Our 2016 Ofsted Inspection report

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/CARE/402084

Our latest Ofsted report

Colchester Road, Wix, Manningtree, Essex CO11 2RS

The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely confident, excited and motivated learners. They wave goodbye to their parents and immediately begin their day by finding their friends and deciding what they are going to play. Children move confidently between the two pre-school rooms. They enthusiastically explore in the enchanting environment, which is packed with fun, purposeful learning experiences, to challenge and spark their imaginations. Children are extremely kind and caring. They show the utmost respect for each other. Children reach out and give the child next to them a hug, just because they know that they can. The affection is reciprocated with caring smiles and a warm embrace.

Children are fiercely independent. They are provided with real-life resources, such as glasses to drink from. They learn to take risks and gain exceptional understanding about how to manage their own safety. When accidents happen, such as a glass being broken, staff calmly and confidently clear away the broken pieces. They show children how to manage such situations without panic. Children are expressive. They paint their interpretation of vases of flowers, talking confidently about the colours they are using and the shapes of the flowers. Children demonstrate their love of the resources and tell visitors 'how lucky they are' to have such nice things to play with.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• During the COVID-19 lockdowns, staff and managers worked extremely hard to keep in regular and effective contact with families who could not attend the setting. They reviewed all of the children's needs on their return to the preschool. Staff considered ways of further supporting children's emotional wellbeing as they returned to some kind of normality. n Staff and managers work together extremely well. They proficiently go about their daily tasks, so that the pre-school sessions run seamlessly. Staff and managers support each other exceptionally well. n Partnerships with parents and others are highly effective. Parents share extremely positive comments both verbally and in writing. They collectively comment on the superb support they and their children receive at this preschool. Many describe the pre-school as a home from home and use words, such as 'nurturing, welcoming' and 'fantastic' in their written contributions to the inspection. Many parents state that the 'kind and caring attitude' of all of the staff and manager helped their children to settle quickly into their pre-school life and has helped them to become strong and independent learners. n Children calmly participate in the morning yoga session. They chat about the different poses with staff, who support these discussions superbly, often linking the pose to whatever theme they are exploring that day. For example, when focusing on planting and growing, many of the yoga poses relate to being a small seed and growing taller. n Children learn to understand their own emotions and feelings, as staff proficiently use resources and books to help them to talk about how they feel. They encourage them to understand what makes them feel that way and what they can do to help themselves to feel better. For example, children confidently use the emotions stones to describe that they feel sad and are able to articulate that this is because they have a sore finger. n Staff confidently extend children's mathematical thinking through planned activities, as well as spontaneous ideas that come from the children's interests. For example, staff help the children to make a race track on a large piece of paper. They draw numbers one to five and use pull back cars to race and see whose car goes the farthest. When exploring fruits linked to a favourite book, staff talk about whole, half and quarters. Children tell staff which of the fruits they liked during a tasting activity and staff record their preferences. Staff and children collate the data from this activity to see which fruits are most liked.

Some children comment that 'they are not a fan of oranges'.

• Children spend much of their time exploring and experimenting. For example, they use scissors to cut the herbs they grow in the garden and use them in their mud cooking in the garden. Staff are on hand at all times to introduce new vocabulary and to hold interesting and meaningful discussions about what the children are doing. 

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff and managers demonstrate highly effective knowledge of their responsibilities with regards to safeguarding and protecting children. Staff are very knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms that might alert them to a child being abused or mistreated. They have clear and effective procedures in place and know how to involve the appropriate agencies if they are concerned about children. Managers and trustees follow effective safer recruitment guidelines to ensure that all new staff are appropriately vetted.

Setting details

Unique reference number             402084

Local authority                              Essex

Inspection number                        10072907

Type of provision                          Childcare on non-domestic premises

Registers                                       Early Years Register

Day care type                                Sessional day care

Age range of children at time of

inspection                                      2 to 4

Total number of places 36

Number of children on roll 29

Name of registered person           Wix & Wrabness Pre-School Committee

Registered person unique reference number     RP523332

Telephone number        01255 871494

Date of previous inspection          12 January 2016

Information about this early years setting

Wix and Wrabness PreSchool registered in 1999. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 8am until 11.30am and from 12.30pm until 3.30pm. There is a lunch club from 11.30am until 12.30pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

Information about this inspection

Inspector

Lynn Hughes

Inspection activities

• This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider.
• The inspector viewed all areas of the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises.
• The manager led the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about what they want children to learn. 
• Children shared their views with the inspector. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.
• The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation together.  n Parents provided the inspector with oral and written feedback. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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.

If you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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