Brereton Playgroup and Preschool

Inspection of Brereton Playgroup and Preschool School Lane, Brereton Green, Nr Sandbach CW11 1RN

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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

Friendly staff greet children warmly as they arrive at this lively and welcoming pre- school. Children arrive happy and are keen to get into the setting to play. The staff help them to settle quickly into their chosen activity. This shows the secure and positive relationships between children and their key person.

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The provision is good

Leaders provide a curriculum that is ambitious and inclusive for all children, ensuring that they are well prepared for their next stages of learning. Children have lots of fun choosing from the different activities and resources on offer. Staff support children to play together and behave well. For example, children play cooperatively with their friends, carefully drawing a treasure map and making a pretend telescope out of rolled up paper together. They work their way round the room looking for clues, proudly explaining, 'She's doing the looking and I'm using the map.' This demonstrates their social skills, confidence and how their imaginations are developing well.

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The provision is good

Staff make sure that children get plenty of fresh air and exercise in the spacious outside areas. They run round a track, chasing and catching each other and climb over and under climbing frames and other large equipment. Children work together, painting a rainbow on a huge board, stretching up high to paint at the top of the board. This supports the development of their physical skills well.

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need to do better?

n Overall, the curriculum is well planned. Leaders and staff assess the children's starting points when they first arrive at the pre-school. They meet regularly to discuss and plan for children's next steps. Leaders and staff take account of children's interests, which helps children engage positively with the activities on offer. However, at times, staff are not as clear as possible about the learning intentions of some activities. This means that, occasionally, children are not gaining the most new knowledge and skills as possible. n Children's communication and language skills are supported effectively. Staff have lots of interesting conversations with children. They talk to them about what they are doing and what they can see and hear, taking care to talk clearly and give the children plenty of time to reply. Outside, staff skilfully encourage children to develop an imaginative game about 'The Gingerbread Man', repeating

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need to do better?

familiar phrases from the story. Children's speaking, listening and early reading skills are developing well. n The educational programmes for physical development are well planned. Staff plan lots of ways for children to move and handle different items. Children concentrate hard as they select a toy animal to paint. They hold the toy animal carefully and paint it all over, turning it in their hand to check that it is

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need to do better?

14 March 2024 completely covered. They then enjoy choosing to wash the toy animal to make it clean again in a tub of soapy water. Children are taught by staff to use scissors correctly when cutting out pictures of animals. This develops the children's hand- eye coordination and fine motor skills effectively. n Mostly, children behave very well. Staff teach children to be friendly, confident and consistently polite and kind to each other. For example, when children splash others with water by mistake, they say sorry without being reminded. Children enjoy taking on responsible roles and take great pride in wearing different special aprons to help with the serving of the toast at snack time or to feed the guinea pigs. However, sometimes children struggle to maintain high levels of concentration and become distracted from their learning, particularly when they are in larger groups. n Leaders and staff are passionate about doing their absolute best for all children.

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need to do better?

There is thoughtful and sensitive support in place, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Each child's key person is enthusiastic and knowledgeable when they talk about the additional training that they have undertaken to enable them to give children the most positive support. The manager and her staff team work closely with outside services, parents and carers. This helps them to identify any additional needs quickly and support children who are disadvantaged well. n Staff work closely with parents to keep them updated with children's progress. They share detailed information about children's development and achievements. This helps to provide continuity in supporting children's care and learning. Parents appreciate this positive partnership working. They comment that they are 'really impressed' with the support that their children receive. n Staff speak highly of the pre-school leaders and say that they are proud to work

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need to do better?

at the setting. They speak very positively about the teamwork and enjoyment that they get from their work with the children. They report that they are very well supported by leaders to develop their professional skills and that leaders genuinely care about their well-being. This helps to create a relaxed and happy atmosphere for children to play and learn.

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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 support staff to consistently plan activities that have clear intentions for children's learning

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should:

14 March 2024 n improve staff knowledge of how to support children to remain highly engaged and be less easily distracted, particularly in group activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 304989 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 10317148 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 39 Name of registered person Brereton Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01477534304 Date of previous inspection 15 May 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Brereton Playgroup and Preschool registered in 1983. The pre-school employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds qualified teacher status, one holds an early years qualification at level 6 and also holds a higher level teaching assistant qualification and eight hold early years qualifications at level 3. The pre- school opens from Monday to Friday, during term-time only. Sessions are from 7.45am to 3.15pm. Before- and after-school care is provided for children in Reception Year, from 7.30am to 8.45am and from 3.15pm to 5.45pm. 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 manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk. They talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The children told the inspector about their friends and what they like to do when they are at pre-school. 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 The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of

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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

14 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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