Big Top Buckingham Park Ltd

Inspection of Big Top Buckingham Park Ltd Buckingham Park Community Centre, Jubilee Square, Aylesbury HP19 9DZ

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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 Not applicable

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The provision requires improvement

Staff make children and their families feel welcome and valued. As children arrive they are greeted with lots of smiles and warm words. Children eagerly enter the pre-school and show excitement for the day ahead. Staff calmly remind children of expectations around behaviour. The well-embedded routines help children understand what is going to happen next. Children learn well what to do in preparation for going outside and how to behave at mealtimes.

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The provision requires improvement

Leaders want the best for children and plan a curriculum to meet their specific needs. Leaders have a clear vision for how they want children to be supported in their learning. However, there are variations in the effectiveness of staff practice in helping children learn well. Sometimes staff make activities too long or difficult for children. This impacts on children's ability to focus, join in and learn effectively at these times.

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The provision requires improvement

Leaders have a clear picture of the challenges some children face when they start pre-school. They promptly identify children who may need extra help to get the most from the learning opportunities on offer. However, the support for these children is mixed. Some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not effectively helped to attend all the hours to which they are entitled. This means these children do not have access to the full curriculum of learning.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have worked hard to make improvements. They model effective teaching in their daily interactions with children. However, they have not yet been fully successful in ensuring staff provide a learning environment that supports all children's learning effectively. Nor have they provided the focused support some staff need to deliver consistently strong teaching. Sometimes the sheer abundance of resources on offer hinders younger children's ability to engage in purposeful learning. Too frequently staff have to break away from supporting children's learning to take measures to ensure a safe and orderly environment. This impacts on the quality and quantity of staff's interactions with children. n Staff ensure children have daily opportunities to hear stories and sing songs, to support their developing language skills. When these are delivered effectively children remember well what they have been taught. For example, older children

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need to do better?

remember the words and actions to familiar songs and join in enthusiastically. However, staff sometimes expect younger children to sit and listen to stories for too long, given their current stage of development. Children become distracted and restless. n Children learn well to do things for themselves. Staff help children become more

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need to do better?

8 November 2024 independent by resisting doing things for children that, with a little support and encouragement, they can begin to do for themselves. For example, they teach children how to take off their own coats and hang them on their pegs. They model for children how to get ready for meal times and the importance of good table manners. n Leaders work tirelessly to help parents access external support for children with recognised, or potential, SEND. However, support for these children at the pre- school is mixed. Some children are supported well to join in and learn. However, for other children who find being at pre-school challenging, there is an expectation they will attend for fewer hours than their full entitlement. Key staff do not focus well enough on helping children overcome these obstacles so they can increase their attendance, to help them continue to make progress. n Leaders place a high importance on providing a nurturing space for children.

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need to do better?

They show unfailing kindness to children, especially when children are going through periods of uncertainty. Children show that pre-school is somewhere they enjoy being and where they feel safe, secure and looked after. n Staff value the wealth of different experiences and cultural backgrounds children bring to the pre-school. Staff reflect these through activities, pictures and resources. This helps children develop a positive view of the similarities and differences between themselves and others. Staff also plan an interesting programme of experiences to help children learn about the wider world. People from the local community are invited to visit so children can learn about different people who help them. n Staff successful develop warm, professional and effective partnerships with parents. Staff lend resources and books, and invite parents in to the pre-school to find out about their children's progress. These strong partnerships are used

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need to do better?

well to enable parents and staff to work together to meet children's needs.

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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

implement an effective programme of staff monitoring, mentoring and supervision, so staff consistently deliver the planned programme of learning well. 24/01/2025

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should:

n improve the learning environment, to help children focus and engage well in meaningful learning n develop clear strategies to help children with SEND access their full entitlement to early education.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2692307 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 10360183 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 32 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person Big Top Buckingham Park Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07769979593 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Big Top Buckingham Park Ltd re-registered in 2022 and is situtated in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It operates from 8.30am to 2.15pm, Monday to Friday, term time only. The provider is in receipt of funding to provide funded early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are nine members of staff, of whom six hold relevant childcare qualifications between level 2 and level 4.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n The inspector held meetings with leaders to find out about the leadership and management of the setting. n Parents shared their views, and the inspector took these into account. n The inspector looked at a sample of key documentation.

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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 November 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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