Eaglestone Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children benefit from well-planned transition procedures and they develop good relationships with staff. This helps them to feel safe and secure. New children now happily separate from their parents and eagerly explore the play opportunities staff provide.

For example, children develop their physical skills. They learn to use tools and equipment, such as spoons and scissors. They explore natural resources, such a pumpkins, carefully scooping out their flesh and using the seeds in their imaginary baking activities.

Children take part in a range of worthwhile learning experiences, which staff plan to develop their commun...ication skills. Staff use every opportunity well to help children to use new words. For example, children play imaginatively pretending to be doctors.

They practise using new words in their play, such as 'hot', 'cold' and 'temperature', as they look after their patients. This is helping to develop children's vocabulary in preparation for the next stages in their learning.Children receive consistent support to help them develop an understanding of right and wrong.

For instance, staff use picture cards effectively to help children understand that they need to use 'kind hands'. This helps children to learn how to play with their friends.

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

Staff have a very clear understanding of what they want children to learn and how they will support this.

For example, the majority of children who attend speak English as an additional language. All pre-school staff consistently use visual supports, such as picture cards, and strategies, such as modelling sentence structures, to help children develop their spoken language. Staff skilfully comment on children's play and echo what they say.

Children begin to copy these examples. For instance, they address staff by name and use picture cards to communicate their needs, for example when they are ready for their snack.The manager develops positive partnerships with parents.

She helps parents to follow procedures to get help from professionals, such as speech and language therapists. She then acts upon their advice swiftly. The manager recognises when parents who speak English as an additional language need support themselves.

She works alongside local services, such as children's centres, to signpost parents to courses to develop their language. This in turn is helping children with additional needs, and those who speak English as an additional language, to make good progress from their starting points.Children enjoy the snack time routine.

For example, washing their hands and carrying their food to the table. Staff use this time well to engage children in conversations. However, they do not use these opportunities fully to extend children's understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle and recognise why this is important.

The manager has a positive attitude to further improvement. She supports her staff team well, for example through peer observations and staff supervisions. Staff report that they have clear targets and support to help them achieve these.

The manager has high regard for work-life balance and staff well-being. She has worked well with her team to reduce unnecessary paperwork. Staff report that this is helping them to focus even more on children's learning.

Staff support children well to learn how to share toys and play with their friends. For example, they respond swiftly to situations where children need help to manage their behaviour. They use picture cards and gestures effectively to help children learn how to share and be kind.

Children go on to play cooperatively with others. For instance, they take turns to hold containers while their friends tip water into them as part of their play.Children benefit from plenty of opportunities for fresh air and exercise.

However, staff do not fully consider how to use routine times, such as getting ready to go outside, to teach children to manage simple tasks independently, such as organising their belongings and putting their coats on.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff have a good understanding of their responsibility to protect children's welfare.

They have a secure knowledge of signs and symptoms of abuse, including radical and extreme views and behaviours. They are aware of safeguarding risks in their local area and are familiar with local safeguarding partnership procedures for referring concerns. Staff ensure that the environment is safe for use each day.

For instance, they complete regular risk assessments and make adaptations well to minimise risks to children. Children develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe, for example by practising procedures for evacuation in the event of an emergency.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop opportunities to help children learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle and understand why this important review practise and increase opportunities for children to learn how to be independent and take responsibility for organising their own belongings.