The Chesterfords Community Preschool

Inspection of The Chesterfords Community Preschool The Chesterfords Community centre, Newmarket Road, Great Chesterford, SAFFRON WALDEN, Essex CB10 1NS

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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

The caring and nurturing staff team creates a warm and welcoming environment where children settle well. Children actively seek out their key person when they arrive at the pre-school. This demonstrates the strong bonds they have formed. Learning opportunities are created using children's interests and key topics that the pre-school follows. Practitioners enhance learning, and, as a result, children remain at activities for long periods.

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The provision is good

The pre-school has a real community feel, and children are right at the heart of all that staff do. Staff use the local community area to build on children's knowledge of the world around them. This includes accessing the 'nature space' and visiting local shops and amenities. A visit to the local library enhances children's love of books.

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The provision is good

A well-established routine allows children to understand what is expected of them at different times through the day. During play, staff encourage children to take turns, and they provide sand timers for children to manage this independently. Staff offer children praise when they are kind to each other and practise good behaviour. As a result of the strategies put in place, children's behaviour is kind and age-appropriate.

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need to do better?

n Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the children in their care. They confidently talk about the children's learning and plan experiences to build on the skills and knowledge they already have. Staff talk about children's next steps in their learning and how they support children. However, children's next steps are broad in their focus. This means that, at times, gaps in areas such as language development are not always given priority. n Staff awareness of their cohort and demographic enables them to plan a curriculum that builds on children's knowledge of themselves and others. Staff talk to children daily about their emotions and how they are feeling. They support this with 'colour monsters' and emotion cards when children are struggling to understand how they feel. Parent visits to the pre-school help children learn about other cultures and religions. Children enjoy experiencing festivals first hand, such as making dragons to celebrate Chinese New Year.

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need to do better?

n Children of all ages access books. There is a wide variety of fiction and non- fiction books readily available to children. Staff encourage children to take time to read books independently and teach them how to hold books. Staff talk to children about how to use the pictures to help tell a story. Group story time is completed daily. Staff build on children's knowledge of familiar books and ask children questions to help them revisit what they know and can remember.

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need to do better?

8 October 2024 Children at the pre-school have a clear love of books. n The pre-school staff are keen to ensure that children develop healthy lifestyles. They look at ways to make exercise and healthy eating fun and enjoyable. A local sports coach provides children with a weekly class, where they build on their physical skills. The 'nature space' is an allotment area where children grow their own fruit and vegetables. From 'seed to plate' they take care of their vegetables and delightfully make vegetable soups and fruit jam with their accomplishments. n Parent partnerships are a key strength of the pre-school. There are a wide variety of communication techniques used to support information-sharing. Staff meet regularly with parents to share information about their children's development and look at ways in which parents can support their children at home. Parents describe the staff team as being the 'making of the wonderful

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need to do better?

pre-school'. They would not send their children anywhere else. n The leadership team supports staff well-being effectively. Staff talk of the love they have for their roles and enjoy completing the training opportunities made available to them. The leadership team completes regular supervision sessions with staff. However, the team does not always focus supervision targets to build on staff practice to ensure that the quality of teaching is always at the highest level.

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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 develop their knowledge and ability to set next-step targets that build on the areas children need to develop the most n focus supervision targets more precisely to support staff and raise the quality of their teaching to the highest level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY430960 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10359960 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 30 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person The Chesterfords Community Preschool

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reference number

Telephone number 07840341551 Date of previous inspection 14 December 2018

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Information about this early years setting

The Chesterfords Community Preschool registered in 2011. The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during school term time. Sessions are from 9am to 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager, a staff member and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all the areas of the pre-school and discussed the curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this was having on children's learning. n The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n The inspector spoke to parents and looked at reviews from parents during the inspection, and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of the staff team and managers. n The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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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

8 October 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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