Small Saints Pre-school

Inspection of Small Saints Pre-school The Chase, High Street, Holbeach, Lincs PE12 7ED

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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 follow the routines that staff implement, helping them to feel safe and confident in the pre-school. For example, they know to hang their belongings on pegs in the hallway when they arrive. When asked, children help staff to tidy away resources outside, which encourages them to take responsibility for caring for the environment. Children show positive relationships with staff. They are keen to share their thoughts and ideas with them. This includes children who speak English as an additional language. For example, children talk about having pumpkins at home.

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The provision is good

Children learn how to care for animals. For example, staff help them to understand how to stroke the pre-school's pet cats. Children explain that they need to stoke the cats on their back and not their tail. This helps children to learn how they can keep themselves safe around animals. Children have opportunities to develop their balance and coordination. For example, they hold out their hands to catch balls that staff throw to them outdoors. Indoors, staff provide children with balancing boards and set out obstacle courses for them to take turns moving across. Children squeal with excitement when they explore seeds inside a pumpkin. They laugh with their friends and staff and show good hand-to-eye coordination as they pour water inside the pumpkin. Children receive praise from staff for their achievements, helping to raise their self-esteem.

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need to do better?

n The manager supports staff's practice and well-being effectively. Staff attend training courses to help extend their knowledge of how to support children's speaking skills. For example, they use simple sign language with children to help them to understand spoken words. n The manager reflects on practice and makes improvements to help raise outcomes for children. Since the last inspection, the manager has developed the outdoor space, introducing a forest area. Staff support children to use this area to help develop their physical skills. Children have opportunities to develop their imagination. For example, they use flower petals to make potions. n The manager and staff gather information from parents when children first start, about their prior learning and achievements. They use this information, along with their own observations and assessments, to help identify what children need to learn next. However, they do not share with all parents information

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need to do better?

about how they intend to help children to build on their learning. This will help parents to understand how they can support their child's development more precisely at home. n The manager talks to parents to help identify the best and most effective ways to use the additional funding that some children receive. For example, she uses

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need to do better?

25 October 2023 some of the money to enhance staffing, providing more one-to-one support for children to meet their individual needs. n Staff implement rules and boundaries, such as for children to use their 'walking feet' indoors and to use 'kind hands'. This helps children to understand what is expected of them. Children show they understand how to behave positively. They say that to have kind hands, 'you can share'. Children explain to visitors that if they want toys that another child has, they are to say 'please'. n Staff support children to learn skills for the future, such as to be independent. For example, children are asked to pour their own drinks, use knives safely to butter bread at snack time and to take off their all-in-one suits when they come in from outside. n Children show excitement to join in planned activities. However, occasionally, staff do not plan these highly effectively to enable children to build on their

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need to do better?

existing skills. For example, when staff provide children with blunt knives to attempt to cut pumpkins, they cannot achieve this. So, instead they use other resources and follow their own play ideas. n The manager and staff work in partnership with schools when children move on. For example, they share information with teachers about children's learning to help promote consistency in their development. The manager invites teachers to visit the children in the pre-school, helping children to become familiar with the person who will be caring for them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff maintain a safe, clean and secure environment for children to play. They have a procedure in place to keep children and themselves safe in the event of a critical incident in the local area. The manager and staff know how to identify if children are at potential risk of harm or abuse. They know how to recognise if children are being drawn into radicalisation or extreme views. The manager and staff know where to report any concerns they may have about children's safety. All staff complete paediatric first-aid training. This helps to give them the knowledge to be able to treat a child's minor incident.

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should:

n support staff to provide all parents with information about how they intend to build on their children's learning n help staff to plan activities more effectively so children are provided with tools and resources that help to build on their existing skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 253758 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10305428 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 78 Number of children on roll 109 Name of registered person Small Saints Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01406 422 358 Date of previous inspection 21 February 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Small Saints Pre-school registered in 1992 and is situated in Holbeach, Lincolnshire. The pre-school employs 20 members of childcare staff. Of these, 17 hold appropriate early years qualifications between levels 2 and 5. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for one week between Christmas and New Year. Sessions during school term time are from 8.30am until 6pm. During the school holidays, sessions are from 8am until 6pm. 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 the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed how the manager implements the curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n Children spoke to the inspector throughout the inspection. n The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school. n Parents shared their views on the pre-school with the inspector.

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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

25 October 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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