Tadpoles Pre-School

Tadpoles Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): 402107 Address: Marks Tey Parish Hall, Old London Road, Marks Tey, COLCHESTER, CO6 1EJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 12/08/1997 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Tadpoles Pre-School Learning Alliance Committee

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders have set very high expectations for how children behave. Staff act as positive role models and instil positive attitudes to behaviour from the earliest opportunity. Children learn quickly because staff act as positive role models and are fair and consistent with their rules. Staff focus on establishing a calm environment and ensure that children are settled, secure and ready to learn. Secure attachments with key people promote children's positive attitudes and children feel safe and secure.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children attendance levels are high and leaders support parents to appreciate the value of early education. Children show incredible concentration and focus in their learning. For example, they complete complex puzzles and cut with scissors with sharp focus and concentration.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are incredibly kind to each other. They act as mentors to new children, welcoming them in and helping them to find their way. Children treat the environment and others with the utmost respect, taking care of their resources. Children have wonderfully positive relationships with one another, they help with tasks and share their toys without fuss.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically achieve well in their learning. They acquire new skills and knowledge that build on what they already know and can do. For example, young babies develop core strength and balance before moving on to walking. Children show their developing physical skill, such as when balancing on beams and riding wheeled toys. They show increasing confidence handling a range of tools, such as tweezers and scissors. This demonstrates their developing fine motor skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are typically developing the necessary skills for the next stage in their education. They recognise numerals and are beginning to apply their mathematical skills to solving problems. Children show their acquired knowledge of a range of topics, such as the days of the week and weather patterns. Generally, they confidently answer questions during group time and use their growing vocabulary to describe how flowers look, feel and smell.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The environment is warm, welcoming and supports children to feel safe. Children show the secure attachments they have with staff as they seek them out for cuddles and engage in joyful play. Staff use a range of resources to support children, who find emotions difficult to manage. For example, they use pictures to help children relate to a range of feelings and emotions. This particularly helps children with communication delays to express themselves confidently and seek support from adults.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children access fresh air regularly in the spacious garden and neighbouring playing fields. They explore the garden with positive energy, showing their enjoyment of physical exercise. Staff remind children that exercise and healthy eating helps support muscles to grow and that calcium helps teeth to grow strong. Leaders help children to develop healthy lifestyles. Staff discuss nutrition during mealtimes and the benefit to children's health. Leaders are further developing their work with parents, including ideas for healthy lunches.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Hygiene practises are excellent with children fully understanding the need to wash hands after wiping noses. Children have impeccable table manners. They listen to staff about the importance of sitting down to eat so that they stay safe.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

There is a clear curriculum that supports children to make progress across all areas of learning. Leaders are clear about what they want children to learn and use assessment and next steps to support learning. Teaching is sequenced so that children develop skills they need first, such as developing strength in their hands before moving on to tasks, such as writing and using scissors.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children are typically enabled to develop new knowledge, such as which flowers grow in spring. Staff use first-hand experiences to support teaching, such as smelling the flowers and looking at them outside. Generally, staff use a range of questions to provoke thinking. However, sometimes they move on too quickly with their questions. This means that children are not fully supported to extend their ideas and develop their thinking independently.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop independence in every day tasks, such as handwashing and wiping noses. They help set the tables for lunch. Staff use this as an opportunity to practise counting and use problem-solving skills, for instance when working out how many chairs they need.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff support communication and language well. They model language correctly and use lots of back-and-forth conversations and narration during play, which supports children with communication delays to catch up with their peers. Physical activity is promoted through explicit teaching, such as balancing and climbing. Staff encourage children to explore risk and challenge by offering balance beams at different heights. Fine motor skills are taught through mark making and using dough regularly.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff identify children's needs quickly and make referrals, including, where appropriate to the drop in centre where parents can access early help from a range of professionals. Leaders want the best for children and understand that early intervention prepares them better for school. As such, they work closely with the local authority to seek advice where needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff with specialist roles attend training that gives them an appropriate understanding of how to support children, who may be at risk of falling behind their peers. Leaders monitor children's progress and assess the impact targets have on children's progress. This means that planned teaching is adapted to include children. However, systems are not yet fully embedded to ensure highly consistent support. For example, although leaders work closely with parents and professionals to build a clear picture of children's starting points and any barriers to learning, they have not fully extended partnerships with other settings that children attend. This does not fully enable a shared and highly collaborative approach in making a difference to children's learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a good understanding of their setting and the community they serve. They have worked hard to develop the weaknesses since the last inspection. For example, staff receive regular feedback about their performance that helps them develop their teaching practice further. Leaders hold supervisions with staff to discuss any areas of training they would like and to check on their wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders use some self-evaluation and assessment to identify the setting's strengths and identified areas for improvement. They use action plans to drive improvements and work closely with their local authority education partner. Leaders are constantly developing their use of evaluation to drive improvements. They generally recognise the importance of staff professional development and how this supports improvements in curriculum and teaching. Regular supervision provide opportunities for leaders to discuss staff's individual needs. However, training is not yet precisely focused on the areas that have been identified for improvement, to help consistently drive ongoing development in the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parent partnerships are positive. Leaders have open and trusting relationships with families that lead to shared approaches to children's learning. This helps to support children who face barriers to their learning to make progress from their start points. The nominated individual has clear oversight of the setting and leaders are supported well, which helps them to carry out their duties effectively.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

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

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Register

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

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

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

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Register

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

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

Children achieve well at this fun and inspiring pre-school. Leaders have designed a curriculum that introduces children to the wide world they live in. For example, children learn about spring and how bulbs grow into flowers and their different parts. Staff teach children about how bees collect pollen and that this is the first food of the season for them to boost their energy.

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

Children become deeply engaged in the enjoyable experiences provided by staff. Staff consider what children already know and can do as well as the experiences they bring before they shape their teaching. This ensures that children are supported to quickly fill gaps in knowledge before moving on.

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

Children are eagerly independent. They engage in tasks such as setting the tables for snack and managing their personal care routines with striking confidence. Children who face barriers to their learning are supported by caring and knowledgeable staff to make consistent progress from their start points.

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

Children adore learning. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary. Children apply themselves fully to their learning, such as when completing complex puzzles or copying their names. They enjoy drawing pictures on large pieces of paper, where they share their ideas with peers and hold humorous conversations about the monsters they have drawn that have 3 eyes. This encourages children who may face barriers to their learning to engage fully with their peers and learn alongside them. Staff and children have wonderfully warm and secure relationships. They engage in joyful learning together, laughing and sharing their thoughts and ideas with confidence. As a result, children are eager to attend and absences are minimal.

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Address:

Marks Tey Parish Hall, Old London Road Marks Tey COLCHESTER CO6 1EJ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registration date: 12/08/1997 Leaders recognise the contributions that each child brings. Staff recognise the unique interests and talents that children have. They use this to plan thoughtful learning experiences that help children prepare for the next stage of their education.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen partnerships with additional settings that children attend, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to develop a more consistent approach to their learning and care. Leaders should support staff to strengthen their skills in helping children further enhance their communication and thinking skills. Leaders should strengthen self-evaluation to more clearly identify priorities for improvement and help establish a more targeted programme of professional development for staff.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children 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. Registered person: Tadpoles Pre-School Learning Alliance Committee

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 14:00

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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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