Christchurch Pre-School (Dartford) Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement On the whole, children are confident on arrival at the small community setting. The friendly staff team greet them warmly and they happily separate from their parents or carers.

Children that struggle with separation are well supported. For instance, staff offer children cuddles and reassurance. They spend time with their key children to ensure that they feel ready to engage in their learning and play.

This helps children to settle as they have built trusting relationships with staff. Nonetheless, quieter children although happy, often wander at the beginning of the session. Staff do not always encourage children to join ...in with activities to effectively support their personal, social and emotional development.

The manager has considered the areas of learning that her curriculum intends to deliver through an approach to 'learning skills for life'. She understands what skills and knowledge children need to develop, to build on what they already know and can do. However, there are inconsistencies in the teaching of some key aspects of the curriculum, particularly for communication and language, and personal, social, and emotional development.

This means that not all children make the best possible progress from their starting points. Teaching is not consistent in these key areas to fully support their future learning.

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

Staff generally know the children well.

They plan their activities around children's interests to encourage their play. For example, children thoroughly enjoy exploring chocolate scented play dough. They add fresh herbs and orange peel as they explore with different tools independently.

However, not all staff interactions are of a high quality to support the manager's intentions for children's learning.Staff do not extend children's vocabulary as they play. They do not introduce new words to effectively support children's learning of language, particularly for children who speak English as an additional language.

In addition, although there are books in the environment, children do not readily access these independently. Staff do not support children's early literacy skills frequently enough. This means that not all children make good progress from their starting points or are ready for their next stage of learning.

This is because staff do not fully understand what they are supposed to be teaching children.Most children behave well and have positive attitudes to their learning and play. For instance, children know the routines well as they are embedded and followed consistently each session.

This helps children develop an understanding of what is expected of them. However, when children struggle to regulate their behaviour, staff do not implement consistent approaches. For example, when children ride bikes into a fence, staff ask them to stop but they do not explain why they should not do it.

Children repeat the unwanted behaviour. Staff do intervene when minor conflicts occur. However, they do not teach children the appropriate language or give them the tools that they need to support them to learn to manage their own behaviour.

Children spend lots of time out in the fresh air and are physically active. For instance, children confidently use bikes and scooters in the large play area. They kick balls and throw hoops.

This helps them to develop good gross motor skills that have a positive impact on their health. However, the outside environment is not as well planned to offer a broad curriculum. This means for children that spend the majority of their time outdoors, they are not always accessing opportunities to extend their knowledge.

Staff do not encourage them to take part in other activities that will move their learning on. This impacts on their positive engagement in learning, as they seek out more challenge and push boundaries that are in place.The manager and staff team build effective relationships with families.

For example, parents were recently supported to attend behaviour training offered by the local authority. They are also invited to attend open days throughout the year to support these relationships further. Although, there are existing policies and procedures in place for when children start, these have not been implemented consistently in recent months.

This means that staff do not always know enough about children before they start and do not plan effectively for their needs. In particular, there is a lack of support for children's communication and language development.

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 develop staff's understanding of the curriculum to enable them to build effectively on what children already know and can do, with particular regard to the development of communication and language 12/07/2024 ensure that staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management so that children are clear about what is expected of them and learn how to manage their own behaviour.12/07/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance the outdoor provision so that children consistently have opportunities to engage in a broad curriculum to fully support their learning and development.

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