Sutton-on-Sea Sandcastles Preschool

Inspection of Sutton-on-Sea Sandcastles Preschool St Clements Church Hall, Church Lane, SUTTON-ON-SEA, Lincolnshire LN12 2JB

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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 warmly by staff on their arrival to the pre-school. Those that are new are offered support and encouragement to help them settle. Staff support children to be independent. Younger children learn how to fill buckets with water, receiving support from staff to understand when to turn a tap off when their bucket is full. Older children take responsibility for handing out plates to their friends at snack time.

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The provision is good

The provider and staff have a clear curriculum that focuses on children's communication and language skills. When staff read familiar books, children begin to recite part of the stories from memory. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to understand changes in the daily routine. This includes staff showing children objects, such as nappies, before changing them. Additionally, children observe staff using Makaton sign language alongside the words they use, supporting their understanding of what is being communicated.

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The provision is good

Children build positive relationships with staff and each other. Staff interact with children as they play, helping them to understand behavioural expectations. Children share the toys and resources they use and play cooperatively with their peers. For instance, children copy staff when they show them how to say a friend's name and roll a ball to them. This contributes to developing children's social skills.

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need to do better?

n Staff work closely in partnership with other professionals to meet children's individual needs. This includes discussing how to support children's individual targets to help them progress. For example, staff encourage children to communicate in a variety of different ways, such as giving them choices to enable them to make decisions. n Staff gather detailed information from parents when children first start and use this, along with their knowledge of child development, to plan activities to support children's good progress. This includes providing activities for younger children to develop the muscles in their mouths that helps them to form speech sounds. n Children's understanding of feelings and emotions is supported well by staff. For instance, staff read stories to children, helping them to identify how characters in books are feeling. They ask children to look in mirrors and identify how they are feeling and why. Children confidently talk about why they feel sad and

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need to do better?

happy. n The provider supports staff to build on their professional development. Staff attended training courses to develop their knowledge of how to support children to settle and feel secure when they first start. This includes finding out from

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need to do better?

24 June 2025 parents how to comfort their children if they become upset and using these strategies to help children settle. n Staff provide a wide range of activities that children are keen to engage in. However, sometimes, not all staff are supported to fully understand the intent of some activities and how they can use their teaching skills to build on what children need to learn next. For example, when an activity is to support children to build on their scissors skills, staff to not demonstrate to children how to do this. n Overall, staff are good role models and help children to understand how to be respectful and to show positive behaviours when they interact with others. Staff hold conversations with children, listen and respond appropriately, showing children that their views are valued. Staff help children to understand how to share, using words such as 'your turn', when children use a swing in the garden.

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need to do better?

n Staff plan activities during the day that focuses on particular aspects of learning, such as for older children to recognise their written name. This is to help them identify their own belongings that show their name, when they move on to school. However, sometimes, during planned activities, staff do not consider how to meet the learning needs of the younger children as effectively. n The provider invites teachers from the schools children will attend, to see and interact with the children prior to them moving on to school. This is to help children to become familiar with the adult who will be caring for them in an environment where they feel safe and secure. This contributes to preparing children to be emotionally ready for their move on.

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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 strengthen staff's teaching to focus on how to support children's individual learning n support staff during planned activities to take account of the learning needs of the younger children more precisely.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY449355 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10398873 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 18 Number of children on roll 15 Name of registered person Millward, Jacqueline

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reference number

Telephone number 07807032445 Date of previous inspection 13 November 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Sutton-on-Sea Sandcastles Preschool registered in 2012 and is situated in Sutton- on-Sea, Lincolnshire. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time. Sessions are from 8.45am until 1pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year- old children.

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Inspection activities

n The provider and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed how staff implement the curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n Children interacted with the inspector throughout the inspection. n The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the provider outdoors. n The inspector held a meeting with the provider. She reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school. n Parents shared their views about the pre-school with the inspector.

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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

24 June 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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