Breakspeare Community Pre-School

Inspection of Breakspeare Community Pre-School School Mead, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire WD5 0LB

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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 thoroughly enjoy coming to this welcoming and friendly pre-school. They happily separate from their parents and find their pegs. Children take off their coats and wash their hands, eager and ready to start their day. They use their imaginations well as they act out real-life experiences, using the many role-play resources in the 'coronation role-play' area. Children pretend to make cups of tea and offer visitors fruit and cake. In the creative area, they enjoy making flags and crowns, decorating them with 'jewels'. Children show pride in their achievements. Staff offer lots of praise and encouragement, which helps to boost children's self- esteem. Children play cooperatively together, expressing their ideas as they excitedly recreate scenes using the small-world kings, queens and castles.

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The provision is good

Children display high levels of perseverance. They gather round the 'busy fingers' table, concentrating very well as they colour inside the lines of a picture of a 'colour monster'. They talk about the different emotions of the 'colour monsters' in the book. This helps them to explore and understand their own feelings and emotions. Children develop an understanding of the natural world. For example, they watch with amazement as ducklings hatch out of their eggs. Children learn the language of mathematics as they use pretend money to buy items from the 'shop'. They develop early writing skills as they make shopping lists and practise writing their name. When they are ready, staff support children to learn letter names and sounds, to help them as they begin to read. Children learn the key skills they will need when they move on to school.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff ensure that all children make very good progress and have a happy and enjoyable time at the pre-school. They work extremely well as a team and show a great deal of warmth and affection for the children. Children are very well behaved and use good manners. For example, they say 'excuse me' when they want to speak. Children play happily together and learn to take turns and share their toys. n The well-designed curriculum reflects children's learning needs and interests. Staff plan activities that support and challenge children's learning. They quickly identify when children need extra support and put effective measures in place. However, staff do not find out as much as they can about what children already know and can do when they begin attending, to enable them to plan thoroughly and build on children's learning from the start. n The manager and staff place a strong focus on developing children's language

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need to do better?

and communication skills. They skilfully support children who speak English as an additional language to become confident communicators. Stories, rhymes and songs feature regularly throughout the day to encourage children's listening and

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need to do better?

10 May 2023 attention skills. Staff place books all around the setting, where children can easily access them, both inside and outside. n Parents are very keen to describe the friendliness of the staff team and how happy their children are to attend. They say that the communication between themselves and the pre-school is 'excellent'. Staff share the weekly 'blog', which gives parents information about what their children are doing at the pre-school and how they can help them at home. Older children take home 'activity bags' to help prepare them for school. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are quickly identified and supported. Staff attend specific training courses and work closely with parents and other professionals. The manager attends network meetings with outside agencies and immediately puts their suggestions in place. The tailored, individual programmes of support enable all children to make the best possible

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need to do better?

progress from their starting points. n Staff encourage children to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Children follow good hygiene practices, and staff provide them with healthy snacks. There are many activities to support children who learn best outside. For example, they take turns with the ride-on toys and love to make 'potions' in the 'forest garden kitchen'. Children learn to take appropriate risks and challenges as they play and learn. n The manager highly values the staff team and demonstrates very good leadership skills. Her regular supervisions and monitoring of staff practice helps to ensure consistently high-quality practice across the pre-school. Staff say that the manager is 'fantastic' and that they feel incredibly well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The managers and designated safeguarding leads have a very secure knowledge of safeguarding and child protection. They clearly describe their role and responsibility to keep children safe. All staff are aware of the procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child in their care or an adult working with them. The manager carries out robust vetting and induction procedures to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff deployment is highly effective to help ensure children's safety. The pre-school premises are very well maintained, and excellent attention is given to children's safety and security.

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should:

n gather more precise information when children first start at the setting, to help clearly establish starting points and inform the curriculum at the earliest opportunity.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY413936 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10285451 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 32 Number of children on roll 76 Name of registered person Breakspeare Community Pre-School

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reference number

Telephone number 01923 274483 Date of previous inspection 6 October 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Breakspeare Community Pre-School registered in 2010. The pre-school employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including two with qualified teacher status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Morning sessions are from 9.15am to 11.45am, and afternoon sessions are from 12.30pm to 3pm. There is an optional lunch club, which operates from 11.45am until 12.30pm. 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 manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provision. n The manager showed the inspector around the areas that children access. They discussed how staff organise the setting and plan the curriculum and experiences for children. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the pre-school manager. n The inspector held discussions with staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at a sample of the pre-school's documents. This included evidence about staff suitability and training.

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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

10 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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