Humpty Dumpty Pre-School (Colchester)

Inspection of Humpty Dumpty Pre- School (Colchester) Brinkley Grove Primary School, Rawlings Crescent, Highwoods, Colchester CO4 9GF

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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 enjoy their time at pre-school. They are keen to see their friends and play imaginatively together during the session. For example, children create aeroplanes from construction toys that they 'fly' around the room, pretending to be fighter pilots. Children are confident communicators. They use their good speech and language skills to talk to staff and each other. Older children who are due to start school enjoy practising their mathematical skills. They independently write down simple sums, such as one plus five equals six. They chat between themselves, encouraging each other to add higher numbers together. Children develop a love of books. They ask staff to sit with them in the book area. Children cuddle up to staff to listen to their favourite stories.

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The provision is good

Children behave well. They remember to use their 'indoor voices' and 'walking feet'. Children learn good social skills. They wait for their friends to take turns at the snack table before sitting down for their fruit and a drink. Children manipulate play dough to create shapes, such as a cocoon for a caterpillar to sleep in. They proudly share their models with staff. Children explain that the caterpillar will go to sleep and wake up as a butterfly. They constantly receive lots of praise from staff. This helps to raise children's self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff team have worked hard to meet the actions set at the last inspection. Children confidently get their own fresh drinking water and enjoy playing outside in the garden. Staff receive regular supervision meetings and are encouraged to complete additional training to help develop and extend their practice further. This helps to raise the quality of education and outcomes for children. n All children make good progress. Staff observe children and know what they need to learn next. Children are eager to share their thoughts with staff. Endless discussions take place about bugs and insects. Children play imaginatively with small plastic bugs and insects. They use tweezers to try and pick up the bugs from baskets with string woven into a web-like structure. They learn the importance of persevering to solve problems, for example when trying to work out how to hold the tweezers to pick up the bugs from under the web.

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need to do better?

n Children enjoy moving and combining resources. Some choose to use baskets to carry small-world characters about, while other children build towers and models using construction bricks. However, at times, role play areas, in particular, do not encourage children to recreate their experiences and home lives in their play. n Parents are happy with the care and learning opportunities that their children receive. They comment that their children have learned a good range of skills to

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need to do better?

11 July 2022 help them move smoothly and confidently into school. Parents are happy with the regular updates from staff about children's achievements and progress. n Children enjoy making marks and developing their early writing skills. Staff provide paper and suitable resources on tables, indoors and outdoors, to encourage children to draw or write independently. However, staff overlook additional ways to extend mark making into other areas, such as alongside construction materials or the mud kitchen. Therefore, children do not consistently have a wide range of other opportunities to learn to make marks and write for a purpose. n Staff have good links with local schools. Children enjoy looking at photo booklets containing pictures of their new schools and the teacher. They excitedly tell each other which schools they will be attending. This prompts lots of conversations as children are eager to share that they are going to the same or different schools.

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need to do better?

They talk about their uniform colours and that their younger siblings will be staying at the pre-school. This shows children's awareness of the changes to come. n Staff identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to help them make progress in relation to their own starting points. They seek specialist advice and make referrals where necessary. This helps to ensure that children receive good levels of support to close any gaps in their learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good understanding of child protection to help ensure that they know what to do in the event of any concerns about children's safety or welfare. They are clear about who to call if they identify any signs or symptoms that indicate that a child is at risk of abuse or harm. Staff understand the dangers posed to children from radicalisation or extremist behaviours. Safeguarding policies and procedures have been updated and are easily accessible to staff should they need to refer to them.

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should:

n make greater use of opportunities, especially in role play, to encourage children to recreate their experiences and home lives in their play n build further on children's interest in mark making to enable them to learn to write independently for a purpose and support their early literacy skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY418427 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10229768 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 26 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Humpty Dumpty Pre School (Colchester)

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reference number

Telephone number 01206835155 Date of previous inspection 4 February 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Humpty Dumpty Pre-School (Colchester) registered in 2010 and is one of two pre- schools that are owned and managed by the provider. It employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, during school term time. Sessions are from 9am until 3.30pm. The pre-school provides funded 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 viewed all areas of the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The deputy manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager. 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 spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The deputy manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

11 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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