High Halstow Pre-School Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff provide the children with a warm, friendly atmosphere at the pre-school.

They have secure settling-in procedures in place. This ensures that children quickly become familiar with daily routines and form close relationships with staff. For instance, the children know they can ask for a reassuring cuddle before carrying on playing with their friends.

Children are busy and feel safe and happy in the nurturing environment.Outside play is important to the staff. They provide children with a wealth of experiences to investigate in the fresh air.

For instance, children climb on the large play equipment to stren...gthen their muscles. They develop their coordination and balance as they manoeuvre their bodies over obstacles. Staff take children on walks in the community, such as visits to the church and woods.

The children excitedly name the sounds they hear on their walks. Staff provide them with opportunities to learn about the world around them.Staff incorporate mathematical language into all aspects of children's play.

For instance, they talk to the children about which car goes the quickest down the slope and how far the car travels. In the sandpit, the children count how many scoops of sand they need to fill the cement mixer. Staff make good use of praise to encourage children to investigate and have a go.

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

The manager is passionate about her role in supporting children and their families. She carefully reflects on and evaluates the quality of the pre-school. The manager understands the importance of having highly trained staff to support children's learning.

She knows her staff and thoughtfully considers their well-being to support their mental health. Staff confirm they are happy and feel valued.Staff track children's progress and have a good understanding of their stage of development.

This helps to ensure that any gaps in children's learning and development are quickly addressed. For example, the manager has made good use of additional funding to support families. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals.

This helps to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language. For instance, they put in place focused language groups to support children's communication and language skills.The staff team has high expectations for what children can achieve.

They focus on providing good-quality experiences for children who attend. The children are inquisitive and eager to explore the array of activities on offer. For instance, they enjoy trial and error as they attach the magnets to the metal objects.

However, at times, staff do not make the most of activities to challenge and further extend children's learning.Communication and language development is a strong focus at the pre-school. Staff make good use of repetition to ensure that children hear the correct pronunciation of words.

They provide a running commentary as children play. For example, they encourage children to explore their senses as they investigate how to get the penguin out of the ice block. Staff ensure that children hear a rich variety of vocabulary to strengthen their language skills.

At times, however, staff do not give children enough time to respond to their questions. For example, they provide the answer or move the conversation along too quickly. As a result, children do not have sufficient time to reply.

Partnerships with parents are a clear strength within the pre-school. The manager and staff make sure that parents are fully involved in their children's learning. For instance, they make effective use of online learning records to share information regarding children's progress and next steps in learning.

Parents speak highly of the staff. For instance, they comment on the support they receive and the wonderful family atmosphere the staff provide.Staff are good role models.

They have put in place clear rules and boundaries to help children develop their social skills. For instance, staff give children clear, positive instructions so that children understand expectations, such as making effective use of sand timers to encourage children to share and take turns. As a result, children's behaviour is consistently good and appropriate for their age.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager has a secure knowledge of how to safeguard children and maintain their welfare. She ensures that all staff regularly update their mandatory training.

For instance, staff carry out online training to help them recognise the signs and symptoms that might indicate a child may be at risk of harm. This includes being aware of extreme views and beliefs, such as 'Prevent' duty and county lines. Staff understand the procedures they need to follow should they become concerned about a child's welfare.

Staff carry out thorough risk assessments and are deployed effectively throughout the day to make sure they keep children safe. The manager has implemented robust vetting and recruitment procedures to make sure all staff working with children are suitable to do so.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on children's engagement in activities to challenge and extend their knowledge even further provide children with even more time to think and respond to questions asked and make the most of discussions to extend children's learning.

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