Bright Horizons Lavender Lodge, Burgess Hill Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children settle quickly into this warm and inviting setting and separate easily from their parents. Staff show a genuine interest in each child and build good bonds with them. Children are enthralled learners.

Staff plan exciting activities and provide a range of resources and opportunities that help children to become immersed in their play. Children are very independent and are encouraged to try to do things by themselves. For example, they self-register in the mornings on arrival.

Staff constantly praise children and this helps them to be highly motivated and confident in their own achievements. Children behave well... with the good role modelling of the staff team. They are able to express and control their own emotions and are starting to recognise the needs of others around them.

This helps children to build important social skills for their future learning. Children are safe and secure. Staff ensure that trips outdoors are fully assessed for risk, and this helps children to have the freedom to investigate with nature around them.

For instance, all children are part of the 'park rangers' initiative and collect natural items that they can use in their play. Children are taking simple risks to build on their physical abilities. For example, they build obstacle courses in the garden and are able to navigate the wooden beams with their increasing balance.

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

The manager, who is new to her position, has very high aspirations for the children who attend the setting. The staff team has worked together to create a shared vision, which has helped the team to feel valued. The manager has a very good understanding around self-evaluation to identify areas for change and improvement.

For example, she plans to use her own coaching expertise to upskill and empower the team within their own roles. Staff are able to be part of rich discussions around planning for their own professional development opportunities during regular supervision meetings.Staff are able to confidently explain how well children are developing and how they can support their future learning.

Children who receive additional funding and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are observed closely. This helps them to make the best possible progress and have access to additional support if required.Parents are delighted with how quickly their children have settled into the new setting.

They comment on the wonderful learning environments staff create and how each child's own interests are valued in the resources and activities that are planned. However, systems for sharing information with parents about their child's key person, and how the next steps are planned for their child's development, require more review.The staff team places a very firm focus on supporting and encouraging children's communication and language and in providing rich language opportunities.

Children are supported to use more challenging and complex words and sentences and are given time to answer the questions staff ask of them. However, there are occasions when staff do not use opportunities to fully extend children's learning. For example, during everyday routines, such as mealtimes, staff focus primarily on meeting children's care needs rather than enhancing their learning.

Children are quickly developing mathematical skills in their play. For example, they use conkers to match patterns and are able to find the matching number. Children build a love of stories and enjoy creating their own books to support their emerging literacy skills.

Staff help children to learn about the sequence of a story. For example, during an activity, children were able to show their understanding of how stories have a beginning, a middle and an end.Staff encourage children to be imaginative and creative in their play.

Children become engrossed in more challenging activities to prompt their problem-solving and experimentation, for example creating shadow puppets and using torches to put on their own stage production.Staff prioritise the well-being and mindfulness of children. For instance, 'lion yoga' time helps them to learn about body positioning and breathing techniques.

Through this, children learn about the importance and need for quiet and reflection time.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and her staff team are vigilant in safeguarding the children in their care.

All staff are confident in the referral procedures they would use and understand the steps to follow if there are concerns about a colleague or children. Staff know the possible indicators of abuse and understand wider safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty and county lines. Staff use robust risk assessments to keep the environment for children safe and secure.

This includes when venturing on outings. Recruitment is robust and regularly reviewed to ensure the ongoing suitability of those who work directly with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance systems for sharing information with parents about their child's key person and how the next steps are planned for their child's development build further on staff understanding in how to plan rich learning experiences during mealtimes for children.