Tiddlywinks Pre-School

Inspection of Tiddlywinks Pre-School The Playgroup Building, Alder Drive, Ambrosden, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX25 2RD

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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

Children are greeted with warmth by cheerful, caring staff who are genuinely delighted to see them. The committed team takes the time to build strong connections with children and their families before they start. This ensures a seamless transition from home to pre-school. Individualised settling-in procedures cater to each child's unique needs. This allows them to quickly feel comfortable and eagerly participate in activities of their choice. Staff are gentle, nurturing and kind. They serve as strong role models who uphold high expectations for children's behaviour.

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The provision is good

Staff make sure that reading books is an important part of the daily routine. Children listen to the stories enthusiastically, look at the books independently and recognise the familiar lines when staff read with them. Children show a real love of 'The Bear Hunt Cave,' where children enjoy accessing books throughout the day. This promotes children's development of a love of books and literacy. Children's interests are followed well and staff use these to plan activities to support them in their learning. For example, younger children enjoy exploring the small world farm animals and older children uses brushes to discover the dinosaur bones.

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The provision is good

Children's physical development is promoted well. Children have opportunities to climb, balance and run freely in the outdoor area. This helps to develop children's large-muscle movements. Inside, children have opportunities to practice their fine motor skills. Pre-school children enjoy rolling, kneading and cutting the dough. This helps to develop their fine motor skills and supports their dexterity in early writing, in readiness for school.

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need to do better?

n Leaders are passionate and strive for continual improvement. Staff feel that leaders prioritise their well-being. They receive regular supervision where they can discuss a range of issues. Leaders support staff to gain childcare qualifications to develop their career. This ensures that staff continually improve their teaching to help improve outcomes for children. n Staff and leaders have worked hard to embed a high-quality provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, (SEND). Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to provide children with personalised support plans to help them make the best possible progress. Staff know children's individual needs well. Their learning environment has been carefully considered to ensure minimal distractions and provide a safe space. Any additional funding the pre-school receives is used to support children's individual needs.

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need to do better?

n Overall, staff teach the curriculum very well. However, sometimes when children

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need to do better?

4 March 2025 come together outside, the teaching does not closely match the most immediate learning needs of the children taking part. At these times, whilst children are happy, learning is not tailored to focus on what staff want children to learn next. n Children benefit from a language-rich environment. Staff are animated as they read books and sing songs with actions, throughout the day. They use visual aids to help children's understanding and staff use simple sign language. These help children, including children who speak English as an additional language to be good communicators. n Children are motivated to explore and investigate and, overall show good levels of curiosity and concentration. However, there are some occasions when children's engagement dips during child-initiated activities. For example, following lunch time when staff are completing tasks, children sometimes wait without adult support. During these brief times, children are not fully engaged in

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need to do better?

purposeful learning. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff work with parents to help children to settle and gather information about the family and children's developmental progress. They routinely share information about children's experiences and their focus for future learning. Regular stay-and-play sessions, parents' evenings and special celebration events provide good opportunities for parents to spend time with their children in the pre-school. n Children generally behave towards each other with kindness and enjoy playing together. For example, children who finish at lunchtime return to cuddle their friends, as they forgot to do so on first leaving. Children hug their friends goodbye and say, 'see you tomorrow'. Staff are good at supporting children to build friendships and there is a real sense of this at pre-school. n Staff teach children about healthy choices and lifestyles, including the nutritional

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need to do better?

benefits of food. Children develop strong self-help skills and independence.

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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 improve and focus teaching more precisely on what children would most benefit from learning next, particularly when children are in the outside area n support staff to encourage all children to get involved and engaged in meaningful learning, especially during times when they have free choice of activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 133889 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 10388220 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 48 Number of children on roll 52

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Name of registered person

Bicester Garrison (Tiddlywinks) Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01869 247277 Date of previous inspection 3 July 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Tiddlywinks Pre-School registered in 1994 and is situated in Ambrosden, Oxfordshire. The pre-school opens for their core hours of Monday to Friday from 8.30am until 2.50pm, during term time only, with the option of an early and/or later session. The pre-school receives government funding to provide early education for children aged from nine months to four years. There are 13 members of staff employed at pre-school. The manager has a qualification at level 5, seven staff are qualified at level 3 and two at level 2.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector completed a learning walk with the manager, through all areas of the premises used by the children. n Parents shared their views through verbal and written feedback. The inspector took these views into account. n The inspector talked to the manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager carried out a joint observation with the inspector. n The inspector looked at a sample of the documentation. This included evidence about suitability and qualification records.

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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

4 March 2025 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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