Smarties Pre School and Out of School Club

Inspection of Smarties Pre School and Out of School Club The Community Building, Steeple Morden CofE Primary School, 7 Hay Street, Steeple Morden,Royston, Hertfordshire SG8 0PD

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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

Staff provide a nurturing environment for children and their families. They greet children and parents positively at the door. Children happily enter the pre-school, ready to start their day. Children build strong bonds with staff, who know the children well and support them in exploring their learning environment. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure.

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The provision is good

Children are happy and busy throughout the day. They learn the rules of taking turns during adult-led circle times, and develop their physical skills as they climb and balance on the outdoor equipment. Staff plan a rich curriculum that offers a range of exciting activities and experiences for children, differentiating them according to children's age and development. Children listen intently as staff enthusiastically read the book 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. They learn about healthy foods and where they come from as they thread fruit onto a skewer. These experiences support children's language skills as they finish well-known phrases, and develop their physical skills and understanding of healthy lifestyles. As a result of well-planned activities such as these, children make good progress in their learning.

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The provision is good

Children generally behave well. They receive clear expectations from staff, and regular routines enable children to understand what is expected of them. During group times, staff explain to children that they need to take it in turns to talk so that everyone can be heard. This supports children to understand the consequences of their actions and builds on their understanding of social interactions.

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need to do better?

n The manager has worked hard to provide staff with a clear, sequenced curriculum across all areas of learning. Staff receive regular and appropriate training that enables them to deliver the curriculum well. n Staff tailor planning to children's different ages and individual needs. During groups times, younger children develop their repertoire of nursery rhymes as they play musical instruments. Older children begin to learn mathematical concepts as they sing songs about numbers and count the number of children in their group. As a result of this progressive curriculum, children engage well in activities and show sustained concentration. n Overall, staff are deployed well around the pre-school and fully immerse themselves in children's play. However, they do not always notice when children have disagreements. Therefore, staff are not able to consistently help them in developing their understanding of the consequences of their actions.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their fine motor skills in

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need to do better?

20 June 2024 preparation for early writing. Outside, children explore coloured rice. They use small spoons to scoop the rice into pots, practising their hand-to-eye coordination. Staff support children in using mathematical language to describe when the pots are 'full' and 'empty'. Inside, children use pencils to draw pictures of bees, linked to bees visiting their outdoor area. Children talk about the bees' nest in the nearby school, and excitedly gather around to look at the bees they find. n Children engage in conversations with staff throughout the day. Staff encourage children to share their ideas and experiences, and support them in remembering previous learning. Children make links in their learning when comparing chicks hatching from eggs to caterpillars emerging from their cocoons. Overall, staff use opportunities during discussions to enhance and extend children's knowledge. However, they do not consistently use these interactions to

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need to do better?

challenge children's understanding and address children's misconceptions. n The chair of the committee has a good overview of the quality of care and education in the pre-school, and provides good, valuable leadership. She understands the committee's roles and responsibilities to help ensure that statutory requirements are met, and swiftly actions areas for improvement. n Parents are very happy with the provision at the pre-school. They are highly complimentary about the support they receive, and state that the staff are always on hand to discuss their children's needs. An effective key-person system ensures that staff build effective partnerships from the start of children's care. Parents feel well informed about their children's learning through daily discussions and parent meetings. n The knowledgeable and newly appointed special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) knows the children's needs very well. Communication is effective within

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need to do better?

the team. As a result, children with additional needs are supported well. The SENCo works closely with parents and builds strong links with the local school. She shares information with the school SENCo to support children's transitions as they move on in their education.

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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 guide staff to develop an increased awareness of children's behaviour across the setting and provide children with appropriate and timely support to resolve emerging disagreements in their play

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should:

20 June 2024 n help staff to develop their teaching skills so that they confidently challenge misconceptions in learning and embrace opportunities to strengthen children's knowledge and understanding even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY434661 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10344352 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 24 Number of children on roll 144

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Name of registered person

Smarties Pre-School and Out of School Club Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01763852888 Date of previous inspection 12 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Smarties Pre School and Out of School Club registered in 2011 and is located in Royston, Hertfordshire. It employs six members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The after-school club operates from 7.45am until 8.50am and 3.15pm to 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 and discussed how the pre-school organises their early years provision, including the aims and rationale for their early years foundation stage curriculum. n The inspector made observations throughout the inspection of children's experiences in the pre-school and assessed the impact on their learning. n The inspector and manager completed a joint observation of an activity to assess the quality of teaching. n The inspector took account of the views of parents. n The inspector spoke to the committee chair about the leadership and management of the pre-school. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the

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Inspection activities

suitability of staff and committee members.

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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

20 June 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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