Hedgehogs Preschool At Silverdale

Inspection of Hedgehogs Preschool At Silverdale Silverdale Primary Academy, Racecourse, Newcastle, Staffs ST5 6PB

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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 are greeted by the friendly staff and manager, and welcomed into the setting as they arrive. The learning environment is thoughtfully arranged to capture children's curiosity. Children develop their independence, as they take off their own coats and confidently choose what they would like to play with. They happily play alongside their friends and learn to share and take turns. Children form strong bonds with their key person and staff, they enjoy their company and will seek them out for reassuring cuddles. Children feel safe and secure and are well cared for, which supports their emotional well-being. Staff know the children well and talk fondly about their individual personalities. They regularly observe children as they play to assess their progress and identify any gaps in their development.

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The provision is good

Children enjoy an effective balance of enjoyable adult-led activities and child- initiated play experiences. They benefit from daily opportunities to play and develop their physical skills outdoors in the fresh air. For example, children squeal with delight as they excitedly kick and throw autumn leaves up into the air. They learn about the environment and the changing seasons, which helps children to develop an understanding of the natural world. Children take part in celebrating festivals throughout the year and learn about the cultures and traditions of other countries. This helps them to respect and value the differences and similarities of others, and develop an awareness of the diverse world in which they live.

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need to do better?

n The manager is dedicated and strives for continuous improvement. She reflects on practice and the service she provides to make the pre-school the best it can be for the children and families who attend. The manager uses feedback from parents and staff, to help identify the strengths of the setting and areas for improvement. n All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points. This is monitored regularly in supervision and staff meetings. The manager encourages staff in their professional development to help raise practice to an even higher level. n Parent partnerships are strong. Before new children start at the pre-school, staff gather key information from parents, which helps staff to plan effectively and follow familiar care routines. Parents speak highly of the pre-school and value the support and information they receive.

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need to do better?

n Staff plan enjoyable activities that follow children's interests and what they need to learn next. However, on occasion, planned next steps for children's learning could be focused on more, to help children make even better progress. Additionally, arrangements for sharing those with all staff are not yet fully embedded.

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need to do better?

18 November 2022 n Overall, staff support children's communication and language skills well. They introduce new words to the children to support their growing vocabulary, and repeat words back so that they hear the correct pronunciation. Staff enthusiastically join in with children's play, offering a narrative and suggesting new ideas to extend their play and enjoyment. n Children enjoy mixing water and flour together to make dough. Staff introduce counting and numbers as children follow the recipe and use words such as 'sticky' to describe the texture of the dough. However, staff do not consistently use a wide range of questioning techniques to enhance children's thinking skills to support their learning further. n Children have opportunities to be creative and express themselves. For example, they work together to make a bear-shaped collage picture, using glue and different materials. Children have lots of fun exploring the different sounds of

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need to do better?

musical instruments and actively join in with singing rhymes and songs together at circle time. n Staff support children's early literacy skills well. They read stories to the children with enthusiasm, and have created a cosy area to encourage children to look at books independently. In addition, children borrow books from the setting to read at home with their family. n The manager and staff have established close links with teachers from the host school. For example, older children join in with phonics sessions with the Reception class, and staff share relevant information to support continuity in learning and aid smooth transitions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff understand their role and responsibility to promote children's welfare. They have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Staff have a good knowledge of the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child or the conduct of a colleague. Safe recruitment procedures are followed to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Daily risk assessments of all areas used by the children are carried out to minimise potential risk.

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should:

n focus more on children's individual next steps in learning and strengthen systems to ensure that children's next steps are known by all staff to help children make even better progress n support staff to develop effective questioning techniques to enhance children's independent thinking skills to extend their learning to the highest level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY489654 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10233983 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 16 Number of children on roll 20 Name of registered person Rochelle, Gemma Jayne

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reference number

Telephone number 07812183939 Date of previous inspection 25 January 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Hedgehogs Preschool At Silverdale was registered in 2015 and is based within Silverdale Primary Academy. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff, three of which hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and the manager holds a degree in early years childhood studies. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until midday, and midday until 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 pre-school 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 setting. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together to look at how the curriculum is planned to meet children's needs and development. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n A meeting was held with the inspector and the manager to discuss leadership and management arrangements. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of the staff working in the nursery. n The views of parents were taken into consideration by 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

18 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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