Abacus Little Learners

Abacus Little Learners

Unique reference number (URN): 2764842 Address: St. Johns C of E Controlled Primary School, Clay Lane Grove, COLCHESTER, CO4 0HH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 13/12/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Abacus Little Learners LLP

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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 Strong standard

Children make significant progress as a result of attending preschool. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those that face other barriers to learning and/or wellbeing as they make excellent progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children feel secure in the environment and the support they receive from knowledgeable and attentive staff. Children thrive in the language rich environment, and participate in meaningful conversations with staff. This has a very positive outcome for all children's learning and contributes to their speech and language development effectively. All children fully participate in the preschool day.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children have every opportunity during daily routines to learn skills needed to be independent learners. Children learn in a calm atmosphere and staff ensure children are given ample time to process new challenges and experiences. Children are well prepared and ready for the next stage in learning and transition to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children flourish in the positive learning environment provided by staff. Leaders and staff consistently model the high expectations for all attending. Staff are calm and reassuring and children's behaviour is exemplary. Children thrive on the encouragement and frequent praise they receive from staff and this also significantly contributes to their confidence and self- esteem. Children demonstrate a real desire to focus on their learning. They demonstrate they are confident and eager to 'have a go' and try new things. For example, tasting baked nettle crisps during forest school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff anticipate and swiftly identify children who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. They ensure consistent guidance, time and support is provided so that children fully participate. Staff help build on children's skills gradually to help them settle into the daily routines. Leaders ensure there is a mutually respectful atmosphere throughout. Children have established warm and trusting relationships with their key person. They demonstrate good manners and understand the high expectations that are fully embedded in practice. Children have formed friendships with others attending and are caring toward one another. Staff are skilled in recognising when children need support to manage conflicts. They thoroughly praise them when they resolve issues independently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders work effectively with families to ensure that they understand the importance of regular attendance. They support families to ensure that children benefit from their time at the setting. Staff are aware of the policy and procedures in place and take swift and thoughtful action if needed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently recognise and use additional learning opportunities that occur during everyday routines, such as nappy changing, handwashing and mealtimes. This approach is highly effective and supports children to develop key life skills they can use in the future. Staff fully understand and swiftly identify the unique needs of all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They are responsive and effectively adapt procedures, such as nappy changing, to ensure children are fully supported and their wellbeing is prioritised. Staff are nurturing, respectful, and show genuine care toward the children. They ensure children's dignity and privacy is maintained during personal care routines. Ongoing interactions with children are excellent and contribute to their emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children show enthusiasm and confidence as they help staff to prepare snack. Young children use porcelain pots and glass utensils with skill as they pour drinks and chop their own fruits. They understand the importance of staying safe when cutting with knives. Children benefit from the consistent praise and reassurance they receive for their efforts. They have formed close and trusting bonds with their key person. Ongoing interactions with children are excellent and contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Leaders provide high- quality, inspirational and magical learning environments indoors and outdoors. Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the garden and participating in forest school activities. They understand the importance of fresh air and exercise to stay healthy.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders ensure learning opportunities ignite children's interest and curiosity and provide children with high quality teaching and treasured memories of their time at preschool. For example, staff provide a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum. There is a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and forest school participation. Children show increasing independence and perseverance as they enthusiastically dress in wet suits and boots. They thrive in the outdoor space, running, digging, making dens and climb trees with skill, closely supported by skilled and highly trained staff. Children delight in new challenges and engage in risky play learning how to stay safe through the clear guidance and support provided. For example, children learn about different plants and the impact of stinging nettles. Children listen intently as leaders explain what to do if they brush past one.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The team ensure the curriculum is adapted effectively to ensure children with special educational needs and or/disabilities can fully participate. Children with barriers to learning thrive. For example, they spend time gazing at moving tree branches and the sky above them as they peacefully swing in hammocks, enjoying the calm, fresh air and nature around them.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff provide quality teaching and interactions that are purposeful and aid children's rapid progress. Staff model language well. They are skilful as they engage children in meaningful conversations, which supports children to be confident communicators and ask lots of questions. Children thoroughly enjoy spontaneous singing and in group sessions which supports language development. Staff ensure mathematical learning is woven through all activities. For example, children dig for worms and confidently count them with their friends they decide they need two more and complete simple sums as they add up how many this will make.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff are committed to ensure children consistently experience inclusive practice. The preschool is inviting and welcoming for all attending. There is an inclusive culture that is understood by all. Staff complete robust assessments and observations of children are ongoing. Highly skilled staff are skilful in their interactions, and have a detailed knowledge of child development, this means children's individual needs are swiftly identified. Detailed information and ongoing discussions with parents means precise next steps for learning are in place. Stringent monitoring of children's progress enables leaders to evaluate children's progress effectively. Staff are responsive to children's changing needs and ensure that strategies in place have a positive impact on outcomes for children and they reach their full potential.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff adhere to personalised routines and implement targeted interventions. Resources and visual prompts support all children to access and succeed from their starting points. Leaders' use of early years pupil premium funding is purposeful and targeted. For example, the provision of additional activities outdoors, such as an athletic coach enables disadvantaged children to access enrichment, improve their physical skills, learn turn taking and working in teams and build their confidence.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure staff feel confident in their role and they receive ongoing training and support so that they can be highly effective and confident supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. High priority is given to ensure a consistent and inclusive approach. Leaders work closely with families and external professionals to ensure continuity.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders respect and value the contribution that staff make and thoughtfully consider their wellbeing and workloads. Staff are highly dedicated to providing the best possible outcomes for children. They comment positively on the support and encouragement leaders provide. They are motivated and keen to continue and build on their own skills and welcome opportunities to participate in purposeful professional development. Leaders have a robust knowledge and understanding of the importance of self-reflection and are highly effective in identifying areas of strength and areas to develop further. They fully understand how to provide inspiring, quality teaching for all children attending the preschool. This is successfully achieved through robust monitoring of practice, they are able to seek out relevant training to ensure that they have the knowledge and understanding to meet children's specific and emerging needs.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders ensure children are at the heart of all decisions made and will have a positive impact on their outcomes. For example, when enhancing the garden, staff consider children's preferred way of learning to ensure they thrive in the outdoor environment. In addition, leaders provide parents and families with flexibility, to effectively promote children's regular attendance. Leaders are proactive in securing meaningful working relationships with external professionals so that they work collaboratively and provide children with consistent, high-quality support. They ensure any additional funding, including early years pupil premium, is used effectively to enrich learning experiences and help to remove barriers and strengthen children's progress. In addition, highly effective communication and partnerships with parents are established, along with any other professionals involved with the family, which has a positive impact on children's wellbeing and enables them to thrive.

