Bassingbourn pre-school

Inspection of Bassingbourn pre-school Brook Road, Bassingbourn, Hertfordshire SG8 5NP

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children move around the group rooms and garden, selecting toys and equipment that interest them. Young children make shapes with their fingers in coloured sand. They watch what happens when they pour the sand over dried pasta and listen to the descriptions staff use to narrate what is happening. Children are not rushed, giving them time to learn at their own pace. Older children enjoy climbing on a frame in the garden. Staff guide them while they climb and encourage them to take managed risks, helping children to increase their confidence in their own abilities. For example, staff encourage children to swing and drop down. They remind children to consider how to land, helping them to begin to learn how to keep themselves safe.

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The provision is good

Children feel valued. They make friends with their peers and gain confidence when they talk together. They become deeply involved in imaginary play, contributing to their personal and social development. They work out how to negotiate what they are going to do while they replicate familiar routines, such as caring for a baby when they play with dolls. This helps children begin to make sense of the world around them.

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need to do better?

n Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well. Staff work closely with professionals and agencies working with the children. Staff play a key role in meetings, helping to ensure that the support they offer is appropriate to children's changing needs. This helps to provide consistent care in children's daily lives. n The manager and staff form strong and trusting relationships with parents. They offer support to families, reflecting the values and needs of the diverse communities in which they live. Key persons maintain effective two-way communication with parents. This helps to continue to support children's care and education at home and in pre-school. n Staff understand the importance of supporting children's speech and language development. They take time to listen to children and respond with clarity and expression. Staff add exciting new words in their explanations and descriptions,

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need to do better?

helping children to build a wide vocabulary. They encourage children to express their feelings and requests with words, helping them begin to find ways to regulate their emotions. This contributes to children's developing security and self-confidence. n Children enjoy taking books home to share with their families. Parents are encouraged to read to their children, helping to foster a love for books. Children hear and experiment with new words they discover in the stories. This contributes to their continuing communication and language development.

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need to do better?

10 November 2022 n Staff encourage children to take turns and share equipment. For example, when they play a game that involves listening to sounds through headphones, children allow others to borrow the headphones. Children begin to accept that they may not always cover a picture on their card if the sound does not match. n The manager has a good understanding of how children learn. Children are purposefully split between group rooms to reflect their educational needs. All children have opportunities to play and socialise together in the garden, helping to extend social interactions. When the time comes for children to move into a new group room, they already recognise the staff and children. This contributes to smooth transitions through the pre-school. n Children confidently choose the resources they would like to use. Staff join them in their self-chosen activities, to support and extend their learning. However, the

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need to do better?

enthusiastic staff do not consistently encourage children to develop their thinking skills. For example, staff do not ask children to predict what might happen next in their experiments or ask them to solve problems for themselves. n Staff plan individual goals in children's learning that complement the focus planned for the whole nursery. However, staff do not effectively challenge children to build on what they already know and understand in an exciting and memorable way.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders understand their roles in helping to safeguard children. They follow clear procedures to effectively recruit suitable staff. This helps to keep children safe. Staff know what and how to identify, record and report any concerns they might have about children's well-being. Regular meetings with the manager help to ensure that staff remain vigilant in their role to protect children. When new staff join the pre-school, the manager ensures they quickly familiarise themselves with policies, including those for safeguarding.

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should:

n encourage children to solve problems, find different ways of doing things and predict outcomes for themselves n support staff to identify and provide an even wider curriculum that adds more challenge to what children already know and understand.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2590623 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10251226 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 55 Number of children on roll 43 Name of registered person Bassingbourn Preschool CIO

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reference number

Telephone number 01763448090 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Bassingbourn pre-school registered in 2020. The setting is open Monday to Friday, 8.45am until 2.45pm, term time only. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. 11 members of childcare staff are employed, of whom nine hold relevant qualifications at level 2 and above.

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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 her evaluation of the provider. n The manager took the inspector on a learning walk of the pre-school. She described how children learn and are cared for in the pre-school. The inspector assessed the impact this has on children's progress. n The inspector and manager observed an activity together and discussed the quality of teaching they saw. n Activities were observed in the group rooms and garden. The inspector spoke to children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector held separate meetings with the chair of the management committee and the manager. n The inspector spoke to a small number of parents and took their views into consideration.

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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

10 November 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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