Brookside Pre-school

Inspection of Brookside Pre-school Gusford School Grounds, Sheldrake Drive, Ipswich, Suffolk IP2 9LQ

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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 benefit from a well-thought-out and varied range of educational opportunities. Staff talk to them about their previous experiences. They encourage children to talk about their trip to the park that they took for Father's Day. Children look forward to an upcoming pre-school summer outing and ask staff questions about going to the beach. Children are creative. They use their imagination and build on their ideas. For example, when children play with crafted flags in their mud castles, another child works out how to attach their flag to the wheeled toy they are riding. Staff support children to behave well by being positive role models and by setting clear expectations and boundaries. This helps children to learn how to play and learn together.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from regular and purposeful interactions from staff. Some of the activities that children participate in are planned very well. For example, they enthusiastically join their friends as they role play going on an aeroplane. Children learn new words, such as 'pilot', 'tickets' and 'boarding pass'. Children show that they have learned what plants and bees need while they help to water the plants that they grow together in the outdoor area. They approach adults to share their play and learning and confidently seek staff's help when they need it.

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need to do better?

n The pre-school has had support from the local authority since its previous inspection to help achieve significant necessary improvements. Statutory requirements are now met. Furthermore, the staff are highly motivated to continue to develop the provision to raise standards higher. n The committee and staff team work closely together. Key staff take responsibility for enhancing various aspects of provision. Staff have a clear vision of what they want to achieve. Consequently, children now benefit from good levels of care and education. n The provision is continuously improving. Additional funding is spent wisely and this has a positive impact on the individual children it is intended for. Through regular monitoring and assessment of what children know and can do, staff identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work with parents to seek the extra assessment and support needed.

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need to do better?

n Staff establish partnerships with other settings that children attend or are moving on to. This helps to develop a joined-up approach to supporting children's learning. n Leaders and managers use the strong knowledge and skills of more-experienced and highly qualified staff to help other staff improve their knowledge and practice. When new practices are being established, all staff are involved in sharing their thoughts and ideas. This helps all staff to understand and

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need to do better?

21 June 2022 contribute to developing the educational programmes for children. n Staff are alongside children, engaging with them, during their activities. Children are happy and settled in their environment. Staff value and welcome children's ideas and let children take the lead during activities. However, at times, less- able children do not fully engage with planned activities. Staff do not always promptly recognise when these children need alterations to the activity to feel more able to join in. This means that children do not always get the extra support they need to fully promote their learning. n The manager evaluates staff's practice and identifies strengths and areas for development. Staff are aware of areas of their practice that they can develop further and work towards the targets they set with managers. n Parents explain how their children benefit from the educational activities at the pre-school. For example, their children have learned about litter picking and

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need to do better?

want to do this when they get home. Parents are well-informed about what their children are doing on a daily basis, and how this fits in with the planned curriculum overall. However, staff do not give parents enough guidance and support to help them know what they can do to promote specific aspects of their individual child's learning and development at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Weaknesses in safeguarding identified at the last inspection have been addressed. The committee has provided relevant information to Ofsted to allow suitability checks of new members to take place. Appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service checks are completed. This helps to ensure that only those suitable to be involved with childcare provision form part of the registered body. Staff now have a good knowledge of how to recognise when children may be at risk from exposure to extreme views or behaviours. A suitable mobile phone policy is in place. This ensures that children do not access inappropriate content while at the pre-school. Those staff with key responsibilities to oversee the safeguarding of children at the pre-school work with other agencies to ensure children are protected from harm.

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should:

n enhance the strategies to engage and support parents with helping their children to learn, develop and be healthy n find further ways to enhance the curriculum for the less-able children so that they receive more focused teaching that supports them to catch up with their peers more quickly.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 251427 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10225631 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 30 Number of children on roll 68 Name of registered person Brookside Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01473604238 or 07956 254213 Date of previous inspection 25 January 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Brookside Pre-school registered in 1995. The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 or above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during school term time. Sessions are from 8.30am to 11.30am, and midday to 3pm. A lunch club operates from 11.30am to midday. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. An after-school club operates each weekday from 3.30pm to 6.15pm. A holiday club for school-age children operates during school holidays from Monday to Friday. Sessions are available from 8.30am to 4.30pm. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 The inspector observed the quality of interactions between staff and children and evaluated the impact that these had on children's learning and development. n The inspector carried out a learning walk with the manager and discussed the curriculum. n The inspector looked at evidence of the suitability of staff members. First-aid training certificates were viewed. n The inspector held joint discussions with the manager and provider. n The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. The inspector evaluated the experiences of children. n The inspector spoke with parents and considered their views about 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

21 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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