Brough Playschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are safe and secure at the setting.

They choose what they would like to play with and enjoy their learning. Staff think carefully about how the resources they choose will help children to settle in. As a result, children, including those who are new to the setting, quickly settle and feel at ease in the environment.

All children benefit from a range of experiences across the seven areas of learning. They spend time at the play dough table and use their hands to control the scissors as they make cuts in the dough. Older children are encouraged to use pencils and are supported by staff as they start to master a ...pincer grip.

This helps children to build their physical development skills and helps them to prepare for their next stage in learning.Parents comment on how they enjoy meeting their child's key person in the entrance and sharing information about their day. This helps children, who also enjoy meeting their key person, to enter the setting happily.

Parents are now welcome in the entrance hall in small groups to continue to ensure their safety. This is a recent change made by the manager since the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

The manager has a clear idea of their curriculum.

The team works closely together to change resources, activities and routines to help support children's individual needs. As a result, all children make good progress in their learning and development.Staff consider all children's individual learning needs.

For example, the balance beams are set up for children in the outdoor environment. Staff support those who are not as confident using the beams and help them to keep trying. This helps children to be more confident and balance successfully.

Children show their enjoyment as they achieve what they set out to do.The staff have high aspirations for all children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children who speak English as an additional language are supported with a range of different strategies.

These help all children to make good progress. For example, a bilingual member of staff supports children to develop their spoken English as they play. The setting also works well with other agencies and parents to provide focused support for children.

Children are engaged in their learning. They enjoy watering the plants that they have planted. They talk about how the water will 'help them to grow'.

However, staff sometimes give children an answer rather than allowing them time to think of their own. As a result, children do not always have an opportunity to think of their own ideas, be curious and develop their own learning.Children are kind and behave well.

They instigate taking it in turns using the timer for the bikes. Staff help children to understand why sharing is important. They encourage them to think about what the results of their actions might be.

This helps children to regulate their own emotions and respect others.Children enjoy a range of foods at snack time. Staff describe what they will be eating.

For example, staff explain that the snack today is 'long, thin and crunchy', and children delight in shouting 'breadsticks'. This helps children to talk about the foods they enjoy.The manager provides support to the staff team.

Staff explain that they feel happy. They talk about the areas they are interested in and how they use each other's strengths as a team. Although supervisions are in place, they do not always give staff targeted training or support in how to develop their practice further.

The manager reflects on what is working in the setting and works together with the staff to make changes. The manager explains that during the pandemic they have used an online meeting platform to make staff meetings and supervisions more accessible to the team.Parents speak highly of the setting.

They know who their child's key person is and how they can find out about what their child is learning at the setting. They comment on the excellent settling-in process. As a result, children and their families build positive relationships with their key person.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager follows safer recruitment practices when introducing new members to the team. She shares relevant safeguarding information and training through staff meetings and links to the local safeguarding partnership hub.

Staff demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. They explain what might concern them about a child's welfare and how to get help and support them. They understand what to do if they have concerns about another member of staff and where to report their concerns.

Staff explain to children how to keep themselves safe. This helps children to assess their own risks as they play.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on providing children with opportunities to develop their own ideas in their play by ensuring all staff consistently allow children time to find their own answers develop supervision arrangements further to provide targeted support for staff to help them to continue to improve their practice.