Alec Hunter Pre School

Alec Hunter Pre School

Unique reference number (URN): EY425074 Address: Alec Hunter Pre School, Hay Lane North, BRAINTREE, Essex, CM7 3DU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/02/2011 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Alec Hunter Pre School

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.2

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are achieving well from their starting points. Children are making particular progress in their communication and language development. Children show confidence when they use mathematical vocabulary as they identify the shapes they make in dough.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children take part in daily routines with confidence, such as washing hands before eating. They are becoming increasingly independent in achieving age-appropriate tasks. Children make progress in their physical development with lots of outdoor play and exercise. They negotiate space well as they ride on their pedal bikes. Children know to stop at the marked zebra crossing. They tell staff they must 'stop, look and listen before crossing'. Children learn to pull themselves up on the climbing frame with clear instructions from staff. They are setting their own goals as they play and learn.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children, including those with SEND, have great attitudes to learning. Children develop their concentration and listening skills. Children with SEND enjoy engaging in a range of activities in the sensory room at the beginning of each session. For example, they throw balls at a target and enjoy calming optic lights. Consequently, they develop improved self-regulation skills and resilience, allowing them to focus better, maximise their learning and development and prepare them for school.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have established an effective key-person system. Staff build strong relationships with all children and families. They share regular updates and take time to get to know families and children's individual backgrounds. For example, staff clearly understand about children's health needs, including allergies, dietary requirements and medication. Care plans for individual children are robust and updated regularly with guidance from parents and any outside professionals working alongside children.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Generally, mealtimes are sociable events. Staff teach children about making healthy food choices and offer a variety of healthy snacks. However, the monitoring of staff practice at snack times is not effective enough to ensure that staff are consistently evaluating and adapting specific approaches. For example, less-experienced staff support children to establish routines, but this is not always effective as they do not always understand when children need extra help or supervision.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff support children to learn how to take care of their own personal hygiene very well. Older children follow good hygiene practices, such as independently washing their hands before meals and after using the toilet. Staff provide the right level of support to younger children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff model and guide children through hygiene processes to help them build on what they already know and can do.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum is well thought out, and children enjoy a good balance of adult-led activities and those they choose for themselves. Staff know the children extremely well. They provide inspiring activities and play experiences that are based on informed assessments of their development and individual interests. This means children are provided with the right support to achieve their next steps in learning and development. For example, staff know to hold children's hands when they feel nervous and unsure about jumping off some outdoor play equipment. After a few practises and reassurance from staff, children safely jump by themselves and learn this new skill.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff have clear ideas for what they want children to learn and when, and they focus on children's communication and language development, including their mathematical knowledge. For example, staff plan an arts activity around the current topic of transport to help children learn how to keep safe in the community. Young children enjoy painting traffic lights and learning to match colours, such as green for 'go' and red for 'stop'. Leaders and staff demonstrate improvements they have made to the quality of the curriculum and teaching based on recommendations from previous inspections. For example, staff skilfully adapt their teaching for older children by introducing knowledge about zebra crossings. They ask children questions to help extend their learning. This helps children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, recall and consolidate prior knowledge.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, staff understand their role and support children with gaps in their learning to reduce any barriers that children may face. However, leaders do not monitor and assess staff practice well. This limits staff's ability to reflect on their ongoing practice. Some staff do not know how to make further improvements to support all children's outcomes.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff know the children and their families well. They identify children's needs quickly and accurately. Inclusion of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a particular strength of the setting. Leaders work with parents to help their children to receive the additional support they need. This includes accessing and using additional funding. Leaders and staff collaborate closely with parents and specialists to develop personalised support. This ensures that every child receives the care they need within an inclusive environment.

p.3

Needs attention

Leaders work closely alongside the early years team in the local authority to ensure that staff access a range of training and support to extend their knowledge and expertise. For example, staff recently attended training on autism. Staff support children's communication and language skills by using Makaton sign language and visual supports to help all children understand and express themselves. However, staff do not consistently use these strategies. This impacts on children's ability to understand and prepare for transitions smoothly, such as getting ready to play outdoors.

