Little Fawns Preschool - Abbots Langley

Inspection of Little Fawns Preschool - Abbots Langley The Church Hall, St. Lawrence Church, High Street, Abbots Langley WD5 0AS

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Staff warmly welcome children and their families on arrival. This successfully enhances their sense of belonging to the pre-school. Children's independence and self-worth is given high priority. They demonstrate a willingness to learn, behave appropriately and demonstrate that they feel safe in the care of familiar adults. Staff provide activities and age-appropriate resources that support the interests of the children. Children use their imaginations as they play with toy dinosaurs, enthusiastically imitating a dinosaur's roar. Staff join in with the children's play and successfully extend their knowledge. For example, they explain that some dinosaurs are herbivores and eat leaves from trees and shrubs.

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The provision is good

Staff provide opportunities for children to explore the woodland environment. Children respond with enthusiasm to their designated forest names. They develop resilience and take supported risks appropriate to their abilities and the environment. For example, children carefully balance and navigate their way across ropes suspended between two trees. Staff encourage children to collect twigs to build a den and to work together to pull a roped log along the ground. These activities successfully enhance children's physical, social and problem-solving skills. Additionally, staff encourage children to make 'mud paint'. Children develop their hand-eye coordination and muscle strength as they dig in the mud and collect water in containers.

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need to do better?

n The management team has worked hard since registration to develop the pre- school. They continually reflect, looking at ways to enhance the pre-school environment and opportunities for children. For example, staff have recently introduced opportunities for children to participate in woodland activities, and additional training is planned to further enhance staff's teaching skills. n The management team and staff structure the curriculum to cover all areas of a child's development and demonstrate that they know the children well. They complete ongoing observations of the children to monitor their progress and well-being. This assists staff to understand each child's personality, interests and learning needs. Staff support the children in their chosen activities. However, on occasion, staff do not use spontaneous opportunities to further extend children's thinking as they play. Furthermore, transitions, including times when the whole

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need to do better?

group comes together, are not always effective. Staff do not consistently sustain the children's attention. Children become fidgety and move away from the group. n Management and staff have high aspirations for all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They monitor children's progress and identify when children need extra support. Staff involve parents in

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need to do better?

2 July 2025 discussions and decision making about their child, initiating referral procedures if required. Additionally, management and staff support families to access available funding. They use their knowledge of the children and their families to determine how to best use the funding. For example, funding has been used to enhance the development of the woodland area, which is supporting children to learn a wide range of skills effectively. n Staff understand the importance of supporting children to develop their language, communication and literacy skills. They introduce new vocabulary associated with the children's play, such as 'push', 'pull' and 'prod', as they manipulate dough, and phrases such as 'ready, steady go' as children roll their pretend vehicles down the wooden slide. Children copy and repeat the phrase as they play. Additionally, staff read stories to children, asking appropriate questions about the illustrations on each page. Children make marks on paper

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need to do better?

and proudly share their drawings. n Management and staff spend time talking to parents and getting to know children's care needs and stage of development before they attend. Parents are welcome to help settle their child, and home visits are offered. This successfully supports children as they transition from home to the setting. Staff provide daily updates about their child's time at the setting, including regular updates on their development. Parents are complimentary about the support that staff provide for them. For example, staff have supported them with advice on potty training, sleep routines and separation anxiety. n Staff support children to manage their feeling and emotions to share and play cooperatively with their peers. However, a recent incident occurred when staff did not implement the setting's behaviour management policy effectively. However, the provider took immediate action to ensure that this does not

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need to do better?

happen again. Staff have completed refresher training to support their knowledge and 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 help staff deepen their understanding of high-quality interactions and use this to extend children's learning to the highest level n review the organisation of transitions and group times to better support children's individual needs and learning outcomes.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2772288 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10402080 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 40 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person Nature For Kids Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07786167417 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Fawns Preschool - Abbots Langley registered in 2024 and operates from St Lawrence's Church Hall, Abbots Langley. The setting employs four members of childcare staff. All members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The setting opens from Monday to Friday, term time only, from 9am to 3pm. They offer a variety of attendance options throughout the day. The provider offers government-funded places for childcare and receives specific funding for disadvantaged children.

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Inspection activities

n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitabity of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n The provider, manager, staff and children engaged in discussions with the inspector at appropriate times during the inspection. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation in the woodland area. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working at the pre-school. n The inspector took account of the views of parents by speaking to them.

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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 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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