North Bushey Pre-school

Inspection of North Bushey Pre-school Highwood Primary School, Bushey Mill Lane, Bushey, Hertfordshire WD23 2AW

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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 come into the pre-school happily and quickly settle. They enjoy exploring indoors and outdoors. They greet their friends and take part in a broad range of learning opportunities with enthusiasm. Children engage with staff members who take opportunities to bring stories to life. For example, staff and children make chalk marks on the tarmac to represent the different stages of 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. They then act out the story, waving their hands to represent 'swishy- swashy grass' and lifting their legs slowly as they walk through the 'sticky mud'. The children squeal with delight when they find the 'bear' in a playhouse and pretend to run away. This helps them to develop their communication skills and shows they understand and can retell stories.

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The provision is good

Children are kind to their friends and staff and respect the spaces in which they play. For example, they helpfully tidy-up toys at the end of the session. They comfort any other child who may be struggling to share toys and successfully negotiate minor disagreements between themselves. They learn skills to support them for future learning, for example when they move to school.

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need to do better?

n The manager has good oversight of the setting. She knows her staff well and they work closely together to find out about children's needs. The manager makes sure staff access all core training to maintain up-to-date knowledge. Staff focus on identified gaps in children's learning. For example, they have a particular focus on children's language development during the COVID-19 pandemic. The manager attended 'terrific talkers' training to help her to support children and shares her new knowledge with the staff team to underpin their practice. n Children benefit from key persons who understand how to support their emotional security. Staff understand what children know and need to learn next. They work well together to make sure that all children access activities and resources that help them to make progress. However, some staff are not confident to extend activities to drive children's learning further. For example,

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need to do better?

they do not always respond when the most-able children are ready to move at a faster pace. n There are effective programmes in place to support children's language development, and their early literacy skills. Staff help children to link letters and the sounds they make to support their early reading skills. Children make the 's' sound for snow and sand and learn to draw letters in sand and foam. This supports their emerging literacy skills and helps them to learn how to pronounce a range of sounds. Staff speak carefully to children to help them learn correct pronunciation, this includes children who speak English as an additional

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need to do better?

31 March 2022 language. n Children spend most of their time at pre-school taking part in purposeful play. However, at times, younger children find it harder to engage, particularly in larger group activities. Some of these are longer than necessary for their stage of development. These learning opportunities are less successful than others. n Staff use robust risk assessments to keep the pre-school safe and suitable for children to use. They help children learn how to keep themselves safe as they remind them to walk indoors and to use scissors and other tools carefully. Children are able to be independent in their self-care with gentle support. They put their own coats on to go outside and manage to push their sleeves up to wash their hands. n There are effective partnerships in place with parents, who praise the support they receive from staff. This includes times when restrictions have been in place

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need to do better?

in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and staff adapted to telephone contact with parents. However, the setting has yet to establish secure communication with other settings that children attend to support more continuity in their learning. n Children receive consistent messages about their behaviour, which helps them to manage their own feelings. Staff support children who may be struggling with their emotions with visual prompts, so that they can point to a picture that represents their feeling.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Child protection policies and arrangements are well understood by the manager and their staff team. The manager ensures that policies and procedures are in line with the requirements of the local safeguarding partners. She makes sure that staff know how to report concerns outside of the organisation and they understand how to raise concerns about the behaviour of any person working with children with relevant agencies. Staff attend relevant training to make sure that they keep their knowledge of broader safeguarding matters up to date, such as the signs of potential radicalisation.

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should:

n support staff to help them shape activities, such as group times, to extend opportunities for the oldest and most-able children to make their best possible progress and to help the younger children be more engaged n develop partnerships with other settings that children attend to help provide more continuity in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY443089 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10232799 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 54 Name of registered person North Bushey Pre-School Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07467101326 Date of previous inspection 26 September 2017

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Information about this early years setting

North Bushey Pre-school registered in 2012. The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff, four of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one at level 2. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am until 11.45am, with a lunch club that runs until 12.25pm. Afternoon sessions are from 12.15pm until 3.15pm. 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 provider. n The inspector viewed all areas of the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager led the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about what they want children to learn. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. 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 Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

31 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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