Dalgarno Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children arrive happily at the pre-school and are warmly welcomed by caring and friendly staff. Children are familiar with routines and know where to put their coats. They independently access resources in the environment.

They feel safe and secure at the pre-school and say that they like playing with their friends.Leaders design a broad curriculum based on children's interests and what they need to learn next. However, they do not monitor precisely how well staff teach children different skills.

Consequently, the quality of education is variable and much of the learning is incidental. Furthermore, at times, interactions ...lack focus and do not target children's learning well enough. This means all children do not progress as well as possible.

Children are eager and enthusiastic to join in activities. For example, some children enjoy learning about the habitat of the wiggly worm they found in the garden. However, some activities are not planned well enough to maintain children's interest.

For example, staff place computer keyboards on the table for children to explore but do not engage with children well enough to support their learning. This results in children quickly flitting from one activity to another and minor disputes and incidents occur. Staff do not share clear expectations of behaviour with children.

At times, this leads to children displaying unwanted behaviour, such as pushing or snatching.

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

Leaders ensure staff receive mandatory training to help them in their roles. However, the monitoring from leaders has not been effective in ensuring this support is targeted to raise the quality of practice to a consistently good level.

This results in some staff not supporting children's engagement well enough during activities. At times, children receive limited interactions. This means that children's learning in not extended to allow them to make the best possible progress.

Staff know their key children well and talk positively about their unique qualities and learning journeys. However, staff do not always deploy themselves well throughout the day to meet all children's learning needs. Some staff remain in areas of the pre-school allocated to them and do not effectively monitor what their key children do and learn when they are not around them.

As a result, some children do not always engage in meaningful learning and play.Staff do not always help children to understand and follow clear boundaries and expectations of the pre-school. For example, staff speak about the safe use of equipment.

However, they allow children to ride scooters at speed and bump into the gate rather than teaching them how to stop safely. Staff do not consistently help children to understand unwanted behaviours and the effect these have on others.Leaders and staff work closely with outside agencies to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

They organise small-group activities to support their communication and language skills. During these activities, staff help children to gain confidence and social skills. However, large-group activities are not always planned well enough to meet all children's individual learning needs.

This leads to some children lacking in engagement, and their learning is not always maximised. This includes children who are learning to speak English as an additional language.Staff provide children with plenty of opportunities to develop their large-muscle skills.

For example, children enjoy throwing and catching balls and climbing on the outdoor climbing frame. Children join in with drawing and sticking activities and practise using one-handed tools, such as pencils, to enhance their mark-making skills. They further strengthen their small muscles while exploring with play dough and sand.

Children learn about the benefits of eating a healthy diet and physical activity. Staff follow the pre-school procedure in relation to hygiene. For example, all children wash their hands before and after meals.

However, on occasion, staff are not consistent in helping children to clean their own noses. This results in some children having a runny nose or wiping their nose on their sleeve.Parents' comments are positive.

Parents appreciate the care and attention their children receive. They feel informed about their children's learning and comment on their progress in their communication skills. Parents praise staff for being caring and welcoming.

Overall, staff appropriately support children who receive early years pupil premium. Additional funding has been used to purchase additional resources for sensory and language and communication activities.

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 and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure support for staff is targeted to improve the implementation of the curriculum and to raise the quality of teaching and interactions to a higher level 07/03/2024 ensure key-person arrangements, particularly staff deployment, meet the needs of all children throughout the day 07/03/2024 improve behaviour management strategies so that staff have a consistent approach and help children to learn right from wrong, and play safely together.07/03/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the organisation of large-group activities to ensure that all children are consistently well engaged help children to gain a better understanding of practices that support their good health.