Hickling Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children happily attend the pre-school and benefit from the relationships staff build with them.

Children are warmly welcomed by the friendly and caring staff. Staff encourage children to choose something to play with, but do not consistently support children to develop their play further. If children become unsettled, staff comfort them, which helps children re-engage with resources.

Staff reflect on what children like to play with. However, there is not an effective process in place to reflect on staff interactions and how they can be improved.Children behave well and enjoy playing with their friends with the activities... staff provide them.

While playing board games, children begin to understand how to take turns. Staff prompt children when it is their turn to pick up a piece and to wait when it is their friends' turn. Children use turn taking they have learned at snack time.

They pass the milk bottle around the table, to pour their drinks independently. While staff set up experiences to support learning this is not targeted enough to support all children to make progress.

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

The managerial committee have failed to inform Ofsted of new members to their committee.

Therefore, Ofsted has not had to opportunity to assess the suitability of these people.Staff know how to cover all areas of learning. They use children's interests to plan the activities and experiences they provide.

This supports children to independently engage with resources for long periods of time. However, not all staff are effective in developing children's learning beyond the activities on offer.Teaching is variable.

Some staff engage with children and extend their imaginations. For example, in the play kitchen, some staff encourage children to make different foods, such as soups from vegetables and smoothies from fruit. However, in similar circumstances other staff do not have the same levels of interaction and only give simple responses to children.

Therefore, children do not receive consistent experiences of teaching from staff to support them to learn.There is a staff supervision process in place. However, this is not effective.

When weaknesses are identified in staff practice, these are not followed up with sufficient development opportunities, to bring about improvement in practice.Staff identify appropriate next steps for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who need extra support. However, staff do not ensure children receive the targeted support they need in order to make progress.

Staff support children to understand simple mathematical concepts. For example, while children play in the sand, staff talk to them about big and small containers and how to fill and empty them. This helps children develop an understanding of size and capacity.

In addition, staff encourage children to count up objects. For example, in the play kitchen, staff ask young children to find all the eggs. When children find them, staff count the eggs as children place them in a bowl, which supports children to understand number and quantity.

Staff arrange equipment to support children's physical development. To develop children's fine motor skills, staff place a range of cutting tools out. Children enjoy selecting different tools to cut dough.

They pick up knives and use these to chop the dough. Outside, staff encourage children to pass them large hoops in different ways. Children giggle as they practise rolling and throwing the hoops to staff.

Staff ensure children are safe. They have appropriate supervision of children at all times. Staff risk assess the environment to maintain children's safety.

For example, they place crash mats around the large play equipment to prevent children from injuring themselves if they fall. While children play on the slide, staff remind them to only slide down if their friends are not at the bottom. This helps children to understand how to keep themselves and others safe.

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 meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date improve teaching, to ensure all children have access to consistently good teaching to support their learning 28/04/2025 improve processes linked to staff development, to ensure weaknesses in practice are identified promptly and acted upon 24/03/2025 put in place procedures for children who are identified with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children who need extra support to receive the targeted support they need.

24/03/2025