Bicton Heath Pre-School

Inspection of Bicton Heath Pre-School Pensfold, Bicton Heath, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 5HF

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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 warmly welcomed into this happy pre-school. They settle in well with the support of the nurturing staff. The effective key-person system provides children with an adult that gets to know them and their families exceptionally well. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children behave very well. Staff have created a calm and relaxed atmosphere that encourages cooperative play. They act as positive role models for children and reinforce good manners. Children take turns and share resources. Staff ensure that children's well-being is a priority. For example, when a child is upset when they arrive, staff comfort them until they are ready to join circle time. Young children regularly check in with their key person and share a story or play together. This offers children a sense of belonging.

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The provision is good

Children show that they are happy and feel safe. They demonstrate curiosity as they explore the stimulating environment. The attentive staff use their good understanding of child development to create opportunities for the children to engage. Children plan to make a bridge with blocks and work together as a team to build individual towers for it to stand on. Others choose to play with dinosaurs, commenting on their size and asking adults what they are called. Children are confident to ask for more resources and invite staff to play with them. This supports children's personal, social and emotional skills that are vital for positive transitions to school.

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need to do better?

n Managers and staff have created an exciting curriculum that encourages children to develop in all seven areas of the early years foundation stage. Children creatively use props to support their imagination. They dress themselves in role- play costumes, create stories around their play and invite others to play with them. Children create caterpillar pictures using collage materials. They use pencils to draw the legs and proudly tell others about what they have made. n Staff use their knowledge of the children and their experiences to plan appropriate, inspiring activities. For example, children enjoy digging for treasure in the sand. They find "diamonds" and shells, and comment on the colour and texture of the objects that they find. Staff join children as they play and engage them in discussions about what they have found. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to stretch and challenge children's vocabulary and mathematical

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need to do better?

skills during activities. n Staff have created a communication-rich environment that promotes development of language. They plan exciting group activities that encourage children to use descriptive language. Children look at an object inside the "magic pot" and describe that the object is "something that is on your face, and you see

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need to do better?

11 January 2023 through it". Other children guess correctly that the child is describing an eye. This also supports children's listening and attention skills. Children with English as an additional language make good progress. Staff share dual-language books with children and their families and provide visual prompts to encourage good understanding of language. n Children are encouraged to live healthy lifestyles. They wash their hands before every meal and sit together at the table to eat. Children share out the plates and offer out toast to their friends. At lunch times, children bring their own, well- balanced packed lunches and are joined by staff members to share this social time. However, at snack times there are limited opportunities for children to practise pouring their own drinks or drinking from a cup. This means that children's sense of responsibility and self-care skills do not develop as much as

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need to do better?

possible. n Partnerships with parents are very good. Parents share information with staff about children's interests and abilities each term. Staff use this information to incorporate into their individual planning for each child and share this with parents. Parents understand what their children's next steps are and support these at home. They comment that staff are attentive to children's individual care needs and that they make good progress. n The managers have good systems in place to reflect on and evaluate practice. Staff routinely discuss development needs, following peer observations and during staff meetings. Managers have identified that additional training is essential to upskill staff and improve outcomes for children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff keep children safe from harm in this pre-school. They know the signs and symptoms of abuse and where to report concerns. Managers have good systems in place to ensure that only suitable people have access to children. They ensure that new staff have an up-to-date DBS check before they are left alone with children. Children are able to manage risks, and can manoeuvre safely when using the ride-on toys outside. The pre-school is secured by perimeter fencing and a locked gate, so that visitors have to ring for attention before gaining access to the building.

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should:

n review opportunities to encourage children to do things for themselves and develop their independence further n plan activities more carefully so that they stretch and challenge children in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 224041 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 10264428 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 16

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Name of registered person

Mrs Lorraine Evans & Mrs Anita Copeland Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 01743367641 Date of previous inspection 15 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Bicton Heath Pre-School registered in 1997 and is run by a private provider. It is situated in the grounds of Oxon C of E Primary School in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The pre-school employs three members of staff who work with the children. Of these, one has a degree, one has a foundation degree and the other holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. The pre-school opens term time only, from 9am to 3.00pm, Monday to Thursday. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for two, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the childminder 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 joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. 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 carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

11 January 2023 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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