Caterpillars Pre-School Walton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and confidently leave their parents and carers at the door. The manager has good procedures in place to support new starters at the pre-school.

Parents complete forms and share care information during settling-in visits. Children who are settling into the pre-school are effectively supported. Staff are sensitive and attentive to children's individual needs.

For example, children are offered comforters from home to help them settle. This supports their emotional well-being.Staff introduce children to termly themes and associated stories.

Children are currently learning about 'Harvest' and ...reading 'The Little Red Hen'. Staff encourage children to point out the characters in the book and recite parts of the story. This helps develop children's early literacy and broadens their vocabulary.

As staff read the story, children recognise the different ingredients, such as 'flour'. They link this to their own experiences of making play dough. This helps children consolidate their learning even further.

Children behave well. Staff support children's behaviour with a consistent approach. They are good role models, with high expectations for children's behaviour.

Staff praise children when they make good choices. This supports their positive attitude to learning, supporting their self-esteem and well-being.

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

The manager has designed a clear curriculum, focused on supporting children to develop their listening, attention, communication, and social skills.

The staff have a good understanding of what they want children to learn and why. Staff carefully plan the environment based around children's interests and next steps in learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning.

Staff plan a range of activities to help children develop their fine motor skills, for instance, using tools, such as scissors and glue sticks. Children show an interest in the wide range of art and craft activities on offer. However, at times during some adult-led activities, staff overly direct children and do not allow them to fully explore their own creative ideas and interests.

Children's good health is promoted well. Staff encourage children to be physically active and to eat a healthy diet. Children enjoy using their strength to climb and swing outside on the apparatus.

Staff teach children how to keep themselves healthy by washing their hands thoroughly before eating. Children are developing their knowledge of healthy practices.Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their imaginations.

For example, children enjoy the role-play area and dress up in their favourite pirate and police hats. Furthermore, children pretend to serve each other tea and ice lollies. These experiences help children make sense of their world.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They teach and remind children of the 'golden rules' at circle time. This helps children to understand what is expected of them.

Children show that they are familiar with these as they use their 'looking eyes' and 'listening ears' in preparation to sing the morning song. They behave very well and start to form early friendships with their peers.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported.

The SEND coordinator works closely alongside staff, other professionals and parents to develop strategies to promote children's development. The manager uses additional funding effectively. She provides children with one-to-one adult support and special resources to support children with complex needs.

Children have positive outcomes.Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They appreciate the variety of activities on offer and that their children feel happy and safe in the pre-school.

Parents say they are kept very well informed about their children's learning through daily discussions with staff, newsletters and an app. They comment that their children have 'blossomed' in their development.The manager implements a programme of supervision and training to help develop the practice and knowledge of staff.

However, she recognises there is scope to extend and embed the current strategies to help staff develop their teaching skills and practice, to a consistently high level across the team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a clear understanding of their role in keeping children safe.

The manager ensures that staff undertake regular safeguarding training and have up-to-date paediatric first-aid training. Staff are aware of the policy for whistle-blowing and know how to escalate any safeguarding concerns. The manager understands the procedure to follow if allegations are made against a member of staff.

Staff carry out daily safety checks to make sure that the premises are safe for children to play and learn in. The manager has a robust recruitment process, ensuring that those working with children are suitable to do so.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop staff's teaching during adult-planned art and craft activities, to provide greater opportunities for children to develop their own creative ideas and interests nembed the current systems for monitoring and coaching staff, to further improve individual staff practice and to provide feedback to support staff in delivering the curriculum even more effectively.