Sticky Fingers Pre-School

Inspection of Sticky Fingers Pre- School Wakefield Road, Copley, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX3 0TP

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children become happy and highly confident learners at this stimulating and nurturing pre-school. They warmly welcome the inspector and show an interest in who they are and why they are visiting their pre-school. Staff support and encourage children to take part in termly performances for their parents. They enjoy regular outings to new places. As a result, children's confidence soars. This is expressed through their ability to communicate and build relationships with others.

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The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy exploring the well-planned and resourced learning environment. The pre-school classroom stimulates children's minds and they become engrossed in their play. Children freely access the areas of learning across the pre-school. For instance, they choose to practise their mark-making skills in the well-resourced creative area. Staff help children to hold their pencil correctly. They support children to draw shapes and letters. Children write with a purpose. For example, they make signs to tell their friends to stay away from the birds' nests they have made. These meaningful experiences support children to make good progress with their early literacy skills.

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The provision is good

Children are joined by staff as they play imaginatively. Staff allow children to lead their play. They gently guide and support children at appropriate moments. This ensures that children's play and ideas are valued, which in turn motivates them to stay engaged as they play and explore.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff plan purposeful play opportunities based on the skills and knowledge that they want children to learn next. They place a strong focus on stories and promoting children's love of reading. Staff use puppets and props to bring stories to life. Children act out and repeat familiar lines from their favourite stories. They join in with regular singing sessions and explore musical instruments. This helps children to grow their listening and communication skills. n Staff encourage children to express their thoughts, feelings and requests to each other. As a result, children play well together. They learn to share and take turns and their behaviour is good. n Staff talk to children and parents about the expectations for healthy lunchboxes. This supports children to begin to understand about foods that are good for them and foods that are not. The pre-school manager has responded to the high

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need to do better?

rates of dental issues in the area by encouraging children to brush their teeth after they have eaten their lunch. Consequently, children hear and understand regular messages about how to stay healthy. n Children receive regular opportunities to learn about diversity. For example, they explore Islamic artefacts, such as a prayer mat and a Ramadan calendar. This

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need to do better?

15 March 2024 helps children to understand and learn about faiths and cultures that may be different to their own. n Parents and carers are invited into the setting for 'play days'. Staff use these opportunities support parents to find out more about their children's experiences in the pre-school. Parents receive an information sheet to help them to know more about their children's learning in the pre-school. This, in turn, supports parents to extend these experiences and children's learning at home. n The dedicated manager has high ambitions for the pre-school. She regularly meets with the pre-school governing body to put together action plans to continue to develop and improve the learning environment. Staff attend regular training and take part in professional development opportunities. The manager has high expectations for staff's practice. However, the methods used to monitor the effectiveness of training, and the skills and knowledge of staff, are not used

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need to do better?

consistently enough by the manager to identify further areas for development. n The knowledgeable special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo) works closely with parents and makes appropriate referrals to make sure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the right support. She puts in place small-group activities to provide targeted support for children. This ensures that all children make good progress towards their learning goals. n Staff use additional funding to provide new experiences for children. For example, they take children for trips on the bus or to the local market to buy food for snack time. This promotes children's communication skills, as staff talk to them about their experiences.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n strengthen the monitoring of staff's practice and knowledge, to identify further areas for improvement and raise the quality of the pre-school to even higher levels.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 303832 Local authority Calderdale Inspection number 10317006 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 25 Number of children on roll 35 Name of registered person Sticky Fingers Pre-School

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reference number

Telephone number 01422 329494 Date of previous inspection 3 May 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Sticky Fingers Pre-School registered in 1999 and is located in Copley, near Halifax. The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. It opens in term time, Monday to Friday and sessions are from 9.05am until 3.05pm. It offers a before- and after-school service for children attending the pre-school and Copley Primary School, and a holiday club open to all local children. 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 manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n Children spoke to and communicated 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 inspector spoke with the manager and staff about their safeguarding knowledge and responsibilities. n The SENCo spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a creative activity with the manager. n Parents and carers shared their views on the pre-school with the inspector. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

15 March 2024 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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