Crafthole Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive at the setting and eagerly run off to play with the resources on offer.

They explore the environment enthusiastically, using their imagination and creativity, and are very self-motivated. For example, they enjoy making their own dens, asking staff for the additional resources they require.Staff are able to adjust their expectations for children depending on their age and ability.

Staff support children to feel confident in the setting and give children responsibility for tasks, such as opportunities to be the helper of the day. They take ownership of these and appear proud. This supports children's well...-being, so they are happy, confident and ready to learn.

Staff have high expectations for children, who are very sociable with each other. Staff encourage children to share their experiences from home with their peers. Children feel safe and secure, and are extremely confident in the environment to stand in front of their peers and talk about things at home or show toys they have brought in.

This widens their knowledge and understanding of other lifestyles within their community. Children make mistakes on purpose to make staff and their peers laugh. Staff support them to show their uniqueness and this demonstrates that children feel a sense of belonging in the setting.

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

Parents speak very highly of the setting and form good relationships with staff. Managers keep parents fully informed, such as through regular newsletters, of the topics covered with children and how they can extend these at home. However, parents are unaware of children's individual next steps or specific areas staff are working on to support their child.

Therefore, parents are not able to fully continue this learning at home.Staff build good relationships with children early on and support them to feel safe and secure very quickly. For example, they carry out home visits prior to children starting.

Staff know the children well and identify appropriate next steps to support children to make good progress. There is some communication with other providers children attend, however, it is inconsistent. Staff do not share next steps regularly or effectively with parents and other providers.

Therefore, there is not a fully shared approach to children's learning and development.Children have opportunities to develop and practise their early mathematical skills, such as counting with their friends. Children develop good early literacy skills and learn that writing goes from the left to the right.

Parents can borrow books from the setting to support children's love of books and early literacy. This gives children some of the skills they need to be prepared for their next stage of learning.Staff provide children with lots of knowledge through their teaching, making it exciting and interesting.

Children engage and concentrate well in groups and enjoy learning about their senses. They touch objects without seeing them and staff ask them to explain what they can feel. Children use descriptive words such as 'squishy', 'square' and 'hard'.

Children are encouraged to think with their friends what the object could be. Children listen and respond well to their friends and to staff, resulting in them having a very positive attitude to their learning.Children enjoy singing songs and performing actions.

Staff encourage them to participate and give them opportunities to choose what to sing. Staff support younger children, such as by providing visual objects to choose from so they can contribute and their voices are heard.Staff engage well with children in the indoor environment, creating a calm space.

Staff support children in their play, such as by asking questions. However, at times, staff ask children questions in quick succession and there is little time for children to think about what has been asked and respond and engage in more meaningful conversation.Staff support children to become independent, for example through self-registration or self-service snack.

They build on children's current knowledge and experiences through their good teaching. Children are encouraged to recall, repeat and practise their learning. Staff teach children the skills they need, which means that children are prepared and ready for their next stage of learning.

Managers ensure that staff have the support and training required. Inductions and one-to-one meetings are used to discuss staff's progress as well as children's needs. Managers oversee children's development to check their progress and to identify if additional support is required.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff are confident in the appropriate action to take if they have a concern about a child or adult. They can describe in detail the potential signs and symptoms of abuse.

Staff are confident in identifying changes in staff behaviour or demeanour and, therefore, children are kept safe. Staff complete online training related to safeguarding to keep their knowledge up to date.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide more time for children to think and respond to questions to enable them to share their thoughts and encourage critical-thinking skills to consider how information is shared with parents and other providers to promote a shared approach to children's learning and development.