Darley Dale Pre-school and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff carefully plan how new children are introduced to the pre-school. They gradually increase the time that children spend apart from their parents, so that children understand that their parents will return for them. Children settle into pre-school well and become increasingly confident.

Staff are very alert to the different needs of individual children and make sure that they understand how to communicate with children so that they are fully included in pre-school life. Staff provide all children with the support they need to become independent and competent learners in readiness for their eventual move to school. Children ...learn the daily routine of the pre-school.

For example, they understand that after they have had a snack it is time to go outdoors to play. They all make attempts to get their outdoor clothes on with different, but appropriate, levels of support from staff.Staff have created a welcoming play and learning environment in which children experience a broad range of adult-led activities, in addition to choosing where they want to play.

Wherever children are playing, staff are on hand to talk to them, make suggestions to extend their learning, or simply to join in with their games. For example, when children make a 'meal' using soil, pebbles and sticks and offer it to a staff member to taste, the staff member asks about the ingredients and introduces words such as 'sweet', 'sour' and 'crunchy' to the children.

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

Staff understand how young children learn and develop.

During children's time at the pre-school, staff want them to become confident to make their needs known and to ask for help, dress and undress themselves for outdoor play and be able to concentrate and follow instructions. Staff have designed an indoor curriculum to support them to deliver these aims for children. Staff break down learning into bite-sized tasks for children to achieve and build on.

For example, when getting ready for outdoor play, some children competently put on their shoes. Other children are given clear instructions to learn how to get their toes into their shoes, ready to get their whole foot in at a later stage. However, once they are outside, the curriculum is not strong enough to provide children with the learning they need, so anything that children do learn is incidental.

When children first start attending pre-school, staff take time to find out about them from their parents and from their own observations. Staff's priority is to develop children's social, communication and language skills and improve their physical skills and strength. Staff use any extra funding that they receive to support the children.

For example, they purchase equipment to help to develop children's concentration levels when this is a specific need. They also plan how funds will be spent over the time that children are with them. For example, they employ sports coaches to help children to develop stamina, strength and balance.

Children learn about behaviour expectations, sharing and taking turns through watching how staff treat them and the other adults. Staff calmly remind children about the indoor rule of walking, and explain that children can have a turn on a balance bicycle when the sand timer is empty at the top. During conversations, staff help children to understand how other people might feel, or skilfully weave in a conversation about emotions while reading a story to children.

Staff talk to children about what they want to play with and respond to their ideas and requests. Children become deeply engaged with their play because they are interested in it. For example, when children build models out of interlocking bricks, staff kindly save them for when the children next attend and then provide the bricks for the children to continue with their creativity.

During adult-led activities, staff sometimes limit children's opportunities to make choices. For example, they may limit the colours that children can use when they are drawing or painting.Staff review the pre-school provision and take time to develop what they offer to children.

They have created quiet, enclosed spaces in response to some children's needs. Here, children can rest, recharge or take some time away from the daily bustle of the pre-school if it becomes too much for them.Parents speak highly of the pre-school and the sensitive way that children are helped to settle.

They also praise the staff for the support they give to children, and credit the pre-school with children's progress in their communication and language development. Staff speak to parents on a daily basis. Parents have access to apps that staff complete with information about their child's progress and what they are currently working on at pre-school.

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 further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop the curriculum for the outdoors so that it is as strong as the curriculum for indoors nincrease the opportunities that children have to make choices when taking part in adult-led creative activities.

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