Halton Lodge and Grange Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The passionate and dedicated staff strive to improve outcomes for all children.

They provide a welcoming, calm and nurturing environment for children. Staff have formed close bonds with children. Children are happy and well settled.

They thoroughly enjoy spending time here. Children cuddle staff when they need reassurance. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure.

Children behave very well. Staff are positive role models. They have high expectations of all children.

Staff teach children to share all of the toys and resources. Children play harmoniously together. For example, they take turns to ...be on the front and back of the bicycles when playing outside.

Staff plan activities that excite and interest children. This helps to engage children in their learning. For example, children show high levels of concentration as they make their own play dough.

They are praised and given stickers for their excellent listening skills. This helps to build their self-esteem. The manager takes children on outings.

They go to the local care home to sing songs and spend time with the elderly residents. Children also attend the local library for story sessions. Opportunities, such as these, help children learn more about the wider world.

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

Children access a broad and balanced curriculum that follows their interests and builds on what they already know and can do. Staff plan appropriate next steps and share them regularly with parents. This helps children make good progress in their learning.

Children are active and benefit from lots of fresh air and exercise. They confidently use the wide range of outdoor equipment. Children enjoy running around in the outdoor area.

This helps to keep them fit and healthy.Children have lots of opportunities to practise and develop their early writing skills. For example, they use chalks to make marks on blackboards.

They squeeze, flatten and roll out play dough independently. This helps to strengthen children's small-muscle movements, in preparation for early writing.Parents are extremely happy with the care and education their children receive.

They feel well informed about their children's progress. Staff work in partnership with parents to suggest ways they can support their children's learning at home. This helps to provide consistency in children's care and learning.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with the school and other professionals. She knows how to make timely referrals to outside agencies to ensure that children receive the right support.

Additional funding is carefully used to support children's individual needs, including their well-being and learning. All children are supported well when they move on to school.Overall, staff teach children to be mindful of their own safety.

For example, they conduct regular fire evacuation drills with children. Staff talk to children about fire safety ahead of any upcoming public events, such as Bonfire Night. This helps to alert children to the dangers of fire.

However, that said, staff have not yet considered how to teach children about keeping safe when using the internet at home.The manager invites visitors, such as firefighters and road safety officers to the pre-school to talk to children about their jobs. This helps children to develop respectful attitudes for those who help them.

However, opportunities for children to learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others can be developed further. Children's understanding of diversity in modern Britain is less well developed.Communication and language are promoted well.

The manager utilises a screening tool to assess children's communication and language skills throughout their time at the setting. This helps staff to swiftly identify any emerging needs and provides intervention at the earliest opportunity.Managers continually evaluate the effectiveness of the pre-school.

They incorporate the views of both children and parents in their evaluation. Managers have recently begun providing a free daily breakfast for all children attending the pre-school. This ensures children have eaten a nutritional breakfast and helps to improve their concentration.

The manager is currently setting up a food bank at the pre-school to support families in need.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good safeguarding knowledge.

They are alert to the signs and symptoms of abuse and know how to refer any concerns they may have about a child's welfare. Furthermore, staff understand their duty to be vigilant to possible indicators that a child or family may be at risk of being drawn into extremist behaviours. Managers have clear policies in place to keep children safe.

They follow robust recruitment processes that enable them to employ suitable people in the pre-school. Risk assessments are undertaken and are effective in keeping children safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nexplore ways to help children to develop an understanding of how to keep safe when using the internet at home strengthen opportunities for children to learn about diversity outside their own community.