Longthorpe Preschool

Inspection of Longthorpe Preschool Longthorpe Primary School, Bradwell Road, PETERBOROUGH PE3 9QW

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

Children flourish at this inspirational setting. They are eager and excited as they arrive at the pre-school. Staff are welcoming and happily greet children and their families with kindness. The highly qualified team ensure that children's welfare and happiness are paramount. Children develop excellent relationships with the staff. They form close friendships with their peers and become engrossed in their play together. Children's behaviour is excellent. They use good manners and understand the behavioural expectations of the setting. Children confidently understand the routines throughout the day. For example, when staff play instruments, they know it is time to join different activities.

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The provision is outstanding

Children are highly motivated and engage in exciting and purposeful activities. For example, they become thoroughly absorbed as they explore the mud area outside. They use a variety of tools, such as magnifying glasses, spades and buckets, as they excavate 'dinosaur eggs'. Staff ask children what other types of animals lay eggs and children say, 'chickens'. They introduce new information and clearly explain about snake, turtle, platypus and ostrich eggs.

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need to do better?

n The management team and committee are fully dedicated. They ensure children receive the best care and start to their education. They use weekly meetings to communicate with staff. This helps to ensure they are always kept up to date with relevant information. All staff work exceptionally well as a team. Staff use children's interests to plan enthusing activities to meet individual needs. As a team, they reiterate what it is they want children to learn. They discuss strategies and teaching ideas about how to achieve children's individual targets. The management team supports staff's ongoing professional development. Staff state they feel 'well supported', 'happy' and 'love their job'. n Parents comment positively about the pre-school. They highly praise staff's excellent communication methods. Parents state that staff go 'above and beyond'. They compliment staff's excellent knowledge of children and their

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need to do better?

families. Parents explain how staff continually support their children's learning and development. For example, staff share ideas, resources and give suggestions for continued learning. n Children sit and become absorbed in looking at familiar books. Staff read stories with wonderful intonation and expression as children listen intently. For example, children excitedly repeat phrases from a story about Father Christmas. This supports children to build exceptional literacy skills. n Staff recognise the importance of physical play. For example, children love to take part in dancing and yoga sessions. They learn to run and move in a range of ways outdoors. Children have opportunities to challenge themselves and take

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need to do better?

8 December 2022 risks. For instance, children join in obstacle courses and climbing. They use a range of equipment to develop their muscle control. n Children's communication and language are skilfully supported by all staff. They ask children questions and give them time to think and respond. Staff extend children's knowledge by giving clear explanations. For example, as children build with large bricks, a child shouts 'Fire in the hole'. Staff question children's understanding and explain where the expression originated from. n Children who experience difficulties in their speech and language are extremely well supported. Staff work with outside agencies, such as speech and language therapists. They create effective one-to-one intervention programmes to focus on targeted learning. Parents report on the excellent progress their children make with organised activities. n Staff have a deep understanding of the backgrounds of children and their

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need to do better?

families. The pre-school utilises staff's skills to support parents who speak other languages. Staff teach children about other festivals and celebrations different to their own. This in turn helps children learn about the community they live in. n Children develop their independence to the highest level. They pour their own drinks and help to prepare for snack. During mealtimes, staff develop children's understanding of healthy and unhealthy foods. Children enjoy exploring a variety of foods. For instance, the pre-school provide different foods for children to investigate. Children carefully use child friendly knives as they explore foods. They enjoy exploring the insides of bitter gourds, okra and aubergine. Staff develop children's vocabulary as they discuss the texture, colours and seeds.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff are extremely committed to safeguarding children. A robust recruitment process and vetting arrangements are in place to ensure that adults are suitable to work with children. Staff complete mandatory training about child protection and safeguarding. They receive regular training to ensure their knowledge is always up to date. Staff have excellent knowledge of wider safeguarding issues, such as the risks to children of being exposed to extremist views and female genital mutilation. The team confidently know how to recognise signs of abuse. They are confident in in the reporting procedures should they have any concerns about a child's welfare.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY446426 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 10263758 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 30 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Longthorpe Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01733 265964 Date of previous inspection 11 May 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Longthorpe Preschool registered in 2012. The pre-school employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 to 6, including early years teacher status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am until 2pm on a Friday. In addition, a breakfast club operates from 7.45am until 8.30am and an after-school club operates from 3.15pm until 5.15pm Monday to Thursday and from 3.15pm until 4.30pm Friday. The pre-school provides funded early education for 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 management team and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n The inspector observed activities indoors and outside and assessed the impact these have on children's learning. Children spoke to the inspector about the activities they were doing. n The management team and the inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss and understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke to parents about their views of the pre-school. n A meeting was held between the inspector, management team and chair of the committee. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including the safeguarding procedures and evidence of the suitability of adults 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

8 December 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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