Hatchell Wood Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff ensure that children quickly settle into this friendly and inclusive pre-school. They value the different experiences that children bring from home.

Staff ask parents about children's interests and development as part of their robust induction arrangements. They develop and maintain strong partnerships with families. For example, staff invite parents and other family members to special events throughout the year.

Children receive a warm greeting from staff at the start of the sessions. They hang up their coats and bags and join their friends for welcome time. Children listen carefully as staff talk to them about ...the planned activities for the session.

They confidently explore the well-organised resources, indoors and outdoors. Staff respectfully explain to children the importance of sharing the most popular resources. Children learn to play together cooperatively and are considerate towards others.

Leaders design the curriculum around children's diverse needs. They have high aspirations for every child to give them a strong foundation for their future learning. Leaders invest any additional funding they receive to provide bespoke resources for eligible children, to enhance their learning.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. All children make good progress in their learning and development over time

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

Leaders ensure that staff are well supported in their roles. They plan training events for staff's professional development and organise regular supervision meetings.

Staff say they are very happy in their roles and that pre-school leaders take a sensitive and positive approach in supporting their well-being.Staff understand the different ways children communicate their needs. They support children's developing language skills really well.

Children gain the confidence to speak in a group, answering questions and expressing their views. They enjoy listening to stories and enthusiastically join in with the actions to their favourite nursery rhymes.Children plant and tend to vegetables in the pre-school garden.

They make feeders for the birds that visit. Children learn that the food they do not eat can be used for compost to enrich the soil in the garden. They begin to understand how they can take an active role in caring for the natural world.

Staff support children's mathematical skills well. They make sure that children have regular opportunities to learn about numbers. For example, during group time, they ask children to hold up six fingers as they show them the corresponding numeral.

Children learn to confidently count numbers in the correct order.Children are generally engaged as they explore the resources and activities that staff have planned. Staff are well deployed and interact with children as they play, to enhance their learning.

However, there are times during the sessions when staff do not maximise the learning opportunities for children, especially for children who attend all day.Parents, carers and other family members are very complimentary about the pre-school. They say their children talk about staff with much affection.

Parents look forward to the regular updates they receive about their children's learning. They describe the progress children have made since attending the pre-school, for example, in their social skills and confidence.Staff consistently focus on nurturing children's emotional well-being throughout the day.

They are excellent role models who promote a calm and purposeful ethos. Staff manage children's individual care needs sensitively. Children form strong emotional bonds with their key person and other staff.

Staff teach children about the foods that promote their good health, such as fruit and vegetables. Children recall that apples contain vitamins that are good for them. Staff show children how to wash their hands, explaining that some germs can make them unwell.

Leaders plan for the times when children are moving on to school. They fully involve parents at this time and work closely with feeder schools. Staff help children to prepare for the changes ahead, to support a smooth transition for them.

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 the organisation of the daily sessions to maximise the times when children's learning can be enhanced further, especially for those children who attend all day.

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