Little John's Pre-school

Little John's Pre-school

Unique reference number (URN): 2771275 Address: St John the Baptist Church Rooms, 4a Clarendon Park Road, Leicester, LE2 3AD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/12/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Little John's Pre-School

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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

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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.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children show a positive attitude to learning, joining in with conversations with staff and their peers. They demonstrate that they are secure to take a lead in their play and follow their own interests. For example, children delight in matching models of a stegosaurus and triceratops to illustrations in books about dinosaurs. They celebrate their mathematical knowledge, such as when accurately identifying numbers of objects. Children take part in action songs and rhymes with glee. They are beginning to develop a love of books as they listen to familiar stories and join in with refrains.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to their learning and development typically benefit from focused support that helps them make progress from starting points. Children follow routines, collaborate with others and develop physical and self-care skills in preparation for the next stage of their education. For instance, they put on their coats and know how to look after their personal belongings, such as lunch boxes and water bottles, by placing these in the designated areas.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff generally support children to follow consistent routines in a calm and inclusive environment. For example, they encourage children to help with tasks such as tidying away resources after activities, providing guidance and praise. Staff help children to focus and follow instructions in small groups which supports those with barriers to learning. Their interactions are age-appropriate and positive so that children feel secure, valued and confident.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children understand the boundaries set by staff and behave consistently well. Staff talk with children about their expectations at the pre-school, including using kind words, such as 'please' and 'thank you'. They are positive role models who show respect and warmth towards children. Leaders use additional funding to enable all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or facing other barriers to learning, to participate and achieve. One example of this is providing picture cards for all staff to help children understand what will happen next and what is expected of them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff foster children's abilities to play cooperatively and form friendships through collaborative activities which help them to share and take turns. This helps to strengthen their socialising skills. Leaders typically communicate promptly with parents should there be any unexplained absences. They ensure that they support parents' understanding of why children should attend regularly and on time for sessions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders illustrate healthy food choices and recommended portion sizes in displays for children and parents. They support parents with healthy cooking sessions and help them with planning nutritional packed lunches. Children's oral health is also well supported with information and guidance for families. Children have plenty of opportunities for practising physical skills indoors. Staff skilfully weave activity and movement into sessions. For instance, children and staff dance gleefully together and jump vigorously to music. Staff incorporate exercise into group sessions to help children concentrate more effectively. Children typically benefit from fresh air and exercise in the nearby school playground. The development of children's self-care skills is a priority at the pre-school. Staff ensure that children gain essential skills that help them to be independent, such as toilet training and careful handwashing. They generally work closely with families to support their wider welfare

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

needs, such as accessing a foodbank when needed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff develop trusting relationships with children and families from the start. They prioritise children's emotional wellbeing as a foundation for their learning. Children talk about how they feel. They learn to recognise and manage their emotions with support from their key person. Staff ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or facing other barriers to learning, develop self-esteem and confidence in their abilities to look after themselves.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders design and review the curriculum thoughtfully to meet the specific needs of children, with a clear focus on language development, including for those who speak languages other than English at home. They prioritise personal, social and emotional development, so that children settle well and gain confidence and independence ready to learn. Staff provide a quiet, calm environment where children have fun while they practise speaking and listening. This includes learning games and songs in small groups. Staff focus on extending children's vocabulary so that they can communicate their needs and interests clearly. They repeat words clearly for children to copy. Staff build on what children already know and can do, using observations and assessments to inform planning. For example, they introduce mathematical language including counting and matching toys, and discussing quantity, shape and size during targeted activities with individual children. This teaching

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

promotes children's early mathematical understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, staff adapt activities effectively to meet children's individual needs. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from targeted support and resources. However, children's early literacy needs are less well supported as staff introduce them to writing initial letters and identifying letter sounds before they have consistently developed other underpinning skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff get to know children well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They typically make use of information from observations and assessments, ongoing monitoring of progress and clear communication with parents and other professionals to support children. Leaders ensure that feedback from key persons, ideas exchanged at staff meetings and shared weekly planning, inform staff's understanding of each unique child. Staff provide support to include children in activities and routines. For example, staff read favourite books to young children who have a limited vocabulary, while using key words in home languages to secure understanding. This helps children join in confidently with story time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Generally, leaders provide targeted interventions, including small groups and one-to-one time. These typically help ensure all children develop communication and social skills in readiness for future learning. Leaders use additional funding to provide specific resources and activities that match children's interests and ensure an inclusive approach. For example, leaders purchase books about dinosaurs and models of the creatures to stimulate language development in children with this strong interest. Leaders and those with specialist training in SEND frequently review the impact of the staff's support. They hold updates with parents, key persons and outside agencies. Although there are currently no children known to social care at the pre-school, leaders understand the importance of careful monitoring, detailed records and sound safeguarding practice, supported by regular training.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders reflect regularly on the pre-school's strengths and any areas for development, informed by feedback from parents and other partners. They make decisions based on the best interests of children, particularly those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities or are disadvantaged. They use additional funding to reduce any barriers to learning, provide suitable resources and specific activities to meet all children's interests and needs. Leaders work closely with other professional agencies and local schools to ensure appropriate support and smooth transitions. They promote children's awareness of the local community through visits to libraries and places of interest. Overall, staff keep parents well- informed about their children's development and progress. However, advice for parents about how to continue children's learning at home is less consistent.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders support staff wellbeing positively and provide ongoing supervision, feedback and guidance. Staff develop their expertise, for example in healthy eating, behaviour management and special needs provision, and share their knowledge with colleagues. Professional learning opportunities help staff to feel confident and well equipped to meet the needs of all children. New staff have plenty of support in their roles. Leaders ensure that mandatory training, including safeguarding and first aid, is completed in a timely way by all staff.

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

Children are happy to attend the pre-school from the start, entering the setting with broad smiles. Families enjoy warm greetings from staff and exchange information about children's care. This helps children separate from their parents and settle quickly to play. Children form close bonds with the caring staff and firm friendships with each other. Staff prioritise support for children's emotional wellbeing and promote their social skills during routines. They help them to feel secure and a sense of belonging in the environment. Staff offer praise and encouragement to build children's confidence and self-esteem. Staff support parents to understand the importance of regular attendance and punctuality so that children benefit fully from their time at the pre-school.

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

Children gain skills in readiness for future learning. They show a positive attitude to learning as they engage eagerly in activities throughout their time at the setting. Children concentrate on tasks, such as moulding and cutting dough using tools and accurately matching objects to numbers, for extended periods of time. Children join in willingly with meaningful group times. For example, they listen enthralled to their favourite stories, sing songs enthusiastically and share resources while playing games together. Older children are eager to help younger ones. Staff recognise that children learn from each other as they encourage them to chat about activities together. They swiftly identify any additional support needs for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For instance, they nurture individual children's communication and language development by working with

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

small numbers of children and using pictures to illustrate daily routines. Children with different home languages learn new words in English during games such as 'What's in the bag?'. They excitedly take turns to name items that they pull out of the bag to show their friends.

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Next steps

Leaders should review curriculum planning to focus on strengthening children's early literacy skills further. Leaders should support staff to help parents extend children's learning consistently at home.

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About this inspection

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

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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.

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Address:

St John the Baptist Church Rooms 4a Clarendon Park Road Leicester LE2 3AD

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Little John's Pre-School

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Address:

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

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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

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Exceptional

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

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Strong standard

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

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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.

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Needs attention

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

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Urgent improvement

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

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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