Go Bananas Pre-School

Inspection of Go Bananas Pre-School 9-10 Mason Road, Colchester, Essex CO1 1BX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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The provision requires improvement

The curriculum is not ambitious enough to help children make consistently good levels of progress. The activities available support children's current interests. However, once they have explored these adult-led activities, there are limited opportunities for children to use their imaginative skills or choose additional resources to lead their play. The manager has yet to implement regular and effective supervision meetings for staff. Children learn to pour their own drinks and help to prepare snack. However, they are not consistently able to master new physical skills, such as serving themselves lunch. This limits the opportunities children have to learn about eating well to support their good health and physical well-being.

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The provision requires improvement

Children settle easily and are happy. They have trusting relationships with staff. This helps them to share their feelings and receive reassuring cuddles. Children use coloured pencils to decorate sea-life worksheets. They make meaningful marks on the whiteboard, copying numbers and letters drawn by staff. Children enthusiastically join in with songs. They almost shout out the words, such as 'habitat', before explaining to staff what the word means. Older children are confident communicators. They use a wide range of complex language to talk about the differences between animals that live on land or in the sea.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide children with some activities that support their current interests and what they need to learn next. However, the curriculum is very adult-led and not ambitious enough to consistently support and extend children's learning. Staff have not fully considered how to encourage children to use their imaginative skills or lead their own play. Children are unable to follow through their imaginative ideas. For example, they find a handbag, but have nothing further to extend this interest. This also limits children's ability to independently choose activities for themselves. n Children behave well and respect their environment. Staff continually encourage them to share, take turns and consider each other's feelings. In recognition of their thoughtfulness, staff present children with a small, coloured ball that they place into the 'kindness jar'. Once the jar is full, children all receive a treat. This

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need to do better?

helps children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills, as well as take pride in being kind to each other. n Children enjoy the daily trips to the local country park. They enthusiastically shout out as they walk through an underpass, listening to the distortion and echoes of their voices. Children make the most of the wet weather, jumping and splashing in the muddy puddles, suitably dressed in coats and wellington boots. They find fallen sticks and help staff to place them up against a tree to create a

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need to do better?

20 October 2022 basic shelter. n The manager has yet to implement regular, effective supervision meetings for staff. Consequently, she is not able to consistently tailor support to help them improve their practice. However, the manager does encourage staff to attend training to add to their skills. For example, some staff choose to complete special educational needs training to help support children who need additional help and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n Overall, children develop a wide range of independence skills to help them prepare for the next stage in their learning. However, some daily activities, especially mealtimes, are not as well organised to enable children to practise their physical skills. This does not fully encourage children to learn about their good health and physical well-being, such as appropriate portion sizes. n Staff work well with parents. They catch up with them regularly and share

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need to do better?

information electronically to help promote continuity in children's care and learning. Parents comment that they enjoy looking at what their children do while at the pre-school. They often share pictures of what their children have done over the weekend. n There are good partnerships with staff at other settings that children attend and the local schools. Staff share information with teachers to enable them to understand children's achievements and what they need to learn next. This helps to provide children with continuity as they move into the next stage of their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the signs and symptoms that may indicate that children are at risk of harm or abuse. They update their knowledge regularly. For example, staff have a secure knowledge of how to identify children and their families who are in danger of being radicalised or at risk from extremist behaviour. Staff are clear that they should speak to their designated safeguarding lead if they have any concerns about a colleagues' conduct. This helps to keep children safe while at pre-school. The provider and manager have updated their recruitment procedures to help ensure that all staff working with children are checked and suitable.

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Due date

20 October 2022 improve the implementation of the curriculum to ensure that children are consistently motivated, challenged and inspired to learn 25/11/2022

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Due date

take action to ensure that children, including those who are younger and quieter, can continually and independently access a wider range of activities and resources. 25/11/2022

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should:

n build further on staff's understanding of how to encourage children to develop their understanding of healthy eating, to support their good health and physical well-being.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY558488 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10245162 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 14 Number of children on roll 20 Name of registered person Go Bananas Colchester Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01206 761 762 Date of previous inspection 23 May 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Go Bananas Pre-School registered in 2018 and is situated in Colchester, Essex. The setting employs five members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including one who holds qualified teacher status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, for 48 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8.30am to 4.30pm. 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 the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager took the inspector on a learning walk and talked about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n Children told the inspector about their friends and what they like to do when they are at pre-school. 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 manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation during circle time. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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Inspection activities

n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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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

20 October 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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