Creative Minds Preschool - Shoreham

Creative Minds Preschool - Shoreham

Unique reference number (URN): 2752058 Address: St. Peters Catholic Primary School, Sullington Way, Shoreham-by-sea, BN43 6PJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 02/10/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Early Explorers Childcare Ltd

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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

Children develop and achieve as they access a curriculum that provides a secure foundation for their future learning. They access a range of play activities and interesting experiences designed to cover all areas of learning and development. All children, including those who are at risk of falling behind and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress from their individual starting points.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children explore, investigate and are confident to try new things. They persevere when using a variety of tools while playing with play dough. Children listen to instructions and focus on tasks such as completing jigsaw puzzles. They develop a love of books as they spend time looking at the pages of a favourite story. They form secure relationships with staff and their peers. These experiences help to ensure that all children are suitably prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes to learning. They care about the children and plan activities that support their interests. Parents comment positively on the effective communication from staff regarding their children's learning and next steps.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff are kind and nurturing towards the children, and this, in turn, is reflected in children's interactions with one another. For example, children share their enjoyment of books with each other. Leaders and staff create an environment of positive reinforcement and praise. Staff are quick to recognise when children need support and respond promptly to their needs. Leaders follow a clear process to monitor children's attendance and punctuality.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children play games together and purposefully search for minibeasts. They focus on finding worms and ladybirds, demonstrating concentration even while other activities are taking place around them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

All staff know and understand children's individual needs. Typically, they support children well, including those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known or previously known to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff build secure bonds with all children through an effective key-person system. Parents comment positively on the warm and welcoming environment created by leaders and staff. Leaders have thoughtfully designed the nursery environment to ensure that children are able to rest and enjoy books in a cosy space, both indoors and outdoors. Children enjoy playing outside, where staff have considered the environment to promote opportunities for physical play. They confidently use tricycles and the climbing frame. Leaders and staff promote an inclusive environment where the curriculum is an entitlement for all children. Staff are sensitive to children's needs, recognising when younger children need time to regulate and spend time with their key person to ensure that they feel safe, secure, stimulated and happy.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are sensitively supported to manage their personal needs, such as toileting. They understand the importance of washing their hands before eating and can do this independently. Mealtimes are calm, social occasions where staff support children and ensure that they are safe. Children enjoy a range of nutritious meals and snacks. Staff promote good manners by modelling 'please' and 'thank you', which children respond to and repeat.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that information about screen time is shared with parents so that they can support their children to stay safe online.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have developed a curriculum that meets the learning needs of all children. They have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn. Typically, the curriculum is taught well. However, on occasion, there is a lack of consistency in the approach used to support communication and language. While leaders have created a language-rich environment, with books available both indoors and outdoors, staff do not always allow sufficient time for children to process information or respond. As a result, children do not always have opportunities to ask questions or clarify their ideas.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's physical development is promoted effectively and is a strength. The garden environment has been enhanced to ensure that all children can develop their physical strength and coordination. Children are encouraged to play outdoors in all weathers. They enjoy making mud pies in the mud kitchen, taking appropriate risks when using the climbing frame and developing their physical skills when using the bikes.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Mathematics is explicitly taught through a range of play-based activities, such as sorting the small coloured bears. Children learn about capacity and size through discussion in play and through songs and stories. Children enjoy playing with bubbles and are encouraged by staff to see how big they can make them. When a bubble pops, they are supported to try again.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff include all children, including those who face barriers to their learning and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work alongside external agencies and parents to identify appropriate support. This ensures that children access an inclusive learning environment. The support provided is effective in reducing barriers to children's learning and/or wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify children's individual learning and developmental needs. They use additional funding to help close any gaps. They provide experiences that children may not otherwise benefit from, such as access to tricycles, bikes, a climbing frame, a mud kitchen, a large sandpit and a wide range of books. Leaders use early years pupil premium funding to provide additional resources to promote physical development opportunities. Leaders and staff use a graduated approach to ensure that children have access to appropriate support from other professionals when required. Those with special educational needs coordinator responsibilities have recently completed a qualification to build on their existing knowledge and experience. This has had a positive impact on children with SEND. However, staff do not use early intervention techniques well enough, or consistently, to fully support children's communication and language development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They ensure that staff develop their knowledge and understanding to support them in their role. Training has been accessed about special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, there has not been sufficient time to embed this in practice so that it fully benefits children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders make appropriate decisions to ensure that all children, particularly those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, have their needs identified and met. Staff plan effectively for children's learning and development needs. Staff's teaching to support children's communication and language is sometimes inconsistent and overcomplicated.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know the staff team well. They understand the pressures staff face and have created a supportive environment for them. Staff report that they feel supported and enjoy working at the nursery. Leaders have recently completed mental health first-aid training as part of their commitment to supporting staff's ongoing wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Partnerships with parents are effective, which has a positive impact on how information is shared about their child's learning and next steps. Leaders engage positively with parents and professionals in ways that enhance children's education and care. This includes supporting children and their families with transitions when joining the nursery and when moving on to a new setting or school.

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

Children are greeted warmly by staff when they arrive at nursery. This helps them to feel safe and secure and reinforces a strong sense of belonging. They wave goodbye to their parents and confidently make their way into nursery, ready to start the day. Children settle quickly and select activities from the well-planned learning environment. Staff are attentive

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Inspector:

and kind. They take time to understand each child's background, interests and starting point. As a result, children experience a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment. Calm routines and caring interactions support children's emotional security and wellbeing.

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Inspector:

Children develop positive social skills through interactions with others. They receive positive reinforcement, encouragement and praise from staff. Leaders have high expectations of children's behaviour, and attendance is actively promoted. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress from their starting points.

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Inspector:

Children enjoy playing outside and enthusiastically take part in a minibeast hunt using microscopes. They confidently use a range of outdoor equipment, such as bikes, and have fun transporting each other around the garden on tricycles. Children engage in imaginative play as they select ingredients for lunch, pretend to cook food for each other and offer staff cups of tea. Some children engage in simple mathematical activities and take delight in finding the correct solution.

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Inspector:

Leaders and staff engage meaningfully and positively with parents. As a result, parents feel valued and speak highly of the positive impact the nursery has on their children. There is effective engagement with other professionals, when needed, to support children's education and care. Leaders and staff meet the needs of all children. They all make progress from their starting points and are prepared well for their next stage of learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen staff's knowledge and understanding of different ways to support children's communication and language development. Leaders should provide staff with sharply focused professional learning opportunities to further enhance their teaching skills and knowledge of child development.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and the special educational needs coordinator 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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About this inspection

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

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Address:

St. Peters Catholic Primary School Sullington Way Shoreham-by-sea BN43 6PJ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Early Explorers Childcare Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:45 - 15:15

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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. 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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