Doodlebugs Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy on arrival and settle quickly to play.

They excitedly greet their friends and staff and develop positive, secure relationships. Children's behaviour is excellent. They recognise the importance of being kind and helpful to others.

Staff ask children, 'How could we help our friends?' and they say, 'We can teach them to share.' Children benefit from a well-organised play environment where they explore the wide range of exciting toys and activities and learn through their developing curiosity and investigation. They develop good fine motor skills and concentrate well at threading dried pasta shapes onto ...straws.

Older children squeeze and squash play dough to create their models. They use straws as candles and say, 'I've made a birthday cake.' Younger children learn about space, size and shape through their play.

For example, they concentrate well, stacking soft bricks one on top of another to make a tall tower. Older children recognise numbers of personal significance and proudly say, 'I'm four.' Children confidently make independent choices of toys to fully support their ideas and interests in play.

Staff have clear expectations and help children to make very positive progress. Children develop the necessary skills to prepare them for their future learning.

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

Management and staff form a strong team and work very well together.

They continually evaluate their practice and identify how to make ongoing improvements. This has helped staff to develop strong partnerships with parents, to help support their children's individual needs. In addition, they continually review children's use of play areas.

Staff reorganise these to provide more space for children's play.Children benefit from a very motivating range of activities and visits that broaden their experiences and help to develop their understanding of the world. They enjoy going on a bus ride with staff and visit a café.

A visitor brings a pet snake in and they learn how the snake sheds its skin. Children learn about sea-life creatures, such as crabs, and see these move around in a tank of water.Staff are significantly skilled at recognising how to support all children to behave exceptionally well.

Children positively beam with pride when staff praise them for sharing toys well. Staff sensitively encourage children to express their feelings and manage their emotions. Older children act as excellent role models for their younger friends.

Staff create a very happy, inclusive play environment where all children develop extremely good levels of self-esteem.Management actively supports staff's professional development. All staff have raised their awareness of ways to support children's more immediate ideas and interests through their play.

In addition, training has helped staff to learn more about using the environment to support children's understanding of shapes and numbers. However, staff have not fully considered more ways to help children to learn how to solve simple practical problems, such as identifying when there is a space for them to sit down at the snack table.Staff get to know children and their families very well.

Parents speak highly of staff and the provision they offer their children. They say staff actively involve them in their children's learning and provide ideas to extend this at home, such as collecting autumn items of nature.Children develop their physical skills effectively.

They develop an enjoyment of exercise and learn to move in different ways. For example, they follow the actions of a dance teacher who visits them. Children have great fun playing 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' They carefully control their movements as they slowly move forward counting their steps.

Children like to sing a song about rabbits and lie down pretending to sleep. They anticipate when the rabbits will wake up and enthusiastically jump up and hop around the room.Staff promote children's learning very well and monitor their achievements carefully.

They give emphasis to helping children to develop good communication and literacy skills. Older children listen well to a favourite story and begin to anticipate the endings of sentences. They recall experiences and say, 'I had a cough last year.'

Younger children enjoy staff's gentle humour and start to repeat familiar words. However, occasionally, staff miss opportunities to support the younger children's interest and participation, such as in activities that the older children initiate.Staff are skilled at following children's ideas to support their imaginations and creativity.

For example, children helped staff create a colourful dinosaur land display. Together, they decide on names for toy dinosaurs to help to describe their learning style, such as asking, thinking or exploring. Children talk with staff about a favourite film.

Staff extend this well and help children to dress up as characters in the film. They have a party and stage a mini show.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children and monitor their welfare closely. Staff clearly recognise possible signs that may alert them to concerns. They promote children's well-being effectively and understand who to report to in the event of any concern arising.

They actively develop positive relationships with other agencies involved in protecting children's welfare. This helps to promote a continuous approach and clear communication. The management team continues to assess staff's suitability through ongoing supervision, and supports them well to develop their knowledge and understanding.

For example, all staff have completed first-aid and safeguarding training. The management team forms clear policies and procedures and shares these with parents to inform them of the pre-school's aims and values.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide more consistent support for the younger children to encourage their involvement in a wider range of play opportunities provide more opportunities for children to develop their practical problem-solving skills.

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