Puddleducks Pre-School (Colchester) Ltd

Inspection of Puddleducks Pre-School (Colchester) Ltd Kendall Primary School, Recreation Road, COLCHESTER CO1 2HH

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety cannot be assured. Leaders and managers fail to ensure that all staff have thorough and in-depth safeguarding knowledge. Staff do not have adequate training or knowledge to be able to identify safeguarding issues appropriately. Leaders and managers fail to ensure that staff can recognise the signs and symptoms of all types of abuse.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite this, there is a good, child-led curriculum in place through which new activities are offered based on children's emerging interests. Children use their physical skills to scoop rice into bottles. They independently fasten the lids and explore if they can hear any sounds when they shake it. Children practise their addition by using the weighing scales and explore how they can make the dial move, saying, 'I'll make it heavier', developing their mathematical skills.

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The provision is inadequate

Children have good social skills. They enjoy building an 'aeroplane' from the large blocks in the garden. They negotiate space and discuss where they can put the 'wings'. Children work together to build and balance and learn how to safely jump off the blocks from a low height. Children take turns and share resources to make their creation. They apologise when they realise they have spilt water on their peers when they pour water down the guttering. This shows they have great respect for each other.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers fail to ensure that staff have robust knowledge of how to identify the signs and symptoms of female genital mutilation, radicalisation and exploitation. Leaders and managers fail to identify weaknesses in staff's safeguarding knowledge. n Children learn about the lifecycles of plants as they participate in planting activities in the garden and at the local community garden. Children learn where food comes from and how to help plants grow. They pick mint leaves and enjoy making 'mint soup' in the mud kitchen. Children are excited when they go on a bug hunt. They use magnifying glasses to look for bugs in the garden. Children comment when they find a 'caterpillar'. Staff ask what they turn into, and children excitedly say, 'a butterfly'. However, staff do not always challenge children to extend their language beyond what they already know. n Children have good opportunities to practise their early writing skills. Children

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need to do better?

enjoy painting on art easels and manipulating the play dough. Children excitedly show each other what they have made with the play dough and say, 'It's warm', as they wrap it around their fingers. This promotes their fine motor skills in preparation for writing. n Staff provide support for children, and their families, with special educational

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need to do better?

12 July 2023 needs and/or disabilities. They have regular discussions with parents and make referrals to other agencies if needed. They invite representatives from the agencies, such as health visitors and speech and language therapists, into the setting to share strategies to support children. n Children who speak English as an additional language are supported and valued by staff. Children teach staff key words in their first language. Children learn about diversity through resources, books and activities, which prepares them for life in modern Britain. n There are procedures in place to help children prepare for school. Staff invite school teachers to visit the children at the setting to help with a smooth transition. Children participate in physical education lessons, where they learn to independently get themselves dressed. Children learn to wipe their noses and begin to peel their orange during snack, which helps to promote their

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need to do better?

independence. n Parents speak highly of the staff. Parents say they receive regular communication from staff regarding what their children have been doing throughout the day and about their children's progress. Children have the opportunity to continue this learning at home, showing good partnership working. Parents comment that their children have grown in confidence and developed their social skills since starting at the pre-school. They say that children are cared for in the clean and warm environment by supportive, friendly and professional staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff's safeguarding knowledge is incomplete. Staff do not have the required knowledge and understanding of all safeguarding matters. Managers do not monitor or identify gaps in staff's knowledge to keep children safe from abuse, nor do they provide sufficient training for staff to raise their understanding of how to keep children safe from abuse. Staff do, however, understand the process to report any concerns they may have about a child or a member of staff. Staff also complete risk assessments of activities.

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Due date

12 July 2023 train staff to improve their understanding of all safeguarding matters, such as female genital mutilation, radicalisation and exploitation, including the signs and symptoms that children may be at risk of these. 30/08/2023

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should:

n support staff to develop ways to extend children's language even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY400272 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10295236 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 48 Name of registered person PuddleDucks Pre-School (Colchester) Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01206 868098 Date of previous inspection 13 December 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Puddleducks Pre-school (Colchester) Ltd registered in 1995. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff, of whom all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including one member of staff with early years professional status. The pre-school is open from Monday to Friday, during school term time. Sessions are from 8.30am until 3.30pm. 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 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 to discuss the areas of learning, the curriculum and what they want children to learn, both inside and outside. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n Children spoke about what they are doing at the setting. n Parents spoke to the inspector, who took into account their views of the setting. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including suitability records and first-aid certificates of staff members.

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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

12 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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