Heydays Pre-School

Inspection of Heydays Pre-School c/o Four Marks Primary School, Kitwood Road, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire GU34 5AS

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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

Staff provide a warm, welcoming, home-from-home environment. They offer children a wide range of activities and resources in well-organised play spaces. Children are happy and settle well. They show good relationships with their peers and invite them into their play. For example, they excitedly pack clothes and essential items into suitcases and pretend to go on holiday. Staff engage children in discussions about different modes of transport and talk about the countries they might be travelling to. This helps to support their growing understanding of the wider world.

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The provision is good

Staff form strong bonds with all children and treat them as unique individuals. They embed children's home cultures and traditions into the pre-school and encourage them to share their home languages as they engage in their play. This promotes a sense of belonging at the setting.

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The provision is good

Children show good independence skills. They eagerly put away their belongings on arrival and help themselves to a healthy breakfast. Children manage their personal care needs well. They naturally wash their hands after blowing their noses and before eating. Children eagerly open their own lunch boxes and actively engage in discussion about the importance of exercise and eating healthy food. They have a go at opening packaging and independently peel their own fruit. This helps to support school readiness.

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need to do better?

n Staff spend time getting to know children well. They assess children's learning accurately and plan a curriculum that supports their developmental needs. Children are highly motivated and quickly engage in the learning experiences staff provide. However, staff do not consistently challenge children's learning to the highest level. On occasion, they are a little directive. They do not give children the time they need to think and problem-solve for themselves to help build on their developing skills even further. n Staff promote children's literacy skills well. For example, children delight in spraying water onto different surfaces, which helps to build on the muscles in their hands and fingers. They use a variety of resources to make patterns in the sand and write notes to their parents on their artwork. n Staff place a strong focus on children's health and well-being. They teach children about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle as they engage in

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need to do better?

their play. n Children demonstrate a good understanding of oral hygiene. They delight in creating an ice cream shop and continue their pretend play with a visit to the dentist.

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need to do better?

11 July 2023 n Staff are good role models and demonstrate respect and politeness in a consistent manner. Children behave well. They show kindness to others and help staff sweep up the sand at tidy-up time. They demonstrate good negotiation skills and act out different characters as they create their ice cream shop. n The manager seeks staff's views to help make improvements to the setting. She monitors staff's practice and provides them with regular supervision, where she sets some measurable targets. Staff access online courses to help build on their knowledge. However, the manager needs to target professional development even more precisely to raise the quality of teaching to an even higher level. n Parents speak positively about the progress their children are making. They say staff regularly share information on their child's progress and offer them support and guidance to help continue their children's learning at home.

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need to do better?

n Staff work collaboratively with the on-site school. They share information and good practice so that children are ready for the next stage in their education. Older children benefit from spending a day at the school once a week. They enjoy listening to stories in the library and eat lunch alongside the schoolchildren. This helps them to become familiar with school staff and their surroundings and supports their transition to school. n Children benefit from fresh air and exercise every day. They build on their stamina as they place planks across large tyres and show good coordination skills as they balance across them. They develop their core strength as they work together to move their trikes onto the slopes of the grass. Children praise each other for a job well done and show great pleasure in their achievements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a broad knowledge of child protection issues. They can identify the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Staff know who to contact if they have concerns about a child's safety and welfare. The manager ensures that all staff frequently attend safeguarding training to update their knowledge. Staff maintain a safe environment for children. They complete thorough risk assessments to help ensure that the areas of the premises children access and trips off site are safe and suitable.

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should:

n strengthen interactions with children to ensure that they are consistently challenged to think and problem-solve for themselves, to help build on their developing skills even further n continue to build on the professional development of staff to help raise the quality of teaching to the highest level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 110332 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10301707 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person Heydays Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07955 288741 Date of previous inspection 31 January 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Heydays Pre-School is managed by a committee. It registered in 1972. It operates on the site of Four Marks Primary School in Alton, Hampshire. The pre-school is open each weekday, during school term time only, from 9am to 3pm, and on Wednesday is only available for three- and four-year-olds. The pre-school employs four members of staff. The manager holds an early years level 6 qualification and all other staff have early years qualifications at level 3. 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 setting 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 inspector held discussions with staff and the manager at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk together to understand how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector observed children's activities and staff's teaching, inside and outdoors. The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector took into account the views of parents. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of staff's suitability to work with children.

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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

11 July 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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