Potterspury Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning through high levels of curiosity, concentration and enjoyment.

They arrive at pre-school happy and eager to engage in play. Staff are friendly, welcoming and caring in their interactions with children. Children have secure attachments with the staff.

This helps them to feel safe and they settle quickly. Staff support children to manage their feelings and behaviour. Children share and take turns in their play.

They behave well and show respect to staff, visitors and their peers. Staff provide stimulating activities that are based around children's intere...sts and what they need to learn next. They give high priority to children's physical and emotional needs.

For example, children use drain pipes to build tall structures. They make predictions about how fast the water will travel down them. Children use their good imagination and creative skills to paint pictures, and make comments such as 'Look, that's my mummy I have painted'.

The manager consults with staff, children and parents to help identify areas to improve. She reviews the progress children make over time. This helps to narrow any gaps in their learning.

Strong partnerships with other professionals and agencies further support children's individual needs.

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

Staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Good use is made of additional funding, such as providing one-to-one support and offering enrichment opportunities.

This helps to target any areas where children may require extra help to support their continued participation and learning.Children make good progress in their learning. Staff promote children's language development well.

They engage children in meaningful conversations about their family. For example, children talk about photographs of themselves, their family and pets.Children concentrate as they construct marble runs.

They confidently count the number of marbles they need. Children compete against their friends to see who finishes first. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to challenge the most able children to broaden their understanding of shape and size.

Staff promote children's physical health well. They are experienced in managing children's individual dietary needs. Staff ensure they adhere to food hygiene procedures during mealtimes.

Children develop their physical skills as they ride on wheeled toys and dig in the sand and mud. They learn how to handle and care for giant snails and talk about how they enjoy giving the snails a warm bath.Staff are experienced and enthusiastic about improving outcomes for all children.

They promote children's love of a wide range books and encourage their early reading skills. Children know that print carries meaning and like to predict what they think will happen next in the story.Staff are supported well by the manager and committee.

For example, they comment on how the manager takes time to praise the work they do. Staff state that they are provided with time to complete observations and assessments of their key children. Ongoing training and effective supervision arrangements help staff to reflect on their practice and continually improve their skills.

Children are confident and capable learners. They are developing the key skills that will help prepare them for when they make the move on to school. Children listen to and follow instructions well.

They are happy to help tidy away their toys before group time. However, staff do not always maintain the interests of all the children during whole-group activities.Parents speak highly of the pre-school and their trust in the staff.

Staff communicate with parents in a number of ways. For example, they invite parents to progress meetings and hold open sessions and family fun days. Staff provide parents with suggestions on how they can support children's learning at home.

Parents comment that 'staff go above and beyond' to support the children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a secure knowledge of how to keep children safe.

They know how to respond to concerns about children's welfare. Staff are aware of the different types of abuse and know their signs and symptoms. They demonstrate a good understanding of how to recognise and protect children who are at risk from extreme views and behaviours.

The manager ensures that staff access regular training to help keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Robust vetting procedures are in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide higher levels of challenge for the most able children to extend their understanding of shape and size review the organisation of large-group activities to help maintain children's interest and enjoyment in the learning opportunities provided.

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