Hartford Pre-School

Inspection of Hartford Pre-School Hartford Community Centre, Canterbury Road, Urmston, Manchester, Lancashire M41 0RX

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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 enter pre-school happily and with enthusiasm. They settle quickly, even after returning from lengthy periods of time away. Children feel safe and secure. They know what is expected of them and behave extremely well. Children follow routine with ease and are independent in the tasks they take part in. For example, they persevere with putting their coats on and use tongs to choose fruit and vegetables from the snack plate. Children are kind and caring towards others. They show their friends how to hold on to the 'walking hoops' before they set off to the park. Children learn how to be safe out of the setting as they carefully check for nearby cars and dogs running past. Children recall stories they have read and use their imagination to find owls on their walk. They show good language and literacy skills. Furthermore, they confidently count apples on trees and use positional language, showing their understanding of mathematics.

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The provision is good

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff noticed that children's social skills and confidence were not at expected levels. To address this they focus on supporting children to interact with others and give consistent praise. This has helped raise the levels of children's self-esteem. For example, children feel proud to display their pictures from home on the board in the group area.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff have a clear focus for children's individual learning. They consistently check what children know and can do in order to extend their development further. For example, when children visit the park to carry out a 'listening walk', staff encourage them to remember noises and different types of birds they have spotted before. Children spend time thinking back to prior learning. This helps them to concentrate and remember knowledge. n Parents are given information about what their children enjoy at pre-school and have built relationships with staff. They are aided to implement some strategies that help develop some key skills with their children, such as toileting. This helps the process to be as smooth as possible for children and ensures consistency between home and pre-school. However, parents are not consistently involved in children's ongoing learning in order to help them to continue further progress at

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need to do better?

home, which can help prevent gaps in children's development occurring. n The manager has supported staff to keep up to date with required training and promotes continued professional development. She has supported them to work as a team to share ideas in order to improve the setting as a whole. However, some areas of development have not been precisely focused for each member of staff to enhance practice even further. This means that, at times, children's learning can be inconsistent. n Children learn skills in preparation for the move to school. Staff are supportive in

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need to do better?

8 September 2022 developing children's ability to listen and concentrate. Children join in with group tasks, such as identifying days, months and seasons. They look outside at the weather and comment that 'rain is in the clouds'. Children are encouraged to be confident to express their views with their peers. n Communication and language is well supported throughout the pre-school. The manager has recently completed some in-depth training in this area. This is used to assess children's speaking and understanding skills and identify any gaps in their learning quickly. Staff use clearly spoken words with children and sing lots of songs. Children use a large range of vocabulary and speak in long, descriptive sentences. n Partnerships with other settings and professionals are well established. This helps staff work in conjunction with others to provide consistent care and support for children, including those with special educational needs and/or

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need to do better?

disabilities. Additionally, children spend time integrating within their future school. This helps them become aware of new routines and people, and it helps staff share learning needs with the children's teachers. As a result, children continue to make good progress and are prepared for their next stage in education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff know how to recognise signs and symptoms of child abuse and how to respond and report this in a timely manner. They know how to identify the signs of extreme behaviour in accordance with 'Prevent' duty guidance. All staff have completed up-to-date paediatric first-aid qualifications and understand how to support children who may incur an injury. They help children to understand safety both in and out of the pre-school. Children know they wear high-visibility jackets so they can be seen when they go out on walks. Additionally, they help sweep and remove hazards from the floor during play so they don't fall. Children are beginning to learn how to keep themselves safe.

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should:

n embed more focused strategies that help staff develop and use their knowledge and skills in areas that will benefit children's development the most n improve parents' level of involvement in their children's ongoing learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 318685 Local authority Trafford Inspection number 10106670 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 40 Number of children on roll 5 Name of registered person Wise, Duncan

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reference number

Telephone number 07824357836 Date of previous inspection 15 May 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Hartford Pre-school registered in 1999 and is situated in Urmston, Manchester. The pre-school employs three members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 9am until 12pm. The pre-school provides funded 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 manager and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. 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 Parents and grandparents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection.

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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

8 September 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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