Happy Hours Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children are happy and settle quickly when they arrive at the pre-school.

They are keen to hang up their coats on their personalised peg and join in with self-registration group time to find out the plan for the day. Children enjoy positive relationships with staff and approach them when they need reassurance and comfort, which is regularly offered. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

The implementation of the curriculum within the pre-school is variable. Some staff know their key children's learning needs. They plan activities such as 'bucket time' to help to develop children's concentration, and engage them in ...discussion to promote their language skills.

However, not all staff are clear about what they want individual children to learn and how to implement this. Furthermore, staff do not consider and plan well for all areas of learning. This means that not all staff are able to build on what children know and can do.

Children's learning can, at times, be narrowed and not always promoted effectively. This is particularly noted where children do not have regular planned experiences to support their large physical skills.Despite this, staff interact positively with children.

They recognise that children continue to find it difficult to manage their emotions and struggle with their behaviour as a residual impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, staff show consistency by offering emotional support. They get down to children's level to explain the rules of the pre-school, to help to keep everyone safe.

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

Leaders have a good knowledge of the curriculum and what children need to learn. Some pre-school staff implement the curriculum well and support children to build on what they already know and can do. For example, staff teach children how to handle small tools to hammer nails into cork boards.

This gives children time and opportunity to practise fine motor physical skills. However, leaders do not ensure that the curriculum intent is understood by the whole staff team. Consequently, some staff do not know how to implement broad and balanced educational programmes that precisely meet the needs of children.

There are limited gross motor skill opportunities for children to engage in. This has led to inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum for children in the pre-school.On the whole, staff who have key-person responsibility know their key children well.

However, arrangements to assume responsibility for children when their key person is absent are not robust. As such, staff who need to provide cover are not fully aware of specific plans and targets to continue to support children's development needs. This reduces the opportunity for staff to support children to practise and develop the skills they need to learn.

The special educational needs coordinator works alongside parents to ensure that referrals to professionals are made when gaps in children's learning and development are identified. This is to ensure that children receive external intervention to help them to catch up. However, leaders do not place sharp enough focus on reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of support plans for children in the pre-school.

Plans are too generalised and do not set out how staff are to implement targeted support to help close the gap of attainment. As a result, children do not receive all the support they need.The more-able children demonstrate that they can apply themselves to self-chosen challenges.

They squeal excitedly during activities, with keen anticipation to engage and be involved. However, some staff lack knowledge how to adapt to provide alternative experiences when some children struggle to maintain attention and concentration.Children demonstrate confidence as they move around the pre-school and enjoy having opportunities to choose where to play.

Staff set up a role-play area that represents what it is like when a child needs to attend the hospital. Staff engage in play and discussion to help children who have had to visit the hospital to make sense of their lived experiences.Staff support children to learn about how to keep themselves healthy.

They wash their hands before eating and attempt to pour their own drinks at snack time. Staff help children to understand why they need to clean their teeth, to promote good oral health.Parents comment positively about how the pre-school offers support to their family and updates them about their children's day and the progress they are making.

Parents have access to a lending library at the pre-school to share books at home. This contributes to giving children more opportunities to hear stories and exposure to new words to help to extend their vocabulary.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have undertaken designated safeguarding lead training and know the processes to refer concerns about children if they are at risk of harm. Staff have a good working knowledge of child protection issues and can recognise indicators that would give them cause for concern. Staff know to report concerns directly to the designated safeguarding lead, but also know that they can make direct referral to agencies with statutory responsibilities.

Leaders and staff know how to recognise behaviours that indicate poor conduct from individuals who work directly with children. They understand how to raise concerns directly to the local authority designated officer.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure that the planning and implementation of the curriculum are fully understood by all staff and precisely meet the needs of individual children 31/01/2024 improve the key-person approach so that staff understand how to fulfil the role effectively and provide continuity to meet the individual needs of children consistently 18/12/2023 improve processes to monitor the effectiveness of special educational needs and/or disabilities provision delivered by staff to ensure that children have precise and meaningful actions that help them to make good progress 18/12/2023 ensure that children have regular opportunities for gross motor movement.

18/12/2023