Tolleshunt D'Arcy Pre-school

Inspection of Tolleshunt D'Arcy Pre- school Tolleshunt D'arcy Primary Academy School, Tollesbury Road, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, MALDON, Essex CM9 8UB

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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 come in eagerly to this pre-school and are greeted by welcoming and caring staff. They wave goodbye to their parents at the gate and walk in happily with staff. Children show that they feel safe and secure and have great relationships with all staff. They walk off freely and make their own choices in activities they would like to do. Children behave well, manage their own conflicts and take turns with others. Children spend a significant amount of their day outdoors. They show delight in the outdoor environment, running around smiling and engaging in a game of hide and seek with others. Staff provide regular opportunities for children to explore the local woodland area to inspire children's natural curiosity by exploring the world around them and the changes in the environment.

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The provision is good

Children show positive attitudes to learning and are supported by staff to develop the skills needed to be ready for school. Children enjoy using technology to recite and act out familiar stories with staff using actions, promoting a love for literature. Staff support children to learn about the importance of being healthy, including their oral health. Children demonstrate their independence, self-serving their own healthy and nutritious snacks and pouring their own drinks.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide activities to promote all areas of learning for the children. Staff know the children well and use what they know about their background and interests to support their learning. For example, children show an interest in looking after animals, so staff provide a vet role-play area to enable children to explore this interest further. n Children enjoy exploring the outdoors, running and playing games with their peers. Staff ensure children have continuous access to learning, both indoors and outdoors, to develop a love for learning. This helps children to be confident and make independent choices in their play. Staff consider what they want children to learn next and make changes to the outdoor environment to support this. For example, staff provide junk modelling outside to support children's imagination, creativity and thinking skills. n The manager and staff build strong relationships with families. They establish

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need to do better?

innovative methods for communication with parents and carers, informing them of their child's learning and interests. This effective communication with parents and carers provides them with ideas to support their child's learning at home. Parents report high levels of respect and gratitude for the pre-school, stating how much they appreciate staff being welcoming, professional and caring to all children. Parents report they feel that staff know their children well. n Children know what is expected of them and follow the rules, boundaries and

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need to do better?

20 October 2022 routines of the pre-school well. Occasionally, staff prioritise routine tasks over children's play and ask them to leave activities before they have finished to carry out hygiene routines. n The manager has a clear vision of what she would like children to achieve during their time at the pre-school. She prioritises partnership working with families and builds strong relationships with them to gather information on what experiences children have had before they come to the pre-school, to build on what they already know and can do. n Children enjoy daily group activities with staff and have formed good friendships with others, playing confidently and calling others by their name. However, staff do not consistently ensure that group activities are age and stage appropriate to support young children's engagement. n The manager is passionate about staff's professional development opportunities

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need to do better?

and ensures all staff are supported through supervisions and appraisals. Staff are confident and knowledgeable in their role. The manager continually reflects on what the pre-school does well and ensures all staff attend regular training to improve on the already good practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding policies and procedures are well understood by all staff, who are aware of their own roles and responsibilities to support children's well-being. They are confident in the process for reporting concerns to ensure all children are kept safe from harm. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and have a good awareness of indicators of abuse. They show good awareness and are confident to identify wider safeguarding issues, such as when a child may be at risk of female genital mutilation. The manager ensures staff are suitable for their role and understand their responsibilities. This is checked regularly at supervision meetings.

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should:

n support staff to make sure routine tasks are organised in a way that allows children to complete activities to their satisfaction n review the organisation and teaching during group activities to ensure two-year- old children are consistently supported in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY479097 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10233920 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 22 Number of children on roll 29 Name of registered person Tolleshunt D'Arcy Pre-School

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reference number

Telephone number 01621 868948 Date of previous inspection 18 January 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Tolleshunt D'Arcy Pre-school registered in 2014. The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, four members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, during school term times. Sessions are between 9am and 3pm. 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 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 the children to learn. 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 joint observations of group activities together. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n Staff talked to the inspector at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.

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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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