Peapod Pre-School

Inspection of Peapod Pre-School 95 Milford Road, NORWICH NR2 3AR

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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 flourish in this welcoming and nurturing pre-school. They have built strong bonds with their key workers, who are very attentive to their needs. This has a positive impact on their emotional well-being, and helps to ensure that they feel safe and secure. Children know and follow the routine in the pre-school well. They instinctively know to wash their hands when they come in each morning and hang their belongings on their pegs. Children are becoming increasingly independent. They confidently dress themselves, self-serve their snack and tidy up their toys when they have finished playing.

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The provision is good

Children develop a positive attitude to their learning. The well-organised environment promotes their natural curiosity and eagerness to learn. Children have high levels of confidence in their abilities and in social situations. They eagerly interact with staff, their peers and visitors, and enjoy discussing their abilities and achievements. Staff foster a love of books among children. They eagerly gather around staff, who read with enthusiasm and capture the children's interest. Children can complete endings to stories and shout out familiar phrases with excitement. They know how to handle books with care, and gently turn the pages in the story. This helps to support children's early literacy skills.

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need to do better?

n Staff deliver an ambitious curriculum for children, which is planned around their individual needs. Activities are interesting and engage children well. For example, children enjoy drawing story books and enthusiastically discuss with staff what each picture means. Staff show a deep understanding of their key children's level of development, and plan activities that help to build on what children know and can do. n Children are respectful, showing care and consideration towards their friends and adults. Staff praise children positively for their efforts, achievements and positive behaviours. This helps to promote children's self-esteem and confidence effectively. However, although staff have put routines and boundaries in place, this is not fully implemented throughout the day. For example, children are not always reminded about how to sit and listen during group time, and get easily distracted. n Staff support children in leading a healthy lifestyle and to understand the

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need to do better?

importance of good oral health. They enjoy regular physical play and have ample opportunities to play outside each day. For instance, children enjoy riding on bikes and climbing trees in the well-resourced garden. Staff deliver consistent messages to help children understand how they can make healthy choices. n Children's communication and language is positively encouraged throughout the setting. Staff spend a lot of time talking to children, introducing new words and

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need to do better?

21 November 2022 creating a language-rich environment. They help to extend children's vocabulary by engaging in small group activities to support children's individual needs. Children recognise their name and familiar letter sounds. For example, children use keyboards to identify the letters in their name. n The management team and staff develop and maintain strong partnerships with parents. They use many initiatives to engage parents, including home-learning ideas, events and celebrations. Parents comment that staff are 'lovely and kind' and that they 'keep them well informed about where their children are within their development'. They discuss how their children have 'blossomed and grown in confidence' and 'make excellent progress in their learning'. n Staff effectively support children and families with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with

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need to do better?

parents and other professionals to identify, plan and coordinate support for them. Additional funding is used appropriately by the management team to meet the needs of individual children. n The management team is ambitious and passionate about providing high-quality care and education. They support children and families and make positive changes to improve outcomes for all. Managers support staff's ongoing training well. For instance, recent sign language training has improved staff's knowledge of how to support children's language and communication skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a thorough understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and how to keep children safe. They confidently describe the signs that indicate that a child may be at risk of harm or extreme behaviour. Staff understand the procedures to follow if they are concerned about the practice of another member of staff. The management team follow robust procedures when recruiting new members of staff. They teach children how to take manageable risks sand complete daily risk assessments of their environment. The setting is secure with a clear procedure for visitors, and staff complete regular fire drills.

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should:

n review and strengthen routines to ensure children are fully supported to understand behaviour expectations and to help them to sustain their concentration levels more effectively.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY456499 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 10236023 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 41 Number of children on roll 79 Name of registered person Peapod Pre-School

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reference number

Telephone number 01603929653 Date of previous inspection 6 March 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Peapod Pre-School registered in 2013. The pre-school employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm, Monday to Thursday and from 8am to 4pm on Friday. 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 that the setting has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the pre-school manager and staff, and has taken this into account in their evaluation. n The management team and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school, and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, both indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector looked at a sample of relevant documentation, including staff DBS checks, paediatric first aid and safeguarding training.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The management team and the inspector carried out a joint observation during a group activity.

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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

21 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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