St. Peter's Pre-School, Stafford

Inspection of St. Peter's Pre-School, Stafford Rising Brook High School, Rising Brook, STAFFORD ST17 9DH

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Staff provide children with friendly, nurturing interactions. Babies and children form close bonds with staff and show they feel happy and safe in their care. Children know when they need to seek comfort from the staff, who are always close by to provide a cuddle or kind word.

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The provision is good

Staff organise the learning environment well to motivate children to play and explore. They place a strong focus on children's physical development. Children benefit from the large, well-resourced spaces, both indoors and outdoors. Babies confidently travel around and build their muscle strength, as they pull themselves up to stand at various pieces of equipment. Staff encourage babies to stand and hold onto a rail so they can see themselves in a mirror. Older children thoroughly enjoy the opportunities to increase their heart rates as they use a wide range of equipment to travel around the playground.

p.2

The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for children and help them to understand the rules and boundaries. Pre-school children explain the reason for the rules, such as sharing toys and getting a sand timer so they know when it is their turn. All children make good progress and staff help them to gain the skills they need in readiness for school.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff have made successful improvements to provide children with a good quality of education. The manager has worked with the local authority to improve the staff supervision arrangements. Staff have benefited from professional development opportunities. Recent training has focused on the use of questioning to enhance children's play. New staff receive a thorough induction, so they understand their roles and responsibilities. n Overall, the manager has developed a curriculum that meets the needs of the children. The curriculum for babies and younger children clearly identifies the sequence of knowledge and skills that staff focus on with the children. Older children benefit from valuable learning experiences and a learning environment that reflects their interests. However, the manager has not precisely identified the sequence of knowledge and skills that the older children need to gain to

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need to do better?

accelerate the progress they make. n Overall, teaching is good across the pre-school. The manager monitors staff practice and supports staff in their roles. However, the manager has not identified where some staff need further support to provide children with teaching that precisely supports their learning needs. n Staff use their observations and assessments of children, including children's two-year-old progress check to inform their teaching. Children show they are

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need to do better?

27 July 2023 engaged and enjoy the learning experiences on offer. Babies thoroughly enjoy developing their understanding of the world through a range of sensory materials, such as shiny paper and edible sand. Two-year-old children concentrate as they shape play dough and learn to use simple tools. Pre-school children recreate scenes from familiar stories, such as building houses from bricks, sticks and straw. They pretend to be the wolf and try to blow the houses down. n The special educational needs coordinator liaises with outside agencies so that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need to progress well. n Staff skilfully support children's emotional development. They sensitively help two-year-old children learn the daily routines, such as snack and mealtimes. Staff teach older children a range of strategies to help them to manage feelings, such as frustration. Children learn to use breathing techniques to help them to

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need to do better?

achieve calmer feelings. n Staff follow stringent hygiene routines to promote children's good health. Children learn about the importance of regular handwashing. They have access to drinking water and enjoy the nutritious meals and snacks. n Parent partnerships are good. Parents are very pleased with the progress their children make and the support provided to them by staff. Staff keep parents fully informed about their child's achievements and give them ideas to support learning at home. They work closely with parents to provide babies with continuity in their routines.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a secure understanding of their responsibilities to keep children safe. Staff complete thorough risk assessment of the premises and continuously make checks throughout the day to minimise hazards to children. This includes having a good understanding of keeping babies safe while they sleep and managing risks at mealtimes. The manager and staff know a wide range of signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and how to report concerns. They know how to manage concerns about the conduct of a member of staff. Children learn that some rules are there to keep them safe.

p.3

should:

n extend the monitoring of staff practice to identify where they need further support to enhance their teaching n refine the curriculum for older children so this identifies fully how to help children to build on what they already know and can do.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY276506 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10261886 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 Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 27 Name of registered person St. Peters Pre-School (Stafford) Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01785 240641 Date of previous inspection 12 October 2022

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Information about this early years setting

St. Peter's Pre-School, Stafford registered in 2004. The provider employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 3 to level 7. The setting opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n Children interacted with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

27 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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