Mucky Pups Pre-School

Inspection of Mucky Pups Pre-School The Scout Hut, Magnolia Road, Ashingdon, Rochford, Essex SS4 3AD

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children enjoy role play using resources that are available. They 'iron' clothes and hang them on a washing line. Children make 'tea' and enjoy hoovering and sweeping the floor with the toys. Children have good bonds with key persons and enjoy stories and cuddles with them. However, the curriculum does not support children's interests or extend children's learning beyond what they can already do. Children bang animals on a tray, and although staff tell children to stop, children continue; they do not have the opportunity to access resources they can 'bang.' Resources are set up in the morning by staff, and there are no other resources visually available to children. Therefore, children cannot always request or explore a range of resources that they want to. Children want to move around the room with a toy laptop. However, they are told by staff to go back to the technology area. This prohibits children from developing their creativity and imagination.

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The provision requires improvement

Children have good opportunities to develop their gross motor skills. Children observe how to use a balance board to develop their balance. They help one another by holding hands. Once children develop the confidence and skills required to let go, they show great excitement when they successfully balance and say 'Look I did it!'. However, children are reliant on staff to complete self-care tasks such as putting on their coats and wiping their noses. Therefore, children's independence skills are not consistently developed.

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need to do better?

n Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through using visual prompts to help them understand routines and emotions. They meet regularly with parents and other agencies to discuss how children are progressing and their next steps in learning. However, when discussing with staff how children can request other toys they want to play with, particularly if they cannot verbally communicate, they were unsure. This limits children's ability to make choices in their play. n Staff role model signs including 'milk', 'water' and 'please' during snack time. However, children become restless as they wait for everyone else to wash their hands before they have their snack. Some children sit for 20 minutes before they are provided with food. This interrupts children's play and causes unnecessary waiting times for children. n Children have good mathematical skills. They explore counting bears to match

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need to do better?

the correct quantity to numbers. Children remained focused during this activity and help each other get to number 10. n Staff say they feel supported by their manager and enjoy working as a team. Staff discuss how they have taught children about the recent Hindu festival, 'Holi'. However, during activities, staff do not challenge children's learning. For

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need to do better?

13 March 2023 example, children sit with a member of staff to create their own farmyard. They cut out pictures of farm animals and staff ask what animal it is. Children confidently answer the question. However, there is no extension to their learning beyond this. Staff focus on the final outcome rather than the learning intent of activities, or how they can challenge children's learning further. n Parents say their children are excited to go to the pre-school. Parents receive communication via an online system where staff share photographs and observations of what children are doing and their next steps in learning. Parents say that children's social skills, confidence and speech has progressed since starting the pre-school. During the session, children participate in 'show and tell'. Children take turns to share their items with their peers and confidently speak in a group. For example, children comment 'I take him to bed, he's my baby'.

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need to do better?

n Children have good physical skills. Children remain focused when they are drawing. Younger children learn to throw balls into the hoops and throw rings onto the matching coloured cone. Older children successfully negotiate space as they ride their bicycles and scooters.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager holds regular meetings with staff where their knowledge about safeguarding children is refreshed. There is a good recruitment procedure in place to ensure that staff working with children are suitable for the role. Staff are aware of signs and symptoms of abuse and how to report concerns. They monitor children's attendance and any injuries that have occurred outside the setting, to see if there are any emerging patterns that may be a cause for concern. Staff are aware of the reporting procedure if they had concerns about a member of staff.

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Due date

develop the curriculum to ensure it clearly identifies what all children need to learn, how this reflects their individual needs and offers appropriate challenge, to support children's good progress 01/05/2023

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Due date

review staff practice and training to improve on their teaching skills to help children to build on what they already know and can do 05/06/2023

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Due date

13 March 2023 support staff to understand and respect the importance of children being able to develop their creativity through the use of resources and the choices they make. 05/06/2023

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should:

n support children's independence skills further, particularly those children who are transitioning to primary school n review routines to ensure they do not interrupt children's learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY316938 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10264585 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 33 Name of registered person Mucky Pups Pre School Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 07944162953 Date of previous inspection 20 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Mucky Pups Pre-School was registered in 2004. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The pre-school opens on Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9.15am to 3.30pm on Monday and Tuesday, and 9.15am until 12.15pm on Wednesday, Thursday and 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 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 inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss the areas of learning, their curriculum and what they want children to learn both inside and outside. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n Children spoke about what they are doing at the setting. n Parents spoke to the inspector, who took account of their views of the setting. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including first-aid certificates and disclosure and barring service records of staff members.

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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

13 March 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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