Little Tinkers Preschool@ Fern Grove

Inspection of Little Tinkers Preschool@ Fern Grove Lakes Estate Community Centre, Fern Grove, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 3HQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

The management team and staff are very caring and passionate about providing the very best they can for the children attending the pre-school. The supervisor offers children a very warm welcome at the main door and then staff replicate this as children enter the main pre-school room. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging and at ease in the environment. Children arrive happily and settle quickly, making choices from a range of interesting and inspiring activities and resources. Children really enjoy being creative and show sustained concentration as they work hard on their colouring and sticking, relating to pirates. Children are extremely curious and eager to learn and join in with planned activities. They are highly motivated, concentrate well and engage for long periods in activities that interest them.

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The provision is good

The management team has a very clear intention for children's development across all areas of learning. This builds on the pre-school ethos for children to be happy, confident and independent learners. The management team and staff use a loose thematic approach to build knowledge and skills over time. The curriculum focuses on children's physical, communication and personal development and supports them to build the appropriate skills for school or their next stage in learning. Staff know and understand the learning intentions and ensure they include all children, including children who are disadvantaged and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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need to do better?

n The management team and staff plan and offer a wide range of interesting activities and experiences, which motivate children to join in and play. They are very reflective and evaluate each day so they can change things that do not work and provide more of what children enjoy. The management team and staff ensure they offer children experiences that they might not receive at home. Children have the opportunity to practise road safety, meet farm animals or go on a picnic. This supports children to develop a broad range of knowledge and skills. n On the whole, staff support children's communication and language well. They use Makaton and visual aids to support children to communicate. Children know and understand these signs and use them during singing and small-group activities. They have recently learned the signs for pirate and flag, linked to the current theme. However, on occasion, staff do not use the correct names for

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need to do better?

objects or model the correct pronunciation of some words. This does not support children to develop the correct use of English as effectively as possible. n The management team and staff develop effective partnerships with parents and other professionals. They communicate regularly to discuss children's well-being

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need to do better?

2 July 2024 and any strategies needed to support them. Staff seek initial information from parents about children's current learning when they first start. Staff then build on this to decide on children's next steps and to suggest any learning that parents can offer at home. This helps to offer consistency for children and enables parents to feel included in their child's learning journey. n The management team and staff know the children extremely well and understand their needs. In turn, children understand the pre-school rules and staff's expectations of them. Children behave extremely well, showing excellent manners and that they understand why it is important to use these. When there are minor squabbles over toys, staff support children to negotiate and share. Staff use the 'colour monsters' to help children to begin to define their own emotions and those of others. This supports children to develop their own

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need to do better?

resilience and empathy for others. n Children understand the setting's routines. Staff use a tambourine and a five- minute warning to help children prepare for a change, such as group time or snack time. However, the pre-school routines are not consistently effective, as, on occasion, the younger children disrupt the small-group learning of older children. Nonetheless, children recover quickly and continue with their activity and learning. n Staff identify that some children are fascinated by letters and numbers. They support this effectively by providing opportunities, throughout the provision, for children to see letters, words, numbers and patterns. Children are also able to make their own marks and copy letters and numerals if they wish. This supports their emerging early mathematics and literacy skills.

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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 consider how they model language to help all children learn the correct pronunciation of words to support their language development even further n review and adjust daily routines to ensure they do not have a negative impact on children's learning and development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY536356 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 10350904 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 19 Name of registered person Little Tinkers Pre-school Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 01908 371 361 Date of previous inspection 11 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Little Tinkers Preschool@ Fern Grove registered in 2016. The setting offers sessions each day from 9am until midday and from midday until 3pm. It also offers full-time sessions from 9am until 3pm. This is during term time only. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are five members of staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2, three hold qualifications at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 6.

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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 management team and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The supervisor and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n 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 special educational needs coordinator 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 that this was having on children's learning. n The supervisor and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a planned

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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

2 July 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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