Sunflowers at St Peter's

Inspection of Sunflowers at St Peter's St Peter's Catholic Church Hall, St Peter's Road, CIRENCESTER GL7 1RE

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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 are eager to explore and play in the garden. They happily play with their friends in the fresh air, practising their physical skills and developing their hand-to- eye coordination. For example, children climb up ladders, navigate spaces in pedal cars, throw hoops onto poles and scoop spadefuls of gravel into containers. Children giggle as they pretend to make a car wash, using soapy water and brushes to clean the cars. They reach across, bend down low and stand on tiptoes to give the car a good scrub. They persevere in what they are doing, working together to complete the task. Children are confident in their own abilities and when sharing their ideas.

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The provision is good

Children make secure attachments with staff, who support their emotional well- being very well. Children confidently skip in, find their friends and begin to play. Younger children reach out their arms and snuggle into staff, waving goodbye to parents as they leave. Children enjoy their time at the setting and display a sense of belonging. Staff engage children in genuine two-way conversations, demonstrating their interest in what children have to say. This in turn ensures that children feel valued and share their experiences openly. Children benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum and make good progress across all areas of learning.

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need to do better?

n Children behave well. They are kind to one another. For example, a child dressed as a pirate explains to the inspector, 'I'm a good pirate; I help friends when they need it.' However, when minor conflicts arise, staff are not always consistent in how they support children to fully understand how their behaviour may impact on others. n The experienced manager is passionate about providing good-quality care and education for the children. She ensures a purposeful curriculum that focuses on children's confidence in their own abilities. From this, she then builds on what children can do and identifies what they need to learn next. Children make good progress and are well prepared for their next stage of learning. n Staff are sensitive when supporting children's care needs. For example, staff ask younger children if they can change their nappy. Children develop a good understanding of healthy practices. Staff remind them to wash their hands. They

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need to do better?

explain the importance of having clean hands before handling food and eating. Children become increasingly independent in managing their self-care. For example, they can find their own peg, hang up their bag and tidy away at mealtimes. n Staff receive feedback on the quality of their teaching through discussion with the manager. However, staff are not always clear on how to develop the quality

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need to do better?

17 May 2023 of their interactions and identify when to extend learning, particularly for the most-able children. As a result, some children are not as challenged in their learning as they could be. n Staff gather useful information from parents when children start. The manager is very responsive to children's different starting points. For example, they offer home visits to children who need additional time to settle. Parents share that staff offer tips and activities that they can replicate at home. Parents are highly complimentary about the staff and manager. n Staff support younger children with emerging language well. They model words clearly and repeat what children say. Staff and children sing songs together during play. For example, they pretend to have a party and sing 'Happy Birthday'. Children listen carefully to staff during a story and offer comments on what they see and hear. n Children learn about their community and visit their neighbours. For example,

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need to do better?

during the COVID-19 pandemic, staff and children posted well-being cards through the letterboxes in their street. The manager has continued to do this to develop children's understanding about helping others. Children learn about the world around them through the celebration of cultural festivals and events.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff know the signs and symptoms of abuse and what to do should they have a concern about a child. There are clear procedures in place to record and report any concerns they may have, and leaders act quickly to safeguard children. Leaders know what to do should an allegation occur about any member of the team. The manager ensures the vetting procedure is robust for new staff. They are clear about their roles and responsibilities, and suitable checks are in place to safeguard children.

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should:

n develop a consistent approach to behaviour management to help children begin to learn how to manage their own behaviour and understand that their actions can impact on others n support staff to identify and make the most of opportunities to further extend learning for the most-able children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY377431 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10286079 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 30 Number of children on roll 35 Name of registered person McKie, Lisa Judith

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reference number

Telephone number 07817 362029 Date of previous inspection 31 October 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Sunflowers at St Peter's registered in 2008. It operates in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. The setting operates from 8.30am to 2.30pm from Monday to Thursday, term time only. There are six members of staff. Three staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, and one member of staff holds an early years qualification at level 2. Two members of staff are unqualified. The manager holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. The playgroup receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years old.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider 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 provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together, and the manager shared with the inspector what they want children to learn and how they will do this. n The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

17 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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