Grange Tiny Hands Pre-School

Inspection of Grange Tiny Hands Pre- School Tiny Hands Pre - School, Youth Wing, Pelican Way, Letchworth, Hertfordshire SG6 4NG

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is outstanding

Children flourish in this exceptional pre-school. They receive high-quality care in a calm and stimulating environment. Children arrive extremely happy, settle well and quickly become engrossed in play. They benefit from unique mindfulness sessions which help them to feel calm and focus their minds, ready for learning. Children are filled with awe and wonder as they learn about nature and living things. They handle giant African land snails and find out about their habitat and what they eat. Children learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. They delight as they release butterflies in the garden that they have cared for from small eggs. Staff take the opportunity to teach children the sign for 'butterfly' as the butterflies fly into the wild.

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The provision is outstanding

The indoor and outdoor environments are meticulously designed to meet the needs of the children. Both areas offer the same focus and high-quality experience for them. Children can independently access all the resources. Staff are on hand to support children when they require this, but stand back to allow them to explore and follow their own interests. For example, children learn to balance on an obstacle course independently. In the arts area, they find different materials to add to their picture, allowing them to follow their own lines of creative thinking.

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need to do better?

n Practitioners provide an ambitious curriculum which is fully embedded in the pre- school. Children's experiences are designed to build on previous knowledge. Highly effective assessment is used to plan activities that help children make rapid progress in all areas of learning. Children show extremely high levels of self-regulation and form strong friendships. They share resources and behave remarkably well. n Practitioners prioritise developing children's speech and language skills. They join in sensitively with conversations, modelling and repeating words. Talking points are thread through the provision to promote discussions. Staff use their knowledge and skills extremely well to equip children who have communication and language difficulties with an alternative means of communication, such as the use of pictures and signing. n Children develop a genuine love of books. They snuggle up to staff as they read

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need to do better?

stories together. Staff expertly teach children about the world around them as they share books about different cultures and abilities. This also supports children to understand what makes them unique. n During the COVID-19 pandemic, the provider went above and beyond to support children and their families. They regularly checked on their welfare, used funding money to purchase toys, such as bikes, scooters, and dolls, and provided food vouchers. Activity packs were prepared for children to enable

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need to do better?

7 June 2022 them to continue learning at home. n The manager fosters a culture of reflective practice throughout the pre-school. Her regular reflections allow the provision to continually improve to ensure that children excel from their experiences at the pre-school. A new sensory room provides space to extend the high-quality teaching. Children benefit from nurture groups and focused sensory experiences. The manager has high regard for her staff. They receive highly focused and effective professional development and supervision. This translates to improved teaching for the children. Staff feel valued and their well-being is exceptionally well considered within an extremely supportive team. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are extremely well supported. Staff work closely with parents, carers and external agencies to ensure they receive the focused support they need. Funding is sharply focused

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need to do better?

to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged children. This ensures they progress exceptionally well and have the best possible start to the next stage in their education. n Parents and carers speak extremely highly of the pre-school, commenting that it 'feels like an extended family'. Communication is excellent. Families are kept up to date with their child's progress and develop close relationships with their key person. Practitioners take time to talk to parents, offering guidance and reassurance as well as advice for children's home learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff give children's safety an appropriately high priority. Training provided for staff is extremely effective and helps maintain the highest knowledge and commitment towards the protection of children. This means they are alert to any signs or symptoms that may cause concern and can report any worries promptly, using the established reporting procedures. Staff work closely with agencies to ensure that children and families receive the help they need. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures are followed to ensure staff working with children are suitable.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2572575 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10239152 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 39

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Name of registered person

Grange Fellowship Community Association Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01462 484 924 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Grange Tiny Hands Pre-School is attached to the Grange Fellowship Community Centre in Letchworth. Sessions are from 8.45am to 2.45pm Monday to Friday, during term time only. There is a team of seven staff, six of whom hold a level 3 qualification. 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 setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk. She talked to the inspector about the curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors. She discussed children's progress with staff. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation. This included evidence of staff suitability, the complaints record and safeguarding documents. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection to gain their views of the provision.

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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

7 June 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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