Tugboats Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children are happy, safe, and settled at the pre-school. They easily separate from their parents in the morning and eagerly explore the learning environment. Children develop positive attitudes towards learning because staff have high expectations of them.

They benefit from quality interactions and develop good listening and attention skills. Children enjoy sharing books with staff who extend children's vocabulary. Children learn skills that prepare them for life.

For example, they learn to put their coats on, pour drinks into cups and tidy away after play and mealtimes. Children develop a good understanding of healthy ea...ting. For example, they comment that eating fruit and vegetables makes them healthy and strong.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning, considering their starting points.Children currently access the outdoors a few times a week, not daily as required. Nevertheless, they move around freely and are physically active indoors.

For example, they master obstacle trails they created themselves. Children have the opportunity to explore and learn about nature, including indoors. They learn how caterpillars grow into cocoons and then become butterflies.

Children use the magnifying glass to check if their caterpillars have grown and make comments about their sizes. Children use good manners, listen to staff, and behave appropriately.

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

The manager has made positive changes since the last inspection.

She used support from the local advisory team to address the weaknesses identified at the last inspection. However, the manager is not evaluating the service effectively enough to identify all areas for improvement. Staff do not always follow good hygiene practices.

For example, they do not always wash their hands after wiping children's noses. This supports the spread of infections and does not fully support children's independence. However, staff ensure children independently engage in hygiene routines, such as handwashing before mealtimes after personal care.

The manager has developed some effective arrangements for staff supervision and training. This helped to improve and deliver good-quality teaching and learning experiences for all children.Staff know children well and plan for their learning successfully.

They regularly assess children's progress and plan meaningful next steps.Children use their imagination as they play. For example, they create a café and invite their friends and visitors in for a cup of tea or coffee.

Children freely access resources and activities of their choice. They enjoy building towers, bridges and train tracks. Children count in sequence as they play.

They use their small-muscle movements and enjoy making marks.Children listen attentively during circle time and express their feelings and wishes. They eagerly join in with actions during rhyme time.

Children develop good social skills. All children, including those who learn English as an additional language, those in receipt of funding and those with SEND develop skills that help them prepare for the next stage of learning.Staff use effective strategies to manage children's behaviour.

They talk to children at their level and give them gentle reminders if needed. Staff are positive role models and encourage children to talk about their feelings and being kind.Children who speak English as an additional language benefit from hearing and using their home language at the pre-school.

For example, staff greet children in their home language. They often celebrate diversity by singing songs in children's home languages. This has a positive impact on children's communication and language development and helps children develop a sense of themselves.

Children gain an understanding of what makes their family unique.Staff engage with children in a range of interesting activities based on children's choices and interests. However, there are occasions during planned activities, when staff miss opportunities to build on children's learning even further.

The manager and staff develop effective partnerships with parents. They regularly share children's learning from the setting and home. This helps to provide consistency in children's learning and development.

The manager and staff work well with other professionals to develop consistent strategies and support children's communication and language development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider, who is also the manager, developed robust recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure only suitable people work with children.

Since the last inspection, all staff, including a designated safeguarding lead gained knowledge of safeguarding procedures. They have a secure knowledge and understanding of what to do should they have a concern about a child or a staff member. Staff regularly update their first-aid training to ensure they have up-to-date skills to attend to children in emergency situations.

The manager and staff carry out effective risk assessments to keep children safe.

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 staff follow good hygiene procedures to prevent the spread of infections 10/05/2023 ensure children have daily opportunities to access outdoors.10/05/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide consistent opportunities for children to build on their independence nuse opportunities as they arise to build on children's learning even further.