Flitwick Pre-school

Inspection of Flitwick Pre-school 36a High Street, Flitwick, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK45 1DU

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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 play with their friends, talk with staff and enthusiastically join in the activities on offer inside the building and in the garden. When children are tired or upset, they sit on the laps of staff and respond well to the gentle reassurances given to them. This helps children quickly settle and feel secure in the pre-school.

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The provision is good

Children are keen to join in art and craft activities. They find different-sized marbles submerged in paint and watch what happens when they roll the marbles across a sheet of paper. Children listen to the questions and explanations staff give them and take time to think about their answers before responding. This helps children's developing skills to speak and listen. In the garden, children use chalks to draw on the path. Using large movements, they strengthen their muscles and coordination, contributing to their physical development.

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The provision is good

Children behave very well. They are motivated to learn and show consideration towards others. Before beginning popular activities, such as riding in push-along cars, children find sand timers to help them manage sharing and turn-taking for themselves. Children's self-regulation of their own emotions and actions contributes to the harmonious and happy environment.

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need to do better?

n All staff have completed additional training to help them target and effectively support children's developing communication and language skills. This helps to ensure that children are exposed to new words and phrases that they embrace and use themselves. Children become articulate, confident talkers who, by the time they leave to go to school, are ready for the next stage in their learning. n The providers and acting manager are dedicated to ensure that the good quality care and education are maintained. They seek advice from external professionals to support themselves and the staff in their roles. This helps to ensure that children are consistently taught in a safe and caring environment. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are effectively supported. Additional funding is carefully allocated to help ensure that individual children have the resources and key staff to help them build on what they know

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need to do better?

and understand. Staff help parents to prepare children to move on to school. They provide detailed information that contributes to make the move as smooth as possible. n Staff follow themes that children show an interest in, helping to trigger conversations and activities that help children build on their personal experiences and knowledge. For example, when investigating transport, children enjoy going on an imaginary train to London. They buy tickets from a ticket office and talk about the local towns the train might stop at before reaching their

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need to do better?

3 May 2023 destination. This helps children find out about local geography, negotiate with their peers and practise new words in their vocabularies. Children spontaneously return to the activity, helping them recall new information to strengthen their learning. n Children enjoy different parts of the outside space, helping to support their learning in various ways. Children enjoy riding wheeled toys on the paved areas, while they enthusiastically search for bugs and touch herbs and plants in other areas. The providers have ensured aspects, such as a grass bridge and slops are maintained, helping children begin to manage age-appropriate risks in their play. For example, children experience what it feels like to walk down steep slopes and work out how to balance and adjust their stride. n Staff ensure parents receive regular updates about their children's progress and the activities they have enjoyed. They use different ways to communicate, such

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need to do better?

as regular consultation meetings and updates through a secure electronic system. When children are first enrolled in the pre-school, staff find out about the children and their families. However, information about what children already know and understand lacks the detail needed to assist staff to plan focused learning right from the start. n Key persons assess children's learning and development through observations and interactions with children. They quickly get to know the children. However, staff's identification of what children need to learn next is not clearly communicated to help ensure that there is a well-planned sequence of precise teaching and learning for each child. As a result, children do not make the best possible progress.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe. They know how to recognise, record and report any concerns they might have about children's welfare. Safeguarding and child protection are discussed at every staff meeting, helping to ensure that all staff are kept up to date with any changes in legislation or local concerns that may impact children's safety. The providers carry out regular checks to help ensure staff remain suitable to work with children. This helps to keep children safe in the pre-school.

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should:

n gather even more information from parents to help identify children's starting points to focus teaching and learning right from the start n review and adapt how staff communicate what children need to know and understand next to help ensure spontainious and planned teaching targets

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should:

3 May 2023 children's individual learning and development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 219072 Local authority Central Bedfordshire Inspection number 10279924 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person Vicarage Hill Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07870 773867 Date of previous inspection 22 September 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Flitwick Pre-school registered in 1992. There are five members of staff regularly working directly with the children, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The setting opens Monday to Friday, from 9.15am until 3.15pm, during term time only. 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 acting manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provision. n The inspector discussed the curriculum with the acting manager during a learning walk to help evaluate the quality of education. n The inspector observed children both inside and in the garden. She spoke to children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The acting manager and inspector watched an activity together. They evaluated the teaching and learning they observed. n The inspector held a meeting with the acting manager. She had a telephone conversation with the nominated individual from the management committee and spoke to a visiting early years development officer from the local authority. n A small number of parents spoke to the inspector. She took account of their

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Inspection activities

views. n The inspector looked at documents, including the evidence of staff and committee suitability checks, children's attendance records and records of accidents.

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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

3 May 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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