 18 October 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Caterpillars opened in 2013 and re-registered as Caterpillars Pre-School (Sussex) Limited in 2016. The pre-school operates from two playrooms in the Southgate Community Centre in Crawley. The pre-school sessions are each weekday from 8am to 5pm, term time only. The setting also runs from 8am to 6pm during school holidays, for all age groups. There are 10 members of staff, eight of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector spoke to staff and parents and took their views into account.

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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

21 March 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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