Curdworth Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

There have been significant improvements made since the last inspection. The provider has ensured that anyone who has unsupervised contact with children is suitable to do so. Staff have completed first-aid training, and changes to hygiene procedures ensure that children's health and well-being are appropriately supported.

Staff build warm and affectionate relationships with children. They know children well and work closely with their families to support them to continue their learning at home. Staff make links with other settings that children attend.

They discuss where there may be some gaps in children's development.... This provides consistency and helps children to make progress in their learning. Children have opportunities to develop their imaginations.

For example, they enjoy collecting jewels in trays and tell staff they are collecting treasure to hide. Staff support children's ideas by creating treasure maps with them. They help children to match areas of the room with the correct section on the map, and children select places they can hide their treasure.

Staff support them to mark an 'x' on their maps to help them to locate their treasure later. Children show excitement as they find the best hiding places.

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

There is a clear curriculum on offer for children.

The manager and staff know what children need to learn to prepare them for the next stage in their learning. They sequence learning to build on what children already know and can do. Therefore, children make good progress.

Staff plan learning opportunities based on children's interests. Children are keen to engage in the activities on offer when they arrive. They build mounds in the sand and push tractors around the farm.

However, as children start to lose motivation and engagement, staff do not always promote ways to extend children's learning further and maintain their interest. As a result, children start to run around and display unwanted behaviour.Children learn to be independent.

Before going outdoors, staff show children how to put on their own coats. Children competently put their arms into their sleeves and manoeuvre the coat into place. They show pleasure in their achievements and are praised by staff.

At snack time, children pour their own drinks and take care of their personal needs when using the bathroom. Staff are close by to offer support, if needed. This helps children to become self-sufficient.

Children generally behave well. Changes to behaviour strategies are beginning to have a positive impact on supporting children to follow rules and boundaries. However, there are times when staff refer to children as 'being silly'.

This does not support children to fully understand what is expected of them.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children's needs are met.

They identify areas of development where children require further support and act quickly to create plans that address children's learning needs. This helps all children to make good progress.Parents talk highly of the setting.

They comment that staff are 'brilliant' with the children. They say that children make progress at the setting and are happy to attend. Parents appreciate the links that are made with other settings that children attend and express the positive impact this has on providing consistency in their learning.

The manager and staff develop their own professional development. They access courses to keep up to date with mandatory training, and they work with their local authority advisor to improve their teaching skills. They make links with other settings to share ideas about how to enhance learning opportunities for children.

This means that children experience a continually improving learning environment.The manager has a good oversight of the setting. They work with staff to evaluate the experiences provided for children and identify areas where improvements can be made.

The manager has addressed the actions previously identified as requiring improvement and considered how they can make ongoing improvements to their practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe.

They recognise signs that may mean a child is at risk of harm, and they know what to do if a concern should arise. They work closely with parents and other settings where children attend, which helps them to know children well. The manager knows what action to take if an allegation is made against a member of staff.

All adults who have unsupervised contact with children have suitability checks completed. Risk assessment procedures are robust to ensure that the environment, inside and out, is safe for children to use.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop the planning of activities to extend children's learning even further strengthen behaviour strategies to support children to fully understand what is expected of them.