Caerleon Child Care

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happily at the setting and receive a warm and friendly welcome.

They settle quickly into their rooms and immediately engage in activities that have been set up with their interests and abilities in mind. The manager and staff have focused on children's emotional well-being and social skills since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Staff work hard on children's sharing skills and children learn to take turns.

Children make good use of the large outdoor area available to them, where they play excitedly and cooperatively with other children. Pre-school children seek out their friends and take part ...in role play such as having a sleepover using the pillows and blankets available outside. The staff team engage children in conversations during their play to promote critical thinking and problem-solving.

For example, children make obstacle courses for toy cars using natural resources. When a car does not fit through, a member of staff asks children what they can do to make it fit. Children find different ways to alter the course.

The daily routine is organised well. Staff sound a bell to inform children that they will be moving on to the next part of their day, for example lunchtime. This helps prepare children for what happens next.

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

The manager has carefully considered what she intends for children to learn at each stage of their development. For example, younger children are given opportunities to develop their large-muscle skills through mark making on a large scale. Pre-school children take part in activities to develop their small-muscle skills and make more meaningful marks.

This also helps prepare them for school.Children make exceptional progress in communication and language. Staff support children by using opportunities during play to introduce new language and extend children's vocabulary.

Young children enjoy exploring and confidently make choices in their play. They choose to climb up and come down the slide, and take part in role play where they pour drinks and have a tea party. Occasionally, it goes unnoticed when some children become quiet and do not engage in activity.

Staff are good role models and manage behaviour well. They deal with challenging behaviour in a soft manner which has a comforting effect on children. Children who display consistently challenging behaviour have individual strategies in place to calm them, which staff understand and follow well.

The setting has good systems in place to manage the spread of infection. Hotspots such as door handles are regularly cleaned throughout the day and toys are rotated and quarantined on a daily basis. However, children's good health is not always promoted as, on occasions, they are not reminded to wash their hands before handling food.

Children show good levels of independence throughout the setting. Babies use a spoon to feed themselves, toddlers wash their hands independently, and pre-school children take responsibility for their self-care.Parents are very complimentary about the setting.

They comment positively on their children's development and how excited their children are to attend. They feel confident to approach the manager if they have any concerns and feel their views will be listened to.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well and make good progress in their learning and development.

The manager and staff work closely with other professionals and parents to understand and meet the needs of children with SEND. Children who require additional support are swiftly identified. Staff work closely with parents and direct them to early help such as self-referral to speech and language specialists.

The manager provides staff with opportunities for professional development. Recently, some staff attended Makaton training. Staff implement the training effectively by sharing the signs for key words with colleagues, to use throughout the setting.

Disadvantaged children are supported well. The manager obtains a wealth of information about children's experiences, including speaking to parents about what they do in their home life. She uses this information to utilise funding and progress children's learning effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager has an exceptionally good understanding of her responsibilities to safeguard children. She displays important information about child protection procedures in prominent areas of the setting.

This means that staff have quick and easy access to the required information. She regularly checks staff understanding to ensure their knowledge remains up to date. Staff recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse.

They know the action to take if they have concerns about a child in their care. Recruitment procedures are rigorous and ensure staff working with children are suitable.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consistently promote the good health of children, including teaching them about the importance of handwashing before snack and mealtimes nimprove the learning opportunities during activities by identifying whether all children are fully participating.