p.4

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders set appropriate expectations for children's behaviour. Staff quickly address incidents of unacceptable behaviour to ensure children's wellbeing. However, staff do not consistently apply the setting's strategies to reinforce expected behaviours of children. For example, there are inconsistencies in how staff support children to solve conflict with others, such as disagreements over popular toys. This hinders the progress children make in understanding the needs of others and regulating their emotions effectively, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.4

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Generally, children play cooperatively with their peers and develop close friendships. They are learning to take turns and value teamwork as they build a tower of bricks. They develop perseverance and resilience as staff encourage them to keep rebuilding it when their tower of bricks collapses. Children from an early age show kindness, care and empathy towards their peers. For example, children independently collect a tissue and give it to their peers to wipe their nose with. Staff praise children for their actions, and this helps reinforce the positive behaviours expected of them.

p.4

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders understand the importance of attendance, punctuality and establishing daily routines. Parents express their appreciation for the way leaders are committed to helping children to attend regularly.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have a broad understanding of the setting's strengths and areas of development. However, there is not sufficient supervision of staff and monitoring of staff practice so that leaders can identify areas for staff development. For example, leaders are not always supporting less-experienced staff to understand when children need extra help, such as adult assistance to help them pour their own drink at snack. Consequently, on occasion, children get frustrated waiting for a drink, and staff pour their drink for them. This can reduce children's opportunities for establishing routines independently and practising self-care skills.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders are generally reflective and work collaboratively with the staff team. They provide training to help staff to deliver high-quality care and education to children. Staff report how leaders support them in their roles and how they feel highly valued and enjoy their job. Leaders strive to deliver the best experiences for children. Leaders work together with local authority partners to develop the curriculum and care practices further.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders engage with parents and other professionals thoughtfully and in a way that supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and complex health needs. Parents comment on the excellent support they receive from leaders. They find the advice they receive to prepare older children for school and younger children for toilet training helpful.

p.5

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children build extremely strong attachments with leaders and staff. This is evident on arrival as children jump up and down with excitement when greeted by the fun-loving staff at the door. A robust key-person system and tailored settling-in process help children to settle and feel safe in the warm and nurturing environment. The setting shows strong community engagement through initiatives such as charity fundraising. This helps children begin to learn about the wider world and their own community.

p.6

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Staff demonstrate their understanding of strategies to support children to develop their personal and social skills. These can help children play and learn cooperatively with others and build friendships. However, leaders do not monitor staff practice closely. They do not support staff in line with the setting's own policies and procedures. Consequently, children do not receive consistent support to understand and manage their feelings and behaviours.

p.6

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children of all ages have fun and engage in their play. Staff understand how children typically progress in each area of learning and development, so they can build on what children already know. Children receive high-quality interactions from staff, and this supports their learning.

p.6

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders are incredibly proud of the relationships they foster with all parents. This is echoed with an abundance of testimonies from parents, who applaud the genuine care and support their children receive. Staff continuously work effectively with parents and relevant professionals to identify children's needs and provide them with individualised support. For example, staff recognise that some children benefit from time spent in the sensory room on arrival. The calming fibre optic lights and tactile experiences help reduce children's anxieties. This prepares children who may have barriers to their learning feel confident to explore other activities and learning experiences on offer. Consequently, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, display high levels of wellbeing and are achieving well from their individual starting points.

p.6

Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

p.7

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and children during the inspection.

p.7

About this inspection

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.

p.7

About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection

p.7

Address:

Alec Hunter Pre School Hay Lane North BRAINTREE Essex CM7 3DU

p.8

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.8

Address:

Registered person: Alec Hunter Pre School

p.8

Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 12:00,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 12:30 - 15:30

p.8

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.8

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.9

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.9

Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

p.9

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.9

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.9

Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.9

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9