Little Friends Pre-School Limited

Inspection of Little Friends Pre-School Limited Fair Mead, BASILDON, Essex SS14 2LB

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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 happy, confident and settled at this pre-school. They form secure relationships with the nurturing staff team, who know them and their families very well. Children behave well. They have strong relationships with their peers and are kind and caring towards one another. Staff help children to understand the rules and expectations of the provision, such as using kind hands towards one another. Children are happy and engaged throughout the session. They are keen to share their achievements and take pride in their creations. For example, they work hard on creating play dough sculptures, decorating them with lolly sticks. Staff support children to mould the play dough in a variety of ways.

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The provision is good

Leaders work alongside staff to plan purposeful activities that reflect children's needs, interests and connections to the local community. For example, they take children to the local park and on the train to visit the beach. This helps build children's awareness of the world around them. Leaders and staff use resources, such as the mud kitchen and the 'mark making bag' to help develop children's independence. Children gain the skills and confidence they need for their next stage in learning.

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The provision is good

Staff support children's independence by giving them time and space for child-led play. Children self-select resources to enhance their play. They use their senses to explore textures, such as pasta, wet sand and play dough. Staff sit alongside children to support and extend their play and at times extend their vocabulary with words such as 'hard', 'crunchy' and 'squishy'.

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need to do better?

n Leaders are passionate about providing a warm and welcoming environment where children are happy and can thrive. They regularly evaluate how they can continue to develop the learning environment for children. A recent garden refurbishment has provided children with more outdoor learning opportunities, including the opportunity to use trees and bushes to search for insects and a stage area for children to perform on. n Leaders and staff have worked hard to strengthen their relationships with families. They establish children's starting points and offer some ideas to support learning at home via an online communication journal and regular one-to-one meetings. Parents value the care and attention their children receive and the approachable nature of staff. Staff work closely with families of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), supporting families to access appropriate additional support.

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need to do better?

n Overall, staff are organised effectively to support children's learning and play. However, on occasion, when transitioning between different aspects of the daily

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need to do better?

12 September 2025 routine, children are not encouraged to further their independence skills. For example, when children are getting ready to go home, staff provide the children with their belongings rather than encouraging them to seek out their own things. n Overall, teaching is good. Staff know the children and most staff know what they want children to learn. However, staff do not capitalise on every communication and language opportunity. For example, while children are playing with sand, staff do not always extend their vocabulary by describing what the children are doing in the sand. This does not consistently support all children to increase the range of words they say and understand. n Children with SEND are well supported. Staff closely monitor children's development and identify gaps in children's learning early on. They work in partnership with parents and professionals to plan and implement targeted

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need to do better?

interventions. Leaders use additional funding to support children's interests and to meet their individual needs, for example adding a climbing frame into the outside area for children to work on their gross motor skills and the addition of a calm and quiet space to support sensory needs. n Staff's well-being is given high priority. Leaders provide effective supervision and coaching for all staff. Professional development opportunities are in place to ensure that staff have the necessary skills to support the children in their care. This helps to ensure that children receive good quality education.

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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 the quality and consistency of staff's interactions with children to further promote their communication and language development n review transition times during the day to help promote a calm learning environment for all children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY429166 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10399586 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 43 Name of registered person Little Friends Pre-School Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01268451045 Date of previous inspection 6 December 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Little Friends Pre-School Limited registered in 2011. It is located in Basildon, Essex. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. The pre-school employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, one member of staff holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 4, seven hold qualifications at level 3, and one unqualified member of staff is currently studying a level 3 early years qualification. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The managers and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the managers about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this is having on the children's learning. n The inspector and the managers carried out a joint observation. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The managers showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

12 September 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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