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

Children arrive at preschool with excitement and enthusiasm to start their day. They are thrilled as they are greeted by happy attentive staff who are genuinely pleased to see them, they leave their parents with ease. Positive caring relationships are formed with their key person and children demonstrate they feel safe and secure. Children quickly immerse themselves in their chosen activity. For example, they dress up and perform on the outdoor theatre. They play instruments and listen to the sounds and rhythm they make. Children thoroughly enjoy water play, they master the skill of using a water pump as they fill pots and transport water to the mud kitchen. They make muddy puddles and use logs as a bridge so that they can cross them without getting wet.

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

Children make rapid progress and consistently achieve from their starting points. Staff strengthen learning through revisiting activities and targeted interventions. Children benefit from an ambitious curriculum, and the importance of attendance for their learning and welfare is promoted. Children are well prepared ready for the next stage in learning and transition to school.

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

Children demonstrate a love of books. They sit individually or share stories in small groups in a cosy book shed in the garden. They recall previous learning and make predictions as to what will happen next. Children work well together with minimal support from staff. They concentrate and help one another as they draw and practice early writing skills using large sheets of paper on the floor. They know to replace pen lids after use so that the pen does not dry out and remind their friends. Children are familiar with the routines and expectations. They show perseverance and determination to solve problems for themselves, for example, they decide they need a cloth and must rub hard to remove their pen marks, but are also reassured as attentive staff offer timely support.

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

Parents speak highly of all aspects of care and education provided for their children. They comment on the support provided and early intervention for children who may have barriers to learning. They are grateful for the ongoing communication they receive regarding tier child's progress.

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Address:

St. Johns C of E Controlled Primary School Clay Lane Grove COLCHESTER CO4 0HH

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Abacus Little Learners LLP

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 15:00,Wednesday : 09:00 - 13:00

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the children, staff and parents 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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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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