Uplands Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

The manager and staff have high aspirations for all children. They create rich, inviting spaces indoors and outdoors where children feel safe and happy. Children develop a strong sense of belonging and ownership of their learning environment in this welcoming pre-school.

For example, they make their own placemats to use at mealtimes and help to complete risk assessments and prepare resources, such as scented playdough.Children's behaviour is superb. They are kind and eager to be helpful.

Children prepare fruit for the snack table and collect their friends' boots where it is time to go outside. From an early age,... they learn about friendships and show high levels of confidence in social situations. Children play together to achieve shared goals.

For example, they build a huge house using large foam bricks and mulch 'cement'. They share their ideas on how to create a floor, choosing paper as the best material. Staff are highly responsive to children's ideas and promote children's problem-solving and thinking skills effectively.

Children demonstrate their investigative skills as they explore the depth of puddles and examine the footprints their boots make on the paper floor and wet tarmac.

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

The highly organised and professional manager carefully plans and evaluates a high-quality curriculum. She ensures that staff benefit from focused training and development opportunities which enrich children's experiences.

Since the last inspection, staff have introduced new approaches to promoting children's speech and language development and refined their approach to gathering information about children's starting points in learning. They regularly review articles on new initiatives and important topics within early years to gain fresh ideas and keep their knowledge up to date. Staff create display boards to share information, such as childhood vaccinations and outdoor play, with parents.

Children move around the indoor and outdoor spaces with confidence and enthusiasm. They select activities and equipment carefully and start games with their friends. Staff ensure children have exciting opportunities to develop their physical skills and fitness.

Children confidently join in with yoga and 'keep fit' exercises and relish special 'Nature Buddies' sessions in all weathers.The manager is highly reflective about the quality of the pre-school. For instance, she analyses the progress that groups and individual children make.

She combines this information with feedback from parents and staff to help identify strengths in practice and areas to enhance. The manager uses additional funding to provide children with enriching, exciting learning experiences which rapidly close any gaps in their learning.Staff develop effective links with other settings or providers that the children attend.

They share detailed information about children's learning and strategies to support continuity in their care and education.Children talk animatedly about their knowledge of the world around them. They explain to the inspector why it is important to wash their hands before eating and what clothing they will need to wear to play outside after snack.

Children speak about their day and recall listening for bats in the trees. They understand that bats use echolocation to navigate. Children access interesting small-world resources which reflect their interests.

For example, they use bricks to build walls and surround a wooden castle toy. They play with siege towers and operate drawbridges with strings.Staff speak to children in a warm, engaged manner.

They teach children communication and language skills expertly, making excellent use of conversation with children during every activity. Staff constantly model clear speaking and careful listening. They sensitively repeat or extend what children say to help them speak and listen.

Parents praise the 'fantastic' staff and speak highly of the superb progress their children have made in all areas of learning. They talk about the variety of activities their children enjoy and how their confidence has grown.Staff form extremely strong partnerships with parents and ensure every parent is fully involved in their children's experiences at pre-school.

They provide a variety of resources to support children's home learning, in 'learning suitcases'. Children delight in choosing books to take home in their special book bag and look forward to their turn to take a 'learning suitcase' home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager uses robust systems to ensure staff understand precisely how to safeguard children in the setting. She checks that all staff know the policies and procedures of the setting and ensures they regularly attend safeguarding training to underpin this knowledge. As a result, staff have a strong understanding of how to recognise if a children's welfare is at risk.

They know what to do if they have a concern about a child. The manager also follows thorough recruitment and induction procedures to help promote children's safety. She checks the initial and ongoing suitability of staff.