Aqueduct After Hours

Inspection of Aqueduct After Hours Aqueduct Community Centre, Majestic Way, TELFORD, Shropshire TF4 3RB

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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

Children make good progress in their learning in this friendly pre-school. Staff successfully support learning for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those who speak English as an additional language. Children gain a secure foundation in their learning and are well prepared for school. They understand the rules and boundaries, and develop strategies to manage conflict. For example, older children control their feelings well and ask staff for help when they find a situation frustrating. Children behave very well.

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The provision is good

Children progress well in their personal development. They learn to value and celebrate their differences. For example, they enjoy learning words in the various languages that their friends also speak. They learn a range of greetings and sing songs in different languages, such as Polish. Older children develop empathy for others and support friends when they have fallen over.

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The provision is good

Staff value each child's particular interests and actively encourage these in their play. For example, they provide valuable learning opportunities to support children's imaginative ideas. Children eagerly recreate familiar roles and experiences in their role play, such as being superheroes. Together with staff, they make props to further enhance their role play ideas. These experiences help to enrich children's language development.

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need to do better?

n Leaders provide staff with effective ongoing monitoring, training and support. This helps them to reflect on their practice and identify ways to further develop. Staff say that recent training related to children's behaviour helped them to extend their knowledge, to support children to manage their feelings. Leaders ensure that additional government funding is used effectively, to benefit the children it is intended for. n Good communication between staff and leaders helps to provide consistency, to ensure that children's needs are successfully met. Leaders closely monitor the progress that children make. Staff swiftly identify where children need additional support and work with parents and the local authority to ensure that children receive the help they need. The special educational needs coordinator ensures that targeted plans are implemented for all children that need additional help. n Leaders reflect well on the service they provide to ensure that it benefits

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need to do better?

children and their families. They recently began welcoming parents back into the pre-school, following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. n Parents speak very positively about the pre-school. They say that their children are always happy to attend and that they see improvements in their children's

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need to do better?

4 July 2022 communication and language. They appreciate the help that staff give them to support children's continued learning at home. n Leaders have a secure knowledge of child development and how young children learn. They have identified broad curriculum aims for the children who attend the pre-school. However, their education programme is not yet comprehensive enough to fully support staff in their planning for children's learning. This said, staff have a good knowledge of each child's uniqueness and interests. They make good use of observation and assessment to identify what children need to learn next. n Staff plan an exciting learning environment, both indoors and outdoors. For example, children work in pairs to enthusiastically dig for treasure buried in sand. This supports their large-muscle movements and social skills well. Children cooperate well as they take it in turns to roll objects down a drainpipe, excitedly

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need to do better?

retrieving them from the end. However, at times, staff follow routines too strictly and limit the opportunities for children to make decisions about where and what to play. This means that on occasion, some children are not fully motivated and engaged in their learning. n Staff skilfully challenge children's thinking. Children consider what they need to do to make a square using play dough. Staff provide good models to help older children extend their counting skills. Children decide they want to make ten sausages out of dough, and use drawings to help them to identify when they have made them all. n Staff follow good hygiene routines to help stop the spread of infection. This includes completing rigorous cleaning of the pre-school and equipment that children use. Children learn about the importance of regular handwashing.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in their safeguarding policy and procedures. Leaders and staff have a secure understanding of the potential signs that may indicate that a child is at risk of harm. They are aware of local safeguarding issues and how to report concerns about the conduct of a colleague. Staff risk assess effectively and take effective measures to minimise risks to children. They help children to understand about risk and keeping themselves safe, such as wearing a helmet to protect their heads when they use the bikes. Leaders complete thorough vetting procedures to check the suitability of staff.

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should:

n refine the overarching curriculum aims to precisely identify the sequence of knowledge and skills that the children need to develop over time, to help staff

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should:

4 July 2022 fully extend children's learning n increase opportunities for children to make decisions in their play, to help maximise the level of motivation and engagement in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY443299 Local authority Telford & Wrekin Inspection number 10075109 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 32 Number of children on roll 93 Name of registered person Binks, Pauline Winifred

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reference number

Telephone number 01952872636 Date of previous inspection 11 May 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Aqueduct After Hours registered in 2012. The setting employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The setting operates a pre-school and out-of-school club, from Monday to Friday, during term time. The out-of-school club operates from 7.30am to 8.45am, and from 3.15pm to 6pm. The pre-school is open from 8.45am to 3.15pm. 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 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. The inspector observed teaching practices and considered the impact these have on children's learning. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector held discussions with the leaders, staff, children and parents. n The inspector sampled some of the setting's documentation, including the safeguarding policy and procedures.

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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

4 July 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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