Elveden Pre-School

Inspection of Elveden Pre-School Thomas Alleynes High School, Dove Bank, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 8DU

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Parents and children receive a warm and friendly welcome from the manager and staff. Children happily separate from their parents. They build strong and emotionally supportive bonds with their key person and staff, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Children form friendships with their peers and happily play together. They learn through a balance of child-initiated play and adult-led activities. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.

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The provision is good

Children's behaviour is good. They share, take turns and use their manners with gentle reminders from staff. Staff act as excellent role models. They listen intently to what children have to say and treat them with respect. Children receive an abundance of encouragement and praise, which helps to boost their self-esteem and confidence in their abilities.

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The provision is good

Children have daily opportunities to play and explore outside. They demonstrate their physical skills while they climb up steps and 'whoosh' down the slide. Children learn about the natural world. They help staff to plant and grow strawberries, and learn where food comes from. Children learn about different cultures and festivals, such as Diwali and Chinese New Year. This helps them to appreciate diversity and accept other people's differences.

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need to do better?

n The manager is passionate and committed to her role. She values her staff team and their ideas and suggestions for different activities. The manager and staff reflect on their practice and identify any coaching or training needs to build on their knowledge and to develop further. n Parent partnerships are good. Parents speak highly of the pre-school and the care their children receive. Staff hold daily conversations with parents and keep them informed on the progress their children make. The manager liaises closely with parents and other professionals to support children's specific learning needs, to help provide a consistent approach. n The manager and staff are knowledgeable about the children and develop a broad and balanced curriculum which considers their next steps and interests. For example, children show interest in living creatures. Staff use this curiosity to design enjoyable activities, such as modelling spiders out of dough. Children

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need to do better?

manipulate the dough, helping to develop the small muscles in their hands. However, staff do not consistently make the most of opportunities that arise to expand on children's interests and learning even further. n Staff encourage children to develop a love of books. They read stories with enthusiasm, and children snuggle up to them and listen carefully. Staff provide a

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need to do better?

29 April 2022 narrative while children play. They engage children in meaningful conversations and introduce new words, which helps to support children's communication and language skills. n Staff encourage children's independence skills effectively. Children wash and dry their hands and safely use knives to butter crackers for snack time. Staff provide children with healthy snacks and encourage parents to provide nutritionally balanced packed lunches each day. n Overall, daily routines are organised well. However, on occasion, the manager and staff do not communicate with each other effectively when it is time for children to come inside from the garden for mealtimes. Therefore, children are not always aware of what is happening now and next. n Children enjoy using their imagination. They have fun in the role play kitchen and pretend to cook the toy food and serve meals to the staff and their friends.

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need to do better?

Children have opportunities to express themselves and explore different creative materials. They excitedly tell the inspector that they love painting pictures of butterflies and bunnies. n The manager has established good links with staff at local schools. She invites Reception Year class teachers into the pre-school to visit children prior to them starting school, which helps to support smooth transitions in children's further education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding and child protection. They know what to do should they have any concerns about a child's safety or well-being. Staff receive regular training to ensure they understand child protection procedures. The manager and staff are confident with the pre-school policies and procedures in relation to making referrals, dealing with allegations and whistle-blowing. The provider has a safe recruitment procedure in place to check the suitability of new staff and the ongoing suitability of existing staff. Staff carry out daily risk assessments of all areas used by the children and are qualified in paediatric first aid to help ensure the safety of children.

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should:

n strengthen staff teaching to skilfully hold conversations with children to increase and expand on their interests and learning even further n strengthen communication between staff, so that children understand what is happening now and next in the daily routines.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 218140 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10233570 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 12 Number of children on roll 16 Name of registered person Hollins, Christina Ruth

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reference number

Telephone number 01889 561838 Date of previous inspection 21 November 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Elveden Pre-School registered in 1992. It is operated by a private provider from the site of Thomas Alleynes High School in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. The provider employs four members of childcare staff, all of whom who hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 3 to level 6. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two- and three-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 manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together to look at how the curriculum is planned to meet children's needs and development. n A meeting was held between the inspector and the manager to discuss leadership and management arrangements. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and checked the evidence of the suitability of the staff working in the pre-school.

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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

29 April 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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