Ladybirds at MSA First School

Ladybirds at MSA First School

Unique reference number (URN): 2759224 Address: Milborne St. Andrew First School, Hopsfield, Milborne St. Andrew, Blandford Forum, DT11 0JE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 07/11/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Milborne Ladybirds Playgroup Committee

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.1

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.1

Achievement Strong standard

Children demonstrate clear achievement across the curriculum and make continual progress from their starting points. They develop a wide range of key skills and knowledge that prepares them well for school. Younger children show increasing independence with all aspects of the daily routines. They manage most tasks without prompting and support from staff.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Children are confident communicators who readily share their ideas with staff. Older children use ambitious vocabulary, such as 'cocoon' and 'chrysalis,' as they share books about caterpillars and butterflies. Physical development is progressing well. Younger children show increasing control of their small hand muscles as they use spray bottles to water seeds. Older children use pens and paintbrushes with precision.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Children consistently display positive attitudes to learning. They engage eagerly, sustain concentration, and take pride in completing tasks, such as following the full process of planting cress seeds. Children's mathematical understanding is secure. Older children count accurately and younger children use language, such as 'more,' 'less,' 'bigger' and 'smaller.' Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) begin to use sand timers to support turn-taking with others.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Consistent high-quality interactions and sensitive reminders from staff help children follow clearly embedded routines and boundaries. Staff are highly skilled in managing minor incidents sensitively. They expertly teach children to manage conflicts and express emotions appropriately for their age and stage of development. Staff's thoughtful approaches equip children with the language and strategies they need to regulate their behaviour and feelings now and in the future.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff embed a wide range of behaviour strategies extremely effectively. For example, children use timers to share. They receive warm reassurance and praise, and are supported with clear, simple language, such as 'let's wait for our friends,' and 'well done for making a good choice.' Relationships with children are extremely well developed. Staff always respond promptly when children require support or help. They value each child's contributions and uniqueness.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are highly engaged and show determination in their learning. Staff reinforce routines consistently, using warnings and individual timetables for those children who need additional support. They involve children in tasks, such as counting out cushions for group times. Staff continually model care and kindness. They praise children for using words to communicate, and support positive social interactions. Leaders and staff work closely with parents to support attendance. They offer practical guidance to ensure children attend regularly and arrive on time to gain the most from their sessions.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff consistently prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. They ensure all routines and practices support children's health, safety and emotional development. Snack time procedures are carefully implemented to promote hygiene and independence. Children know the importance of washing their hands and do this independently. Staff sensitively explain why toys are put away during snack, discussing germs and why it is important to keep hands clean.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

There is a clear and consistent focus on supporting children's emotional wellbeing. Calm spaces are provided for children who need support with emotional regulation. Staff talk to children about their feelings, provide comfort when needed, and recognise when children require space or support. Staff expertly adapt their language and teaching for children who have emotional needs to ensure they feel safe and secure.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Healthy lifestyles are encouraged. Children benefit from carefully designed daily opportunities to encourage them to move their bodies and be physically active. Leaders and staff understand the importance of developing healthy eating habits. They involve children in conversations about healthy foods at mealtimes and plan weekly food preparation activities, such as learning the life skills needed to make a healthy sandwich.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff work closely with parents when children have intolerances, allergies or require adaptations to their eating or drinking routines. Staff ensure care practices are tailored to individual needs and regular communication with parents helps ensure toilet training is consistent for children.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have designed a wide ranging and carefully sequenced curriculum that enables all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and barriers to learning, to develop the skills and knowledge they need for school and beyond. Assessment is regular and purposeful and used effectively to inform teaching. Staff ensure children's next steps are clearly identified. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of how to provide inspiring, engaging and meaningful learning opportunities. They consistently adapt the levels of support they give children depending on each child's strengths and needs. For instance, staff offer reassurance and a supporting hand for younger children and those who are less confident with their physical skills as they navigate an obstacle course in the garden.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff use the environment to successfully promote high levels of involvement for children of all ages and stages of development. There is a thoughtful balance between focused teaching and high-quality interactions during children's play. Staff are highly skilled in recognising when to intervene and consistently make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning. For instance, when children show staff seeds they have found, staff respond enthusiastically, saying, 'That's a seed. We could plant that in the egg box,' before supporting them to do so.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff weave mathematical language into daily routines and spontaneous interactions. For example, older children are supported to count how many children are present. Staff then then help them calculate how many children will remain after others leave at lunchtime. There is a clear and embedded focus on promoting children's communication and language, and their personal, social and emotional development to help children express themselves and their feeling with confidence.

