Beehive Pre-school

Inspection of Beehive Pre-school Holmanleaze, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 8AW

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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's unique starting points and family structures are taken into account when planning for their learning and development. Staff and managers know children and their families well. They work together with parents/carers to ensure that children feel welcomed, comfortable and valued in the pre-school. Staff provide children with a daily routine that promotes their independence and supports their self-care skills. For example, children are eager to come into the pre-school. They find their own picture and coat peg and automatically go to wash their hands before they settle down to play.

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The provision is good

Staff skilfully support children's language and communication development. They introduce new words and extend children's vocabulary during activities. For instance, when rolling out dough, staff show children an 'oval' shape and ask them to roll it in their 'palms'. Experienced staff ensure that activities are made accessible for all children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive targeted support. All children remain highly engaged in their learning for significant lengths of time. Children receive constant encouragement and praise to help them develop a can-do attitude, and they keep trying until they succeed.

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The provision is good

Children enjoy learning about how to keep their teeth healthy. They practise brushing away food made from dough on model teeth and talk about healthy foods at mealtimes. Staff are well deployed to support children and keep them safe during their physical play. Staff provide experiences that contain suitable elements of risk and challenge to support their physical development and understanding of personal safety.

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need to do better?

n Staff are clear on the well-established curriculum in place. They understand why it is important for children to learn the skills and knowledge they want them to know and remember before they leave. Children have access to experiences which help to develop their physical skills over time. For example, they handle different tools, such as dough cutters and scissors, which helps to support their pencil control and later writing skills. n Staff provide high-quality inviting and creative activities and experiences that promote all areas of children's development. Children are eager to play and confidently access the environment. They add to the planned activities by self- selecting resources, which are readily available. Children enjoy a balance of self- directed and adult-led learning. n Staff are alert to children's emotions and behaviour. They act quickly to resolve and avoid minor disputes. However, staff do not consistently teach children

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need to do better?

26 September 2023 about how their actions can impact others. Occasionally, this can lead to the behaviour reoccurring. For example, not all staff take the time to explain why it is important to share resources. n Children have ample opportunities to develop their understanding of numbers, space and shape. Staff make the most of every activity to include counting or mathematical language. For example, staff ask if they are going to put any candles 'on top' of their cakes made of dough, and then ask them to count how many they have and to guess how many more they would need to make five. n Staff plan challenging outdoor activities for children. They incorporate risk taking, under the close supervision of staff who know when to step in and when to stand back and let children problem-solve for themselves. This helps to develop children's resilience and self-esteem and increases their physical abilities. For example, staff encourage children to scale the climbing wall on the

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need to do better?

pirate ship or complete the changeable obstacle course. n Staff are skilled in identifying children who may benefit from additional support. They share information across the team and monitor children's behaviour and development. Staff offer support that is sensitive and personalised to children and their families. This helps children to feel secure, valued and included in all areas of the pre-school. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely alongside staff, other professionals and parents to ensure that children's learning and care needs are met. n The well-established team of staff work well together, and morale is high. However, systems in place for providing staff with supervision and coaching are not yet fully effective to promote their personal effectiveness. n Parents are happy with the level of care, support and education their children receive and say that there is no other setting that they would want their other

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need to do better?

children and younger siblings to attend. They describe how 'kind' and 'flexible' the staff are in supporting their children and helping them to support their child's learning. For example, staff provide parents with ideas on how to support children's learning at home and advice on how to promote sharing and speech development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have good knowledge of safeguarding and are able to recognise a wide range of signs and indicators of abuse. Staff with designated responsibilities for safeguarding children have robust knowledge of the procedures to follow to report any concerns that a child may be at risk of harm. Staff are confident in the steps to take in the event of any concerns being raised about a colleague's behaviour towards children. There are procedures in place to check the suitability of staff during the recruitment process, and these checks are updated on an ongoing basis. All staff use risk assessments effectively to ensure the safety and security of the premises and equipment.

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should:

n strengthen staff's skills in supporting children to think through and understand the impact of their behaviour on others n strengthen existing supervision arrangements for the manager and staff to support their ongoing professional development and teaching skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 108439 Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 10304805 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 24 Number of children on roll 13 Name of registered person Beehive Preschool Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01628 777243 Date of previous inspection 1 February 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Beehive Pre-school has been operating since 1982. It is a committee-run group situated in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The pre-school is open from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am to 3pm. There are five staff working with children, all of whom hold early years qualifications at level 2 or above. 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 provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n The manager explained the curriculum intentions to the inspector during a learning walk. n The inspector observed staff and children throughout the inspection. n The inspector sampled relevant documents and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff. n The SENCo spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n Parents shared their views with the inspector through discussions.

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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

26 September 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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