Broome and Ditchingham Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children receive a warm welcome from staff. They enjoy the time they spend at pre-school and feel safe and secure.

Children understand the routines and expectations and behave well. On arrival they happily gather for circle time where they sing a welcome song and count how many children are present. Staff share the daily activities with children, who settle quickly and confidently to their play.

They are kind and nurturing and offer cuddles to children when needed. Children have access to a large outdoor space and are eager to explore. In the mud kitchen, they develop their imagination, using water and herbs to make 'd...rinks', taking pleasure in offering staff what they have made.

Children explore tools, such as screwdrivers and wrenches, in the construction area set up outside to coincide with building work happening at the pre-school. They talk about plans for their building work, which they sketch on clipboards. Children learn to share, take turns and build friendships.

Leaders have high expectations and constantly reflect on ways to improve the pre-school. They make the most of training opportunities and working with other professionals to enhance their teaching. Overall, staff are responsive to children's learning needs.

However, they do not consistently recognise opportunities to challenge the older or most-able children and extend their learning. At times, children lose focus at activities as the resources available do not allow them to think deeply or develop their creative ideas.

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

Staff work in close partnership with parents to ensure that all children make good progress in their learning.

Parents speak highly of the support that staff give and the strong relationships they build with each child.Leaders and staff are committed to providing the best care and education for all. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those with speech and language delay are identified quickly.

Staff put effective support in place to ensure they make good progress in their learning.Staff have a good understanding of what children need to learn next. They use both the indoor and outdoor environments to build on children's interests and learning.

However, staff do not always recognise opportunities to fully extend children's learning. Sometimes, the way resources are presented to the children does not enable them to make independent choices or challenge them. As a result, some older children lose focus and are not deeply involved in play.

Staff are quick to identify gaps in children's learning and plan additional activities that help children to make progress. They make swift referrals to outside agencies when required, and seek support from other professionals to help children reach their full potential.Staff plan weekly off-site activities in the local woodland and heath area.

Children learn to take risks and build their confidence in new situations.Staff feel well supported and they work together with leaders to ensure that children get the best possible start to their education. Staff benefit from regular training opportunities and supervision, which helps them to become more knowledgeable about their roles.

Children receive praise and encouragement from staff for their efforts and achievements. This helps them to build good levels of self-esteem.Leaders regularly evaluate the setting to identify areas for improvement.

For example, they recently enhanced the outdoor area following training. Staff have made improvements to the mud kitchen area. In addition, they now provide a transitioning den for those children not yet confident to explore the full outdoor space.

Staff work effectively to develop children's communication skills. They carry out regular small-group activities that help to promote children's listening and attention. Staff read books together with children throughout the sessions and ensure that books are available both inside and out for children to access.

New children settle quickly and form strong attachments to their key person. Staff work with parents to find out about children's likes and dislikes and use these as starting points for their planning. Staff offer reassurance to those children still settling and take time to play alongside them.

The management team uses robust systems that help to assure the suitability of new committee members. Effective procedures are in place to protect children while checks are being completed.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff can identify signs that would give them cause for concern about a child's welfare. They understand procedures to follow to refer concerns to ensure children are protected from harm. Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training, as does the management committee.

The pre-school has robust recruitment procedures in place, which help guarantee the suitability of those working directly with the children. Staff also have knowledge of wider safeguarding issues, such as protecting children from radicalisation, and identity a lead officer within the team.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance staff's teaching further to provide additional challenge for children so they can be independent and think more deeply about their play review and enhance the learning environment so that children can access additional resources to extend their learning further.