Hand In Hand Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive to a warm welcome from the kind and nurturing staff. They show they feel safe and secure as they explore the well-resourced environment.

When children need reassurance, staff respond quickly. They provide cuddles and kind words, which helps to build on children's sense of belonging.Staff support children's love of reading.

Children show excitement as they listen to stories read by staff, using animated voices. Staff provide children with various props, such as a colander for a space helmet and a large box for a rocket, which further ignites their curiosity and engagement. This helps children to follow t...he story and ensures that their focus is maintained.

Staff encourage children to join in familiar words and actions. Children hear a rich variety of vocabulary, such as 'squish', 'crunchy' and 'scoop'. Staff listen intently to what children say and repeat words back to them, using the correct pronunciation.

Staff use simple sign language to support children who speak English as an additional language to make good progress with their early speaking.Staff teach and model to support children's independence skills. For example, they show children how to fasten zips and gently reassure them as they try to pour themselves drinks.

Staff praise children consistently to build their self-esteem and resilience.

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

Managers and staff have high expectations for all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The manager and her deputy have developed a clear curriculum and support staff to be clear about what they want children to learn.

Managers and staff use assessment well and link with other professionals when they identify children who would benefit from extra help to support their learning. Children make good progress from their starting points.Staff support children to lead their play.

For example, as children explore play dough, staff introduce additional resources for them to use. Children press textured balls into the dough, and staff talk about the patterns they make. Staff encourage children to press hard with the rolling pin.

This manipulation of the dough helps children to build strength and movement in their fingers in readiness for developing their early writing skills.Staff routinely count with children and introduce mathematical concepts, such as comparing size, quantity and shape. Children show a good understanding of early mathematics as they correctly identify the number of objects on a table without counting aloud.

Staff help children to use their imagination to create models at the junk modelling station. Staff show children how to use safe saws and other tools to teach them about risk and safety. Children choose their materials and skilfully use cutters to make perforated edges.

Staff praise children, which builds on their sense of achievement.The manager and staff include all children in the activities and at group times. Overall, they encourage children to share their thoughts and ideas.

However, staff do not always encourage quieter children to join in group discussions.Staff talk to children about well-being as they wash their hands and sit with children at snack times. They support children's oral hygiene through supervised toothbrushing.

Staff sing as children confidently brush their teeth and use a timer to help children understand when they need to finish.Staff support children in the pre-school room to follow the pre-school boundaries and help them learn the essential skills they need to move on to school. Staff provide children with a sand timer as a visual aid to promote their understanding of taking turns.

Children learn to behave well.Overall, staff plan routines to ensure that they meet children's needs. They use visual timetables so that children understand what comes next.

However, the routines of the day are not well organised, which results in children having to sit and wait for prolonged periods. As a result, children are not consistently engaged in learning and become disengaged and restless.Partnerships with parents are good.

Staff share information with parents about their children's development. Parents say that all the staff are kind and caring. They also comment that the children are at the heart of what they do and that staff know their children well.

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: review daily routines to ensure that waiting times are reduced and that children are consistently engaged in learning strengthen staff support for quieter children to encourage them to participate in group discussions and help build their confidence.