Broughton Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

This is a fantastic place for children to be and where each child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is thriving. The superb leadership ensures that each child receives highly attentive care and enjoys a rich, varied and challenging curriculum.

Children are busy and avid learners. Partnerships with parents are highly effective and staff find imaginative ways to communicate with all parents to ensure there is an equal and inclusive service offered. Each member of staff is extremely well informed about all the children attending.

They work seamlessly to ensure that children are st...retched and challenged at every available moment. For instance, during lunch they encourage children to count and compare how many are in a group, which tables are different and how many are boys or girls. This challenges children to recall and consolidate previous learning and helps them to practise and master their skills in purposeful play.

The development of children's language skills is given the highest priority. Staff use a breadth of vocabulary. They help children understand and use words, such as 'nutritious'.

Staff skilfully support the children to understand the feeling of others. For instance, after children have counted their own toes, staff use a flamingo puppet to explain how the flamingo is upset. Children learn she is embarrassed as she feels different, as she only has three toes.

They are keen to reassure the flamingo. Children are well behaved and show courtesy and respect for each other.

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

The manager's enthusiasm and commitment are infectious and reflected in the staff's superb engagement of children.

Rigorous and accurate evaluation of what is needed to build on the pre-school's performance is astutely linked to local and national strategies. For instance, the pre-school team has undertaken a quality award for reading. Staff skilfully thread their training throughout the day.

Children are invited to discuss their favourite parts of a story and why it is their favourite. This reflection is an essential skill for future learning. It helps children to problem-solve, negotiate and consider the views of others.

Team spirit is high, and staff receive good-quality training and support. Each week they have additional paid time, away from the children. This allows them to review children's progress and to plan and research activities to capture the children's current interests and extend their learning.

Staff report that they feel extremely well supported and their ideas and suggestions are valued.Partnerships with parents are highly effective. Those parents who spoke with the inspector voiced high praise and satisfaction for the staff and their hard work.

They say staff are welcoming and supportive. The sharing of information at all levels is detailed and done in a sensitive manner. Information is shared in differing ways to suit parents' own unique circumstances.

A highly informative website provides a range of extremely useful and relevant information for parents in ways that are easy to follow and understand.The learning environment is vibrant and enticing to the children. They arrive full of excitement and anticipation.

Staff know children's preferences and plan in ways that allow children to use differing senses and experiences in their world. For instance, a child who is interested in experiments is taken to the local shop to purchase the ingredients they need to make a volcano-style eruption. A child who wants to paint flowers is offered a range of spring buds to observe, including daffodils, tulips and hyacinths.

Children instigate their own ideas. For instance, they use the blocks to create a cave for the dinosaur. With support from staff, they build a house where three bears live.

They act out the story, taking turns and responding to questions from staff that allow them to think and report back on the consequences of sitting on chairs that are too small. Children are invited to consider the appropriateness of the actions of the girl who visits uninvited. The play is joyous and prolonged.

Children chatter excitedly, sharing ideas and learning to listen and take turns.Outdoor play is superb. Children relish the challenges offered across all aspects of learning.

They enjoy balancing on a range of different beams and understand the importance of keeping themselves safe when climbing. They explain to visitors how to correctly secure the mini–ladder before stepping on it. Staff encourage children to join in games that help them hop, skip and catch.

During meals, they talk about the impact food and exercise have on their bodies. Children are learning about the importance of healthy lifestyles.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Children are cared for on well presented and safely organised premises. Activities such as woodwork are well supervised, and children learn the importance of taking care when using tools such as hammers. All staff have completed a robust recruitment and vetting procedure.

Staff have regular additional and updated first-aid training and a robust understanding of their role and responsibility in protecting children from harm. They are confident with the procedures to follow to report concerns. The manager demonstrates the swift action to be taken should there be concerns about a child being exposed to radicalisation or extremist views.