Scamps Preschool

Inspection of Scamps Preschool c/o Spetisbury Primary School, West End, Spetisbury, Dorset DT11 9DF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children enjoy attending this friendly and welcoming setting. They have good relationships with the supportive staff, which helps them to feel secure, settled and ready to explore. Children enjoy getting involved in a varied range of learning opportunities and concentrate well on what they are doing. For example, they spend time exploring coloured ice cubes and observe them melting. Children show fascination as they listen to the story of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' and then look at live butterflies which have hatched. Children build close friendships and show great respect for one another. They patiently wait for other children to wash their sticky hands during a smoothie-making activity.

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The provision is good

Staff know children well and have high expectations for what they can achieve. They quickly establish children's interests and what they can already do when they start at the setting. Staff make effective use of this information to plan what each child needs to do next and provide interesting activities to support their individual learning. This helps children, including those who need additional help, to make good progress.

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The provision is good

The setting closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The manager continued to work, ensuring that she kept in touch with families and children, and sent them ideas for activities they could do at home. When the setting reopened, she ensured that those children who would be moving up to school were given priority to attend while continuing to support those children still at home. The impact of COVID-19 on some areas of children's development has become evident, and leaders and staff are working to support those children who need extra support as a result.

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need to do better?

n Staff interact well with children, building friendly and supportive relationships with them. Staff know what each child needs to learn and use effective teaching methods to engage and motivate them. For example, they talk to children about how important it is to keep practising when they are learning a new skill. Staff are skilled at extending children's learning. When children decide to play in the mud kitchen, staff introduce language such as 'more than', 'less than' and 'enough', and ask children if they think the bowl is big enough for the soil. n Children are exceptionally well behaved. They helped to write the golden rules so they fully understand the expectations for their behaviour. Staff reinforce the importance of sharing and taking turns, and children respond extremely well. Children learn about managing their feelings and show great respect for each other. For example, they comfort others who are worried by the noise of the

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need to do better?

blender. n Children are confident speakers who happily chat to each other, staff and

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need to do better?

4 July 2022 visitors. Even children whose speech is not as well developed still feel confident to express themselves. Staff have identified that some children's speech development has been affected by the disruption cased by the pandemic. In addition to referring them for speech and language therapy, they have also been working hard to develop children's speech using various strategies, such as games and exercises for their lips, tongue and mouth. n Children learn about healthy lifestyles. They learn good hygiene habits, carefully following the displayed process for handwashing and using the nose-blowing station. Children learn about what foods are good for them. For example, they grow their own strawberries which they pick and use to make healthy smoothies. n Leaders make good use of frequent supervision meetings and team meetings to develop staff's practice and check on their well-being. Staff have good

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need to do better?

opportunities for professional development and share what they learn at training to improve the provision. There is a strong culture of reflection and improvement. n Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to ensure that the needs of the children are understood and met. They share information with them in a variety of different ways and involve them in their children's learning. Parents and carers report that leaders and staff provide support for them as well as their children and they value this greatly. n Staff do not always provide sufficient challenge for the most-able children. Leaders have begun to make some changes, such as acquiring more challenging resources. However, some identified next steps for more able children focus on continuing previous learning rather than identifying and working on their future learning needs.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff share a good understanding of safeguarding issues. They discuss them at regular staff meetings to keep their knowledge up to date. Staff confidently describe the possible signs that children are at risk of harm and the procedures for handling any concerns. They understand their responsibility for safeguarding children and know how to escalate their concerns outside the setting if necessary. Children learn about how to stay safe as they practise using knives safely to cut fruit, and staff explain that the blades of a blender are sharp.

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should:

n enhance the planning and support for the most-able children to ensure that they are suitably challenged.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 141113 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10220301 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 30

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Name of registered person

Spetisbury and Charlton Marshall Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01258 451413 Date of previous inspection 14 September 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Scamps Preschool and the Tree House Club registered in 1993. It is located in Spetisbury, Dorset. The setting is open Monday to Friday during term time only from 7.45am to 6pm. It runs before- and after-school clubs at Spetisbury Primary School in addition to the pre-school. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting employs seven members of staff. Of these, one holds a degree level qualification and the remaining staff hold early years qualifications at levels 3, 4 and 5.

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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 joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector spoke to children, to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. 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 inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents and carers during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability

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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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