Little Melton Preschool Nursery

Inspection of Little Melton Preschool Nursery Little Melton Village Hall, Mill Road, LITTLE MELTON, Norfolk NR9 3NX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

There are weaknesses in leadership and management which result in some registration requirements not being met. However, these do not significantly affect children's safety and welfare.

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The provision requires improvement

Children behave well towards each other. Staff are good role models and help children learn how to be friendly towards others during their play. Children listen carefully and attentively to the skilled staff, who tune into their needs and individual personalities well. Children enjoy their conversations with staff, who engage in their play and make it meaningful. Staff skilfully help children to develop new skills. For example, they challenge children to hang dressing-up clothes back on hangers when they have finished with them. Children persevere in the completion of these challenges and those that they set for themselves.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff read children stories in a way that captivates their interest and encourage them to contribute at fun group times. These are particularly well suited to the needs of older children. Staff create a purposeful snack time that helps children to develop their social skills. They provide unusual fruits, helping children develop their understanding of healthy eating and their wider knowledge. Staff speak to children about their health to help them learn how to make healthy choices. For example, staff talk to children about reminding themselves to take sips of water to stay hydrated.

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need to do better?

n Not all statutory requirements are met. Those with oversight have not ensured that Ofsted is aware of all committee members. They do not ensure that Ofsted is quickly provided with relevant information to allow suitability checks to be completed. However, those whose suitability is not established do not have any unsupervised contact with children or access to private information about them. Therefore, there is not a significant impact on children's safety. n There is a clear and appropriate medicines administration policy in place with regards to seeking the correct written information from parents and keeping appropriate records about the administration of medication. However, on occasion, staff do not closely follow the policy to ensure that medication is always administered in accordance with the policy. n Staff create a language-rich environment where children are exposed to lots of new language and challenging vocabulary. Staff ensure that they speak to

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need to do better?

children clearly and provide lots of opportunities for children to practise their speaking skills. However, staff place less focus on consistently helping children who may wish to communicate by other means, such as through body language, gesture or by using other prompts, to do so. This affects how quickly some

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need to do better?

12 March 2024 children become confident to communicate within the setting. n Staff work collaboratively with parents to get to know children when they first begin. They offer new children extra support and comfort to help them begin to feel safe and secure. A child's key person works to build a settled relationship with them and gets to know parents, to enable a two-way flow of information to support children's well-being and learning. Staff also work with other settings that children attend to help achieve consistency in their care and education. n Older children in particular remain focused on their learning and explore the environment confidently. They choose what they would like to do from a broad and interesting range of play-based activities. However, the large open-plan environment of the hall, where most activities take place, is a little daunting for new children to begin to explore. As a result, they sometimes take longer to

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need to do better?

settle than needed and tend be over-reliant on the close and sensitive support they receive from adults to feel comfortable and at ease in the space. n The staff and manager regularly meet to reflect on practice. The manager supervises staff effectively, focusing on all areas of their practice. This helps to achieve a quality of education that is continually improving. n Children use mathematical language as they play with dedicated resources that staff provide. This helps them to use and develop their mathematical skills, knowledge and understanding.

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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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Due date

ensure that relevant details are provided to Ofsted to allow suitability checks for committee members to be completed 12/05/2024

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Due date

ensure that the medication policy is always correctly followed for all prescribed medications. 12/05/2024

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should:

12 March 2024 n consider ways to enhance staff practice to further support children's emerging communication and language skills to develop n reflect on how the indoor environment is organised to support two-year-old children and new children to be able to settle more quickly and begin to explore more confidently.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 254152 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 10312060 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 21

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Name of registered person

Little Melton Pre-School Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01603 812362 Date of previous inspection 19 April 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Little Melton Preschool Nursery registered in 1992. The pre-school opens four days a week, during school term times. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm on Tuesday and Thursday, from 9am until 1pm on Wednesdays, and from 9am until noon on Fridays. 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 of all areas of the setting and discussed the early years curriculum. 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 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 joint observations of group activities with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting 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

12 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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