Crudwell Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Staff create a welcoming and supportive environment where children feel valued and confident to explore their surroundings. Staff form strong, secure attachments with children.

They model positive behaviours, such as using good manners, and overall, children respond well. However, when children display challenging behaviours, such as pushing or snatching, staff struggle to manage the situation effectively. This results in some behaviours escalating, disrupting children's learning time until staff regain control.

Leaders are committed to meeting children's needs through a well-sequenced curriculum. Staff build on what chil...dren already know and can do to help them reach the next steps in their development. However, there are variations in the effectiveness of staff's practice in helping children to learn well and to manage their feelings and emotions.

This affects children's ability to focus, participate and learn effectively during these times.The curriculum for physical development is a strength of the setting. Staff support children's physical skills throughout the day.

For example, children take part in music and movement sessions. They learn to move their bodies with control, confidence and balance and follow the instructions staff give to them. Children enjoy the time they spend outside.

They have daily access to fresh air and exercise in the garden. They excitedly pedal wheeled vehicles through tunnels, use chalk to draw and use diggers to make tracks in the leaves.

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

Leaders do not have a clear oversight of the weaknesses that exist in staff practice, especially around behaviour management and the organisation of daily routines and transitions.

That said, staff receive regular feedback on their practice. They speak highly of the team spirit that exists between them and the kindness shown to them by leaders.Staff do not consistently provide children with the tools and support needed to regulate their emotions and manage their behaviour effectively.

At times, staff's responses to escalating behaviour are inconsistent. For example, a lack of clear direction prevents children from engaging fully in their play, leading to frustration. This frustration causes disruptions to other children's learning.

While staff occasionally intervene, such as by redirecting behaviour and offering praise, they do not consistently apply behaviour management strategies. Staff do not have meaningful consequences in place to help children understand and meet expectations for their behaviour.Staff are taking steps to address the weaknesses that affect children's engagement and learning, such as giving clear warnings before play ends.

However, a lack of organisation during daily routines means that children miss out on meaningful learning experiences. Staff do not always notice when children are not engaged in purposeful play during transitions.Staff ensure children have daily opportunities to hear stories and sing songs to support their developing language skills.

Younger children enjoy learning and repeating sounds when they sing. Older children learn how to identify the sounds that represent letters of the alphabet. For example, staff encourage children to search the room to find items that begin with a certain sound.

Children giggle and excitedly go on a letter hunt, eagerly calling to staff and friends when they find what they are looking for, such as 'S for Santa'.Children develop good independence skills. For example, staff teach children how to take off their own coats and hang them on their pegs.

Children put away their lunch boxes and take out a snack, placing it next to their name for later. Staff talk about healthy foods and share tips with parents around healthy food choices.Children enjoy imaginative play with their friends.

For example, they pretend to prepare a picnic and use boxes to create a train. Staff foster children's curiosity and support their independent play and social interactions, asking questions about the pretend food and where they are going on their journey.Partnerships with parents are good.

Parents report that their children are happy and excited to come to the setting. They say that the settling-in sessions work well and are adapted to meet their children's needs. Staff lend resources and books and invite parents into the setting to find out about their children's progress at home.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress from their starting points. Staff work well with external professionals and the local authority advisory team. For example, children have targeted sessions to support their speech and language development.

Staff have good skills in this area and remember to offer clear, short instructions. They repeat words and give children time to process language.

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 leaders have sufficient oversight of the provision to identify weaknesses in staff's practice and provide coaching and mentoring to improve their teaching skills 14/02/2025 ensure staff are consistent in their approach to supporting children's behaviour so that children understand expectations and recognise the impact of their behaviour on others.14/02/2025 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the organisation of routines and transitions to motivate children more effectively and enable them to develop their interests and deepen their inspiration to learn.