Ducklings Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff warmly welcome children as they arrive and support them to take off their shoes and change into slippers before going into the main hall. Staff use Makaton to sign 'good morning' to children and encourage them to explore the resources they have organised. Staff have effective strategies in place to support the high number of children who speak English as an additional language.

This helps all children feel welcome and secure.Staff promote an inclusive pre-school and provide effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They give children reassurance and comfort if they arrive un...settled, and children very quickly settle into play.

At the start of the session, staff talk to children about how they are feeling and remind them of the setting rules. For example, they use visual aids to support children's understanding of how to use good listening skills, 'kind hands' and 'walking feet' indoors. This helps children to understand what is expected of them.

Children are given the opportunity to take home a soft toy that the setting has named 'Daddles'. Staff encourage children to talk to others about the places they visited and their experiences with 'Daddles'. This helps children gain confidence in their communication and language.

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

Leaders give high priority to staff well-being. They provide staff with regular supervision sessions to discuss key children and any training needs they may have. For instance, staff have recently attended training on supporting children's early communication.

Staff feel they are able to talk to leaders if they have concerns and are confident leaders will act on these. They report how well they feel supported in their roles.Staff know the children well.

They conduct home visits before children start at the setting to help them settle in. Staff regularly monitor the progress children make. They know what the children's interests are and use this information to help organise activities that will engage them.

The curriculum is planned to target children's individual next steps in their learning. Children lead their own play, and staff deploy themselves well to aid children's learning. However, at times, staff focus too much on individual children's specific targets rather than providing opportunities for all children to extend their learning further.

This means, occasionally, learning opportunities are limited for some children.Leaders identify gaps in children's learning early and make appropriate and timely referrals where necessary. Staff work closely with other professionals and take account of the advice and guidance they offer.

Strategies are shared with parents to help them support their child's progress at home. For instance, staff provide writing activities to help develop children's early writing skills. Funding is used to increase staffing levels and support children with SEND.

Children who are learning English as an additional language are being supported well. Staff find out about the languages children speak at home and key words that will help them communicate at the pre-school. In addition, staff use Makaton to help them to communicate with all children and support their understanding and language development.

Parents are extremely happy with the care their children receive. They feed back that they know what their children are learning about and are given ideas of how to continue this at home. For example, parents can borrow books to read stories with their children at home to support their children's early literacy and language skills.

Children behave well and understand the routines. For instance, they recognise the different audio prompts staff use to remind children to tidy up or to stop their play and join in with group times.Children's physical development is prompted well.

They have free access to a small outdoor area where they have a range of resources to develop their gross motor skills. Children enjoy stacking up large bricks and laughing as they knock them down. Staff provide group exercise times and encourage children to move their bodies to the music.

Children concentrate and practise using their fine motor skills as they use tweezers to pick up different-sized counters.Staff promote children's knowledge and awareness of the local community. For example, they go on outings to the local shops to buy fruit, visit the library regularly and attended the local community Christmas event.

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: strengthen practice so that all children fully benefit from opportunities to extend and enhance their learning further.