Ardleigh Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are enthusiastic about entering the pre-school when they arrive.

They respond well to the familiar routines. For example, they excitedly find their name card and place their belongings on their allocated chair.The calm and well-presented environment is inviting to all children.

The staff ensure that there are resources and activities provided which appeal to the children. This helps children, including those who are new to the pre-school, to quickly settle into an activity and feel relaxed when separating from their parents and carers. The pre-school has a large, well-planned outdoor area which children deligh...t in exploring.

All areas of learning are effectively planned for outdoors and children have the freedom to enjoy a range of experiences to extend their learning.Staff have high aspirations for the children and plan challenging activities for them to explore. As a result, children are motivated to participate in activities, make choices and show an interest in new things.

Staff are extremely nurturing and offer children a reassuring hug to help them to feel safe and secure. Children are kind to one another and develop secure friendships.

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

There is a good focus on developing language.

Staff support children by using a range of words to extend their vocabulary. They allow children the time to think when answering a question and maintain eye contact by getting down to the child's level. For example, they do this when they talk to them about a tape measure they bring from home, asking questions to encourage them to describe how to use it.

Staff acknowledge that not all children want to talk in front of the whole group and they use snack time as a great opportunity for less confident children to engage in discussions.Children are encouraged to be independent and have the opportunity to practise their personal skills throughout the day. For example, staff encourage them to practise using knives and forks at snack time and putting their coats on and taking them off.

Staff help to support the youngest children by modelling how to pull up a zip or put on wellies.Staff develop children's ability to negotiate and resolve issues that arise. For example, when children find it difficult to share the space when riding on tricycles, staff prompt them to discuss what to do next and how to create a passage for them to pass each other safely.

The outdoors is used well to help children to explore nature, such as lifting logs to look for insects. It also offers the opportunity for children to experience risky play. Through discussion and teaching, children learn how to use tools such as hammers safely and to identify risk.

The staff work extremely hard to develop good relationships with parents and other members of the family. Communication is fostered through daily conversations and the use of an online assessment tool. Parents are encouraged to access the pre-school's website and weekly newsletter to gather ideas to support children's learning at home.

Parents are very complimentary about the pre-school.Staff actively promote healthy eating and the snacks offered are varied and healthy. In addition, children delight in taking the pre-school's 'cooking bear' home with them.

This helps to inspire parents to try out new and healthy recipes with their children at home.The management team has very secure links with the local school, which provide good opportunities to share information and develop the provision. Staff work in close partnership with other early years settings when children attend more than one and have links with the local church.

Helping children to feel part of the community is important to the pre-school.The pre-school manager sets a strong example of how to teach effectively and offers staff the opportunity to work towards additional qualifications. However, the management team does not use a wider range of opportunities to further extend the teaching skills and interests of staff and help them to reach their full potential.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good understanding of, and are able to recognise, the signs that indicate that a child may be at risk of harm. There are effective procedures in place to follow should staff have a concern about a child or an adult in the pre-school.

All staff have completed relevant training in safeguarding and know who the designated lead practitioner is within the setting. The management team has robust procedures in place to make sure that members of the management committee and staff undergo suitability checks to ensure children's safety.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: focus more sharply on supporting staff in their professional development to raise the overall quality of teaching to the highest level.