Little Buddies Pre-School

Inspection of Little Buddies Pre-School Church Hall, Homefield Avenue, LOWESTOFT, Suffolk NR33 9BU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children are happy and secure, arriving eager to play and explore the activities on offer. While they enjoy their time at the setting, the curriculum lacks careful sequencing to help children build on what they already know and can do. At times, there is a mismatch between staff's assessment of children's development and the activities planned. This means activities and teaching do not provide the appropriate level of support or challenge to help children learn and make consistently good progress.

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The provision requires improvement

Children have fun outside, playing boisterous physical games with staff and making use of the climbing and building equipment. Staff interact and play with children at their level. They join children in the mud pit as they build a bridge with planks and talk about children's home experiences of tools. Staff talk to children about safety equipment used by builders and how to check if the bridge is secure and strong. Children don safety helmets and work together to dig and transport soil.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff build positive relationships with children. They speak to them warmly, recalling key information about the important people and events in their lives. Children make some progress from their starting points. However, they do not develop a secure understanding of the setting's rules or behavioural expectations. Staff do not always proactively teach children skills to help them keep themselves safe and consider the impact of their actions on others.

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need to do better?

n Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have worked to create a curriculum, which focuses on children's current interests. This helps children to enjoy many of the activities on offer, but it is not carefully sequenced or ambitious. Activity plans and curriculum intent for children's learning are not always aligned with building on what children already know and can do. This means that activities do not consistently support the intended learning outcomes appropriately and this limits children's progress. n Leaders and managers have introduced regular staff supervision to help staff develop their practice and support their well-being. Staff report feeling supported by the management team. They access training, including mandatory courses such as first aid, and online modules on topics of interest. Leaders and managers have also identified some general areas they want to improve in the setting. However, arrangements for self-evaluation and improvement planning

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need to do better?

are not accurate or rigorous enough to identify changes that will have the most impact on children's experiences. n Children have positive attitudes to play and learning. They are familiar with the routines of the setting and recall key steps, such as washing their hands before

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need to do better?

28 June 2024 snack time. However, when children struggle to follow rules or regulate their behaviour, staff do not always implement consistent approaches. For instance, if children have a disagreement or behave unkindly towards their friends, staff comfort the upset children, but do not teach children how to resolve conflicts for themselves or explain how their actions impact others. This means that children do not learn the language of emotions or the tools to help them manage their own behaviour appropriately. n Staff help children to develop some of the skills that will support their transition to school. They encourage children to practise self-care skills and independent behaviours. For instance, children try to do things for themselves. They pour their own drinks, find their sun hats and serve themselves at snack times. n Parents comment that they feel supported by friendly staff and the flexibility of

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need to do better?

sessions. They note how much their children enjoy attending and how much they appreciate the regular photographs of children's activities that staff share online. Parents praise how children spend long periods of time playing in the garden. n Children access a range of messy play and sensory activities. They explore different textures with their hands and tools. Children create 'ice creams' with shaving foam and serve their friends. n Children delight in group singing and dancing times. They laugh as they quickly respond to staff directions to pretend to be 'jumping beans' and 'runner beans'. Staff encourage children to feel their heartbeat after physical activity and talk about healthy foods that 'help us to grow strong'. n Staff build positive relationships with families. They host termly stay-and-play sessions and outings for families to take part in. Staff have also forged links with other agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or

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need to do better?

disabilities. They work with parents to help children achieve specific next steps in their learning.

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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

28 June 2024 improve and monitor the implementation of learning experiences, to ensure staff deliver an ambitious curriculum for all that builds on children's existing knowledge and skills. 27/09/2024

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should:

n develop accurate and incisive self-evaluation to generate targeted plans for improvement and raise the quality of the provision to a consistently good level n strengthen methods to help staff proactively develop children's understanding of behavioural expectations and provide emotional regulation support to help them manage their behaviour independently.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY350350 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10305728 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 30 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Wright, Katherine Frances

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reference number

Telephone number 07906409418 Date of previous inspection 7 July 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Little Buddies Pre-School registered in 2007. It is privately owned and operates from a church hall in Lowestoft, Suffolk. The setting employs nine members of childcare staff, including two bank staff members. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including the owner who holds early years professional status. The setting operates on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 8am until 3.30pm, and on Thursday from 8am until 1pm, during term time only. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager, who is also the owner, took the inspector on a learning walk across all areas of the premises to explain how the early years provision and curriculum is organised. n The inspector observed the quality of interactions during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The co-manager completed a joint observation and evaluation of an activity with the inspector. n The inspector spoke to children, staff and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at a sample of the setting's documents. This included evidence about staff suitability and training.

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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

28 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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