North Holmwood Pre-School

Inspection of North Holmwood Pre- School North Holmwood Village Hall, Spook Hill, North Holmwood, DORKING, Surrey RH5 4JP

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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 receive a warm welcome as they arrive. They find their peg, hang up their coats and eagerly rush off to start their day. Newer children are given reassuring hugs and comfort when they need it. Children settle quickly and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the warm, inviting pre-school.

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The provision is good

Children engage in a wide range of experiences. Staff support children's language development as they introduce new words in the doctor's role play-area, talking about 'medicines', 'injections' and 'stethoscopes'. Children enjoy cuddles with staff as they delve into books. Some children experiment with ice and water, exploring how it feels and melts when warmed. Children confidently ask staff for hammers to hit the ice and break it into chunks. All children are developing a positive attitude to learning in preparation for school.

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The provision is good

Children behave well and listen carefully to adults. Staff are good role models, and there are clear boundaries in place. Children are learning to share and take turns with favourite resources. There is a clear focus on providing an inclusive service, where each child is valued. Children readily follow directions at key times of the day, such as putting their coats on and lining up to go outside. Staff promote children's good manners well.

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need to do better?

n Staff read to children at different times during the day. Books and stories are available for children to use, one to one, with staff or as a group, to develop a love of reading. Younger and non-verbal children look at picture books and repeat familiar words. Older children enjoy stories and listen with concentration. Staff ask them questions and offer ideas about what they think will happen next. For example, when reading 'Rosie's Walk', children are asked to consider what would happen if Rosie had looked behind her? n Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible and carry out age- appropriate tasks. For example, children wash their hands before meals and put on their own coats before going outside. At snack time, children eagerly select a range of different fruit and pour their own drink. However, at times, staff can undertake mealtime-preparation roles rather than letting children do it for

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need to do better?

themselves, such as cutting fruit and opening sandwiches. This limits children's independence and their ability to prepare their own food. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve good outcomes. Additional needs are identified early on. Support plans are quickly put in place and referrals for additional support are made when required. Therefore, all children make good progress from their starting points. n The staff implement a curriculum that is exciting and promotes children's

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need to do better?

18 January 2023 interests. Staff provide opportunities for children to be curious and explore. For example, children observe their 'dragon' breath as they play outside. They demonstrate their knowledge as they talk to staff about how it is 'frosty', and recognise the need to take care to use the outdoor slide because it is 'icy' and will be 'slippy'. n Children explore activities that help to develop their fine motor skills. For instance, they enjoy sorting coloured animals with bubble tweezers. However, children's mathematical development could be enhanced further by providing routine activities, to enable children to develop and enhance their counting skills and use of mathematical language. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak highly of the pre-school, praising its 'caring staff' and 'family atmosphere'. They note how their children are eager to attend and that they feel well-informed about their progress. Staff

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need to do better?

work very closely with families from the beginning, and parents state that they feel well supported. n The manager ensures an ambitious curriculum for children. She observes staff practice and questions them to check their knowledge of the skills they want children to learn. Self-evaluation is accurate and identifies areas for the pre- school to develop further. The manager holds supervision meetings with staff to reflect on the quality of their practice and suitability to work with children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand their responsibilities to keep children safe. Risk assessment is effective and ensures that premises and environments for children are kept clean, safe and secure. Staff show a good knowledge of child protection issues and know how to respond promptly and appropriately when concerns arise about the welfare of a child in their care. Staff attend regular safeguarding and child protection training and have good opportunities to refresh their knowledge on a regular basis. 5 out of 6 staff are first-aid trained, which allows them to respond swiftly to any accidents and incidents.

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should:

n strengthen opportunities for children to develop more independence during their everyday experiences n develop children's understanding of mathematics through everyday routines and experiences.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 122675 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 10264881 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 28 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person North Holmwood Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07931 212006 Date of previous inspection 29 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

North Holmwood Pre-School registered in 1984. The pre-school operates from North Holmwood Village Hall near Dorking, Surrey. It operates Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9.15am to 12.15pm, and Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9.15am to 3.15pm, during school term time. The setting receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three-, and four-year-old children. There are six staff; all hold an appropriate early years qualification. This includes the manager who has a Foundation Degree in Childcare and Early Years Education.

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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 her evaluation of the setting. n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n Parents shared their views and the inspector took account of these. n Children spoke to the inspector about what they like to do and learn . n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual and manager about the leadership and management of the setting, including reviewing relevant documentation.

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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 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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