Barrow-upon-Humber Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are welcomed to the bright and spacious pre-school by a dedicated staff team. They benefit from a specially created 'wild and free' outdoor area.

Here, children have unique learning opportunities that ignite their fascination and curiosity about the world around them. They toast marshmallows over a fire-pit during well-supervised group times and enjoy picnics as they sit under a mature tree.Staff promote children's sense of belonging effectively.

They take part in community events and learn about environmental factors and sustainability. Children routinely contribute to the recycling efforts of staff. They und...erstand that compost used for the pre-school garden is made from their waste food.

The manager is a strong and ambitious leader who has made significant improvements in the time she has been in post. However, she has not yet maximised opportunities to extend further the already good partnerships with neighbouring schools.Staff have appropriately high expectations of children's behaviour and learning.

They are good role models and help children understand the consequences of their actions. Children behave well and are happy. Their self-assurance and positive attitudes help to evidence that they feel safe and secure.

Children clearly enjoy their time immensely at the pre-school.

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

Highly qualified staff skilfully promote children's communication and language skills. They use songs and rhyme to motivate children to use their voices.

Staff ask questions to encourage children to think deeply and build sentences. Children laugh and giggle as they confidently talk about fabric used for dressing up, during role-play games.The nurturing key-person system supports children's emotional well-being.

Children settle quickly and develop a love of exploration and adventure. They scramble over a climbing frame and balance on wooden beams during regular, outdoor, challenging play. Staff promote healthy lifestyles.

Children enjoy hot and nutritious meals and fruit snacks daily. They rest and sleep indoors in a cosy hideout filled with cushions and blankets.Children play well together.

They hold hands and ask to be each others' friends. They concentrate for long periods of time and take turns to arrange cutlery on tables at lunchtime. They respond well to requests and anticipate daily routines.

Children are well supported to develop the skills and attributes they will need for their future life success. They are polite, self-motivated and sociable individuals. They have opportunities to learn about people that help us.

They have fun when firefighters visit in a fire engine, take part in community fundraising projects and enjoy feeding lambs.Staff passionately promote a carefully designed curriculum that reflects all areas of learning. They explain, demonstrate and use children's interests to help motivate their learning.

Children are inspired by visually appealing resources. They confidently combine and transport from a large selection of loose materials. They use their imagination as they incorporate natural and replica real-life resources.

The manager ensures the care and learning needs of all groups of children are met. This includes those who are in receipt of funded early education and those with special education needs and/or disabilities. All groups of children make good progress in the inclusive environment.

The manager holds regular staff supervision meetings and closely monitors teaching practice to help maintain consistently high standards. Staff are well-trained and enthusiastic to complete further study. As a result, children benefit from a well-informed and highly skilled staff team.

The dynamic manager responds swiftly to any feedback from parents. Parents comment appreciatively about the service they receive and credit staff with their children's progress. The manager has high expectations and a clear vision for the pre-school's future.

Recently implemented changes have proved beneficial to children and their families. However, the manager has not yet developed partnerships to fully understand and address schools' expectations of children when they start full-time education. This means that children are not yet supported to the maximum when developing the skills they need for the move on to school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff help to keep children safe at all times. They are vigilant and encourage children to think about their own safety, and that of others.

Visitors to the pre-school are carefully vetted and accompanied at all times. All staff have a good understanding of what to do in the event that they have concerns for a child's welfare. They demonstrate their understanding of the possible indicators that a child might be suffering abuse.

Staff help to identify and minimise potential risks to children's safety. This includes a strong focus on keeping children safe during their challenging outdoor play.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop further the already good partnerships with nearby schools, to help support children even more effectively during transitions into full-time education.