Little Stars Preschool Grove Park

Inspection of Little Stars Preschool Grove Park Gardens Playclub, Grove Park Library, Somertrees Avenue, London SE12 0BX

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children arrive excited to attend pre-school and are warmly welcomed by the friendly staff. They confidently say goodbye to their parents and demonstrate they feel safe and secure. Children know and follow the nursery routine well. For example, they place their lunch boxes on the trolley, find their names to self- register and hang up their coats on their labelled pegs. These tasks promote children's independence and give them a sense of belonging.

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The provision is good

Children explore and quickly become engage in the broad range of activities on offer. They make choices and show increasing levels of concentration. Staff know children well and join in their play. They support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and bilingual learners extremely well. Children who need extra support respond to picture cues and know what is happening 'now' and 'next'. Children are excited to meet the new rabbits and take turns to feed them. Children discuss rules to help care for the animals, which includes the importance of handwashing.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for all children. They reinforce positive behaviour and listen to children. As a result, children behave well. Children use good manners and wait for their turn. They add their photographs to the waiting chart and use sand timers.

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need to do better?

n The dedicated manager leads a team of passionate staff who work well together and are confident in their roles. Staff talk highly of their manager who is supportive to their well-being and managing their workloads. The team meet regularly to reflect on their practice and make changes to the environment to benefit the children. Recent changes to the position of coat hooks has increased children's self-help skills. n The manager and staff provide a full and varied curriculum which builds on children's interests and supports individual children's needs effectively. They use observations and regular assessments to ensure that all children are making good progress. The manager accesses extra funding and makes swift referrals to ensure that children who need extra support to prepare them for future learning receive the help they need. n Children's language and literacy skills are given a high priority in the pre-school.

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need to do better?

Staff model language well and engage children in meaningful conversations. Children enjoy sharing stories and join in with the repetitive text. They make marks with paint and chalk and write their names on their work. Children enjoy singing and learn new rhymes with staff during activities which increases their vocabulary.

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need to do better?

25 April 2023 n Partnerships with parents are strong. Home visits are valued and help staff get to know children well from the start. Parents describe communication as 'excellent'. They receive regular updates on their children's progress, next steps and ideas to continue learning at home. Parents state their children have made great improvements since starting pre-school, especially with their language, social skills and independence. n Staff ensure children develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children use the garden to develop their physical skills and enjoy weekly sports sessions. They grow fruit and vegetables, enjoy cooking activities and learn about healthy food choices for lunch. The pre-school is promoting an oral health programme which encourages children to clean their teeth regularly and drink water. n Children benefit from opportunities to extend their learning through first-hand

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need to do better?

experiences. For example, children visit and join in activities with the older generation at a local care home. Parents share their cultural traditions with the children to celebrate festivals. This increases children's understanding of the wider community and what makes them unique. n Children develop mathematical skills through various activities. For example, children count as they make cupcakes with dough, test out their predictions of objects that might float or sink and measure their heights. Staff engage well with children during activities. However, staff do not always challenge children to extend their thinking and problem solving skills further. n The manager forges strong links with other professionals to benefit children and their families. She works with local schools which supports children at transition times. The manager is delivering a local authority programme with parents called 'Making it REAL' (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy).

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Children's safety and well-being is a priority. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. They use daily checks and risk assessments to ensure the environment is safe and any hazards are minimised. Staff supervise children and deploy effectively to maintain ratios. All staff have completed safeguarding training including the 'Prevent' duty. They recognise signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm or abuse. Staff know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns regarding a child's welfare. The manager ensures that all staff are suitable to work with children.

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should:

n strengthen teaching during group activities to provide further challenge,

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should:

25 April 2023 especially for the older children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2702043 Local authority Lewisham Inspection number 10286222 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 32 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person S&B Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07399451887 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Stars Preschool Grove Park registered is 2022. The pre-school is located in Grove Park in the London Borough of Lewisham. The pre-school is open from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, term time only. There are six members of staff, four of whom hold childcare qualifications from level 2 to 3. The manager holds a level 5 qualification. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education to 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 manager and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the setting. n The manager and inspector carried out a learning walk together to discuss the pre-school's intentions for children's learning. n The manager and inspector carried out two joint observation and discussed the impact this had on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children and took account of their views. n The inspector held discussions with the manager about safeguarding and how she evaluates her practice. n The inspector looked at relevant documents including paediatric first-aid certificates, qualifications, insurance, and suitability checks.

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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

25 April 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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