p.4

Inclusion Strong standard

Assessment and monitoring procedures are highly effective and securely embedded. Staff demonstrate an in-depth understanding of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing barriers to learning. They know exactly what children can do and what they need to learn next. Staff are skilled at adapting their support with flexibility and precision. Gaps in children's learning are identified early and addressed promptly through well-targeted interventions. For instance, staff consistently use individual timetables to help children who find it difficult to move from one activity to another. All interventions are shared with parents and reviewed regularly to ensure they are having a positive impact on children's learning and development.

p.4

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have a secure knowledge of local procedures, including how to seek support from professionals and how to access additional funding when needed. They target this funding precisely to each child's individual needs. This includes training and specific resources to support children with personal, social, and emotional difficulties and those who need help with their communication and language skills.

p.4

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff are highly ambitious for all children. There is shared ethos on ensuring the environment is supportive, understanding, and inclusive to enable all children to engage and succeed. Consequently, children with SEND and those with other barriers make continual progress from their starting points.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and staff have a secure understanding of children and families, which enables them to provide highly effective support that benefits children and contributes positively to their long-term outcomes.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders know the setting's strengths and areas for development well. They prioritise training that has the greatest impact on children's learning and development. For example, training in communication and attachment has proven particularly effective for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and external professionals to reduce barriers to learning. They ensure additional support and funding is targeted effectively so that all children make rapid and sustained progress.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Robust systems to manage staff workload and wellbeing are in place. Staff report feeling well supported. Partnerships are positive. Parents comment on the clear communication they have with staff that helps them support their children at home. They say children settle quickly, and personalised support has a noticeable and positive impact on children's wellbeing and development.

p.4

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

Children thrive from a broad and ambitious curriculum. Highly skilled, caring, and supportive staff deliver this curriculum and provide children with a stimulating and motivating environment. From the moment they arrive, children consistently engage in meaningful learning experiences that capture their interests and build progressively on their skills and knowledge. High-quality interactions and effective teaching ensure that children develop the secure foundations they need for the next stage in their education and future learning.

p.5

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

Staff are consistently nurturing and responsive. They take time to get to know each child and their family well. This enables children to form secure relationships with their key person and other staff. Children show they feel safe and settled as they enter confidently and eagerly in the morning. They happily approach staff to share toys they have brought from home. Children actively involve staff in their play and seek support when needed. For example, younger children ask, 'Can you help me with my sleeves, please?'

p.5

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

Well established induction procedures and embedded daily routines support children to understand expectations. Children play cooperatively and demonstrate kindness towards one another. They say, 'Oops, sorry,' when they accidentally bump into each other. Behaviour is consistently positive. Staff sensitively use a range of effective strategies to support children in managing their emotions and resolving minor conflicts when they occur.

p.5

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

Partnerships with parents are secure and effective. Leaders place a clear emphasis on the importance of attendance and punctuality. They work closely with parents to promote this and offer guidance and support to help ensure children attend regularly.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children,

p.5

Address:

Milborne St. Andrew First School Hopsfield, Milborne St. Andrew Blandford Forum DT11 0JE

p.6

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Address:

Registered person: Milborne Ladybirds Playgroup Committee

p.6

Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 03:30

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. those with SEND, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents, and children during the inspection.

p.6

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. This data is from 20 March 2026

p.6

Exceptional

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

p.7

Strong standard

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

p.7

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.7

Needs attention

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.8

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.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8