Cedartree Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children arrive happy and settle well. Staff use settling-in sessions to build close bonds with children and gather key information to provide continuity in their care.

Children form trusting relationships with staff and enjoy playing alongside their friends. They confidently approach staff when they need comfort or reassurance. This helps children to feel secure.

The provider has a clear intent of what they want children to learn and has developed a curriculum accordingly. Staff provide activities that they know children will enjoy. However, they do not consistently focus on what children need to learn next.

For... example, children enjoy searching the room for toy dinosaurs and are excited to show them to staff. Although staff praise children for finding the dinosaurs, they do not use children's curiosity to help extend their learning further.Overall, children behave well.

Staff teach children to be kind, caring and use good manners. For example, children say 'please' and 'thank you' as they ask staff for help when needed. Furthermore, children learn to follow simple instructions.

For example, they confidently tidy away resources when they have finished and show care for their environment.

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

The provider has made some improvements since the last inspection. They have worked well with the local authority to address the safeguarding actions raised.

Staff have completed training to ensure that they have a secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures. However, the provider is not making the most of staff supervision arrangements to identify areas of weakness and develop opportunities for continuous improvement. This means staff have not yet fully developed their skills to implement effectively a curriculum that provides challenges based on what children already know and can do.

Children do not always receive the good enough levels of support in their learning.Staff promote children's physical skills well. Although there is no designated outdoor space, staff take children on daily walks and outings, including trips to local parks and playgroups.

Furthermore, staff create opportunities for children to build on their large physical skills indoors. Children practise their balancing skills as they move along beams and control wheeled toys. This helps children build their strength and gain confidence in their physical abilities.

Overall, staff interactions with children are positive. They get down to the children's level to talk to them about what they are doing and use age-appropriate vocabulary. However, staff do not plan activities to help build children's language development effectively.

Consequently, gaps in children's understanding and speaking skills are not closing rapidly enough. This has an impact on children's readiness for the next stage in their learning.Staff provide children with a range of opportunities to learn about their local community and the wider world.

They regularly visit the library and places of interest. For example, staff recognised that not all children have pets at home, so they arranged a trip to the pet shop to help broaden children's experiences. Furthermore, children are taught to treat each other with respect and kindness.

Staff support children to become increasingly independent. Children learn to take care of their own belongings as they hang up their coat and bag when they arrive. They learn to manage their self-care needs as staff teach them to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet.

Staff help children to gain an understanding of healthy lifestyles, including the importance of good oral health. Staff encourage parents to provide children with healthy meals and snacks. They use mealtimes and activities to talk to children about the impact of healthy food on our bodies.

Parents are happy with the support their children receive from caring staff. Although staff share some information with parents via an online app, this information does not always help parents to know what their children are learning next or how they can support them at home to help extend their learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to identify next steps in children's learning and implement these effectively 26/02/2025 ensure that strategies to close gaps for children with identified needs are effective, especially in relation to children's speech and language skills.26/02/2025 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen procedures for sharing information with parents regarding the next steps in children's learning to help parents to continue children's learning at home.