Gosforth Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy exploring this inviting and interesting learning environment. They learn through role-play opportunities and choose their own learning during their independent play. Children concentrate well and show perseverance as they independently cut fruit.

This supports children's physical development and attention skills as they become engrossed in this process. Children interact with each other as they pretend to make tea and porridge in the role-play area. A child tells a visitor, 'I have made this porridge for my friends, I like porridge.'

Children are encouraged to share experiences with each other. They sit... on the reading bench together to share a story. Later, they play football, where staff support them to take turns and communicate effectively.

Children form friendships with their peers. They seek out friends, who they have a strong relationship with, to share experiences. They praise each other when they have achieved a task.

For example, children clap for their friends when they successfully water the flowers in the garden. Children feel happy and safe during their time at the pre-school. They have secure relationships with staff and their peers.

Children discuss their home experiences confidently. They use pictures of their houses to support these discussions. This contributes to children feeling safe and secure in the environment.

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

Leaders support a passionate team of staff who know the children well. As a result, children make a good level of progress with their development. The manager undertakes regular staff supervision sessions and appraisals.

As a result, staff feel valued and supported.Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. They work with other professionals, including health visitors and speech and language therapists.

This partnership working helps children to make progress in their learning.Staff are knowledgeable about children's development. They use individual planning sheets to help to identify what children are learning and what they need to learn next.

Strong and continuous use of assessments supports staff to understand what progress individual children are making. However, staff are not always clear about what they want children to learn from the different activities they plan and provide.Staff work extremely hard to develop positive partnerships with parents.

An overwhelming number of parents/carers provided positive feedback during the inspection. Parents are aware of their child's next steps in learning. They communicate daily with staff about the experiences their children have and state that they are confident to share any concerns.

Young children show positive attitudes to learning. For example, they spend long periods completing tasks such as cutting up limes in the home corner. Children behave well as they sit together at snack time.

They socialise with their friends and discuss their likes and dislikes. However, on occasions, staff struggle to manage minor incidents of unwanted behaviour.Staff promote healthy eating.

Children are encouraged to bring healthy food in their packed lunch, which they eat alongside the staff. Children independently wash their hands and sit at the table at dinner time. Children persevere when opening containers from their lunch box.

After they finish eating, they confidently tidy away. For example, they put their cheese wrappers in the bin.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager is confident in her understanding of safeguarding, including safer recruitment and the 'Prevent' duty. Staff are knowledgeable about their responsibilities and the signs and symptoms of abuse. This knowledge is kept up to date through regular training and discussions at staff meetings.

Staff know the procedures to follow should they have any concerns regarding the children and families in their care. Staff understand the pre-school whistle-blowing procedures. They deploy themselves effectively to ensure that children are safely supervised.

The environment is safely maintained. Staff secure gates to prevent unauthorised access, which supports children's safety.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to develop a clear knowledge of what they want children to learn from the different activities they plan and provide support staff to further develop skills in managing minor incidents of unwanted behaviour.