Highfield Community Pre-School CIO

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and settled in the pre-school. They enjoy the freedom to move between the indoor and outdoor areas. Staff are on hand to provide children with support when needed.

For example, they help children to make play dough. Children choose the colours they want to use and add glitter to make the dough sparkly. Children take pleasure in emptying and filling containers with water.

They like the feel of the water as it pours over their hands, and hold containers high so that the water splashes as it falls. Children listen to the sound that dry pasta makes as they pour and sprinkle it. They are keen to talk abou...t their activities, using photographs of themselves at play to explain what they have been doing.

Children enjoy activities in small groups. They help staff to retell familiar stories, adding their own ideas about what might happen next. Children make connections to their home lives.

For example, staff encourage them to think about the family in the story and who makes up their family unit. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and conduct. Children are beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviour and understand how their actions impact on others.

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

Overall, leaders support staff well. Throughout the pandemic, they have checked staff's well-being and offered extra support where needed. They hold regular supervision and staff meetings where staff can share any concerns.

Staff access an online training platform to refresh their skills.The manager has an excellent understanding of their community and the families who use the pre-school. Staff have highly successful partnerships with parents and carers.

Throughout the pandemic, they have provided parents with a wealth of information to support children's learning at home. For example, staff have used different platforms to deliver ideas for gardening at home, phonics and rhyme sessions. Feedback from parents is positive and the manager plans to continue this in the summer when the pre-school is closed.

The manager's intent for the curriculum is clear. The staff understand this and they plan an ambitious curriculum that is designed to give all children the knowledge and understanding they need for their future learning. Children with special educational needs benefit from one-to-one support from key staff.

However, leaders do not ensure that the curriculum is always implemented successfully. On occasions, staff do not challenge children enough to build on what they already know and can do. For instance, staff do not extend children's mathematical skills when making play dough with them, such as measuring ingredients.

Most children attending the pre-school speak English as a second language. Staff use children's home languages well to support their understanding. They use pictures, facial expressions and physical gestures to support children who struggle to communicate through speech.

Staff work closely with other professionals. As a result, children make good progress in their learning.Staff introduce new words to children through stories and rhymes to broaden their vocabulary.

For instance, children say 'squelch' and 'squerch' to describe walking through mud. They talk about things that they are scared of, such as spiders and the dark. Children talk about what pets they have at home.

They enjoy caring for the pre-school's fish. They feed them and develop their technology skills when using the remote control to change the colour of the bubbles in the fish tank.Staff place a strong focus on helping children to develop their confidence, resilience and independence.

They understand the importance of well-planned transitions for children's emotional well-being. Managers conduct home visits to gather detailed information about children's backgrounds and starting points. Staff use the information to help children settle quickly.

Staff work closely with schools to share information about children's skills and abilities.Children enjoy outdoor play to develop their physical skills, such as climbing steps and balancing. Children of different ages participate in activities in small groups.

This helps them to develop their social skills, such as sharing and taking turns. However, at times, staff do not fully consider each child's learning needs. This means that younger children sometimes lose interest and move away.

This means they are not supported to make the best possible progress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider places the utmost priority on safeguarding.

They implement clear, effective procedures to keep children, parents and staff safe during the pandemic. Staff understand how to identify and refer children who may need early help or are at risk of abuse or exploitation. They share information with parents about the safe use of electronic devices and the internet.

Staff help children to keep themselves safe, for example by showing them how to cross the road safely. The manager promptly follows up any absences to make sure that children are safe and well.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to always implement the curriculum successfully so that they consistently challenge children to build on what they already know and can do nensure staff always fully consider what each child needs to learn, to help younger children maintain their interest and attention so that they are supported to make the best possible progress.