Play And Learn Preschool - Mead Vale

Inspection of Play And Learn Preschool - Mead Vale Mead Vale Primary School, Kestrel Drive, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset BS22 8RQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children enter the pre-school keen and eager to learn. They are very independent and confidently settle into familiar routines. This helps children to feel secure and settled and understand what will happen next. The manager and staff know all the children exceptionally well. They confidently know how to support all children to build on what they already know. Staff carefully plan and provide a wide range of learning opportunities for children. The spaces they provide for children's play have been extremely well considered. This ignites children's interests and provides them with invitations to discover and explore. Children remain engaged in their play with curiosity and wonder. For example, children bake a cake, wash and dry the dishes and then sing happy birthday to friends in the home corner.

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The provision is good

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They are kind and show superb respect to their friends. They praise each other for 'doing a great job', and they remind each other when and how to wash their hands. Children proudly show visitors their hearts of recognition stuck on their 'kindness tree'.

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The provision is good

Friendships grow in the quiet area, and staff also use this area to promote a love for books and stories. The children listen attentively to each other as they carefully turn the pages to tell a story. Staff make excellent use of different strategies to make books memorable. For example, staff helped children to make their own adventure picture book, 'We Went to the Shops'. Here, children excitedly reminisce on their adventures to the shops or to post a letter. This helps children understand how they can become authors of their own stories.

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need to do better?

n The enthusiastic manager is an outstanding leader and role model for her team. She is highly skilled and passionate, with high expectations for children and staff. This includes ensuring staff continually develop their knowledge and skills. She ensures that there are regular and meaningful supervision sessions with all staff. She works closely with the staff to plan and implement an ambitious curriculum. This helps to promote inclusive care and enriches the experiences for all children. All staff comment that they feel extremely valued and supported by the manager. This contributes to the friendly and warm atmosphere felt throughout the pre-school. n Staff support children to make good progress as they learn through their play. They sit alongside children during their play or at mealtimes and engage in conversations. This gives staff plenty of opportunities to observe and assess children's progress. However, occasionally, quieter children are not as well

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need to do better?

engaged as their confident friends. This means these children do not always have the opportunity to extend their learning skills.

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need to do better?

13 July 2022 n Children who receive additional funding are well supported. The manager makes sure that she uses funds to extend children's learning opportunities. For example, she provides resources that enhance children's physical sensory experiences. This helps prepare them to build on skills and knowledge for their future learning. n Staff place a high emphasis on supporting children's communication and language skills. They introduce new vocabulary as children play, and they use repetition to reinforce learning. However, on occasion, staff ask too many questions or respond too quickly. This prevents children from having time to reflect and compose their answers by themselves. n Staff provide children with plenty of opportunities to develop their physical skills. Children confidently climb, slide and balance as they shimmy along a tunnel. Children comfortably learn how to use scissors to practise their cutting skills.

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need to do better?

They also join in enthusiastically when staff teach them yoga. Children remember to breathe in through their noses and out through their mouths. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language receive high-quality intervention. They benefit from working in small groups and focused one-to-one sessions. The dedicated special educational needs coordinator works effectively with parents and other professionals. She supports colleagues and parents with her knowledge that she is constantly updating. This helps parents and staff to support children to catch up in their learning and encourage development in specific areas. n Partnership with parents is a key strength of the pre-school. Parents speak with enthusiasm about the exceptional support they receive from the pre-school. They comment that the manager and staff know their children well and go

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need to do better?

above and beyond for them. Parents feel they are extremely well informed and included in their child's learning. They especially like the home lending library and having opportunities to share stories.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff demonstrate that they are knowledgeable about child protection issues. They attend regular training and frequently discuss safeguarding issues during staff meetings. All staff know the indicators that a child may be at risk from harm, and they know how to respond to this information. They can confidently discuss aspects of safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty. They understand the process to report concerns in line with local procedures. Robust recruitment arrangements ensure the suitability of all staff working with children. The deployment of staff is well organised so that children are always supervised.

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should:

13 July 2022 n consistently give children the time they need to respond to questions, so that they have time to reflect and compose their answers n provide more opportunities for the quieter children who are developing their confidence to interact conversationally with others.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2553143 Local authority North Somerset Inspection number 10239135 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 34 Number of children on roll 35 Name of registered person Julie McCallum and Julie Ross Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 07710544174 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Play And Learn Preschool - Mead Vale registered in 2020. It operates from Mead Vale Community Primary School in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. It operates daily from 9am until 3pm, term time only. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The owner/manager, who holds an early years qualification at level 3, employs four staff. Of these, one member of staff holds a qualification at level 6, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4 and one holds a level 2 qualification.

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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 A learning walk was carried out with the manager to understand how they deliver the curriculum. n The inspector talked to the setting's special educational needs coordinator about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n The opinions and views of parents were considered during the inspection. n A sample of documentation was reviewed during the inspection, including suitability checks and first-aid certificates. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching while evaluating the impact it has on children's learning. n The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation. n The inspector talked to the staff and children and took their views into account.

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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

13 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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