Good Shepherd Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are confident and demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. They are keen to take part in the inviting activities on offer to them and become engaged in their play. Children enjoy exploring a range of different ingredients as they make play dough.

Parents are involved in their children's learning. They are encouraged to take home books and other resources such as games to continue children's learning and development. The manager and staff have high expectations of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

As a result, children make good progress. Any gaps in learni...ng are swiftly identified and addressed. For example, staff plan specific small-group activities to support children's language development and concentration skills.

Children's behaviour is good. Staff are positive role models and encourage children to be kind. As a result, they are respectful and offer help to each other, for instance when putting on coats for the garden and opening food at lunchtime.

Children have regular opportunities to play outdoors and engage in physical activities. They enjoy working together and use their imagination to create a car wash in the garden with the large cars and pipes.

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

The manager and staff have made significant improvements since the last inspection.

They successfully evaluate the setting and use this information to identify areas for further improvement. For instance, they have created more opportunities for children to be creative in the outdoor environment.Partnership with parents is a particular strength of the setting.

Staff understand the needs of the local community as well as the particular needs of the families that attend. Parents are very complimentary about the support they receive from staff and the information that is shared about their children's learning.The manager undertakes regular supervisions and observations of staff.

However, sometimes more focused areas of development could be identified to increase the quality of teaching and learning further.Staff promote children's communication and language development well. Children enjoy listening to stories in small groups, and staff capture their imagination with the use of puppets.

Children repeat known rhymes, songs and phrases from stories. For example, they use twigs to role play the 'Stick man' storybook.The manager and staff provide good support for children with SEND.

They work well with other professionals and children's families to ensure children are able to make continued progress in their learning and development.Children learn about healthy lifestyles as part of their daily routine. They are provided with healthy food choices at snack time.

Children learn to improve their oral health through brushing their teeth. Children's developing independence is promoted. They put their own coats on and independently wash their hands before meals.

The manager has a good understanding of how children learn and develop, and closely monitors the progress they make. Staff know children well. They complete regular observations and assessments, building on what children already know and can do.

Staff provide activities that follow children's interests and their next steps in learning and development.Children develop strong attachments with staff and seek them out to support their play. Staff provide children with regular meaningful praise.

This supports children to feel valued and builds their self-esteem. However, at times, children's play is over-directed by staff, and they are not given opportunities to think more deeply or use their own ideas.The manager makes effective use of additional funding to create opportunities for children that they may not otherwise experience.

For example, staff took the children and their families on a day trip to a local country park.Staff support children's mathematical development effectively through their play. They encourage children's counting skills and help them to identify sizes.

This means children regularly use mathematical language in their play. They count the number of toy dinosaurs they have and talk about how much the car wash will cost.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good knowledge of their role and responsibility to report any signs that may suggest a child is at risk of harm. They have an in-depth knowledge of wider safeguarding issues such as the 'Prevent' duty. Staff regularly attend safeguarding training to ensure their skills and knowledge are kept up to date.

The manager makes swift referrals where concerns have been raised and works closely with other agencies to support children and their families. Robust arrangements are in place to check the suitability of new and existing staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide more opportunities for children to problem-solve and develop their own ideas strengthen the supervision of staff to identify their professional development needs precisely and raise the quality of teaching to the highest level.