Chingford Mount Baptist Church Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and confident in this well-organised pre-school. Overall, staff offer a broad variety of interesting activities across the areas of learning. They make good use of regular assessments to make sure that children are appropriately challenged.

All children make good progress. Staff support children's communication and language skills successfully. For example, they use interesting objects to stimulate discussion and teach children new words.

Staff help children who are learning English as an additional language to gain good language skills. For instance, they teach them the names of common objects and s...ing songs. Staff teach children good technology skills, such as using educational computer programs.

However, they sometimes miss opportunities to increase children's understanding of the natural world. Staff provide children with a variety of creative activities. However, these are fairly limited in terms of textures and materials to enable children to use them in their own way.

Staff manage children's behaviour successfully. They share group rules with children, and children behave well. Staff teach children about differences, for example, they discuss and celebrate different cultural or religious festivals.

Children have good physical skills. They move confidently in different ways. For example, they climb, balance and run, and learn to throw and catch balls.

Staff place great importance on this area of learning by enabling all children to have ongoing access to the outdoor area.

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

Staff help children to develop good early literacy skills. For instance, children link sounds to letters through enjoyable activities and games, and some can recognise and write their names.

Children have a good knowledge of letters and the sounds they represent.Staff support children's early mathematical development well. For instance, children learn the names of shapes, count securely, and sort and group objects correctly.

They are able to use mathematical language to describe quantity and size.Staff value children highly as individuals. This supports children's well-being and they are confident and motivated to learn.

Staff ensure that children enjoy activities by, for example, ensuring that they are based on their interests. Children understand themselves and their emotions well and manage their feelings. Their behaviour is good.

Children are able to do things for themselves. For instance, they serve themselves at snack time, open their own lunch boxes, undo food tubs and unwrap sandwiches. Children behave in safe ways.

For example, they use tools and materials with care and caution.Staff know how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make good progress. They draw up plans and set goals for children, which they monitor regularly.

Staff observe children closely, and they make sure that they meet up often with parents and health professionals involved with children's care and learning to share information.Staff work well with parents. They provide them with regular updates on their children's progress and give parents good opportunities to support their children's learning.

For example, children take the pre-school bear home and tell stories about his adventures to staff and children, supporting language development. Parents are also part of a communication and language project which involves home-learning activities to support children's development.The manager supports staff well.

For instance, she monitors their workloads and gives them regular periods of time away from the children to prepare planning and complete assessments. The manager regularly meets with staff individually to discuss work performance and training needs. For example, staff attended a course on behaviour management which led to more effective practice in this area.

Staff help children to learn about living a healthy lifestyle as part of their daily routine. For instance, children go outdoors each day for fresh air, enjoy physical challenges and they eat nutritious snacks.Staff help children to learn to share and take turns well.

For example, they play group games indoors and outdoors where children learn to share. Children take part in group discussions where they learn to take turns to speak and listen.Staff provide children with a range of interesting activities across the areas of learning.

However, there are missed opportunities to increase children's understanding of the natural world.Staff provide children with some creative activities. However, these can be quite limited in terms of textures and materials to enable children to express their own ideas.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a clear understanding of the signs and symptoms that may indicate possible concerns about a child's welfare. They understand the safeguarding policy and know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about the welfare of a child in their care.

Staff are regularly trained in safeguarding to ensure that their knowledge and practice are current. The manager checks the backgrounds of staff well as part of the safe recruitment process to safeguard children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop more ways for children to experience a wider range of textures and materials to support their creative skills further develop more ways to increase children's understanding of the natural world.