Holly Corner Kindergarten

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

On arrival, children are welcomed by friendly and enthusiastic staff. Children form secure attachments and develop positive relationships with staff.

This helps children to feel emotionally safe and secure. Children interact well together. They take turns and share the resources.

They listen to staff's instructions and respond appropriately. Children are familiar with the routines and behave well. Children have regular opportunities to be physically active in the well-resourced garden.

They enthusiastically pedal the cars and bikes and excitedly dig in the sandpit. A professional catering company provides a nu...tritionally balanced lunch for children of all ages. This helps to support children's well-being.

Children benefit from a large range of resources and activities. They are confident to make their own play choices. Children are enthusiastic to join in with planned activities and interact well with staff.

For example, older children use their numeracy skills as they eagerly add quantities of ingredients together to make play dough. Young children excitedly put on aprons as they get ready to paint patterns onto large sheets of cellophane. Staff praise children to encourage them as they play and learn.

This helps to support their confidence and self-esteem.

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

The manager has a clear vision and is highly evaluative. She seeks and considers the views of parents and children.

She makes any relevant changes to improve the provision to benefit children and support parents. For example, more information is now provided for parents to help them support children's learning at home.Parents are highly complimentary about the manager and staff team.

They comment that staff are 'welcoming and supportive' and 'go above and beyond'. They state that they are particularly responsive when managing the needs of children with allergies and dietary requirements. Parents value the good communication and feel informed about children's ongoing progress.

The teaching practice in the baby room is very good. However, the level of teaching varies in the other rooms. Staff in these rooms do not always deliver teaching that is highly responsive to children's needs.

For example, in the toddlers' room, staff tell young children that mixing red and blue paint makes purple, but they do not demonstrate this practically to further support children's understanding and consolidate their learning.Children's communication and language skills are supported well across the whole provision. Staff in the baby room provide a constant narrative as they play and interact with the youngest children.

They say and repeat the names of the different fruits as babies eat them at lunchtime. Children across the provision are introduced to five new words regularly, tailored to their different ages. This helps to rapidly broaden children's vocabulary.

Children's independence is supported very well. For example, staff encourage children to pour their drinks and they learn to use real cutlery. Older children independently take their plates and cups to staff when they have finished eating.

Children's table manners are good, and they spontaneously say 'please' and 'thank you'.Older children are learning how to identify and manage risks for themselves. For example, children take turns to be the 'safety detective'.

During the inspection, the 'safety detective' notices that a chair has been left out. Children are eager to say it is dangerous because it could cause them to trip over and hurt themselves.Children have access to a good range of books.

Children listen attentively as staff read stories to them. They ask appropriate questions and predict what might happen next. Staff provide a variety of writing resources in all rooms to support mark making and early writing.

For example, young children show high levels of concentration as they confidently use large, chunky crayons to draw their pictures.The manager carries out robust checks to ensure that staff are suitable. She considers staff's workload and their well-being.

She holds regular staff supervision sessions. However, these are not strong enough to clearly identify how individual staff members can raise the quality of their teaching practice to the highest level.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff team demonstrate a secure understanding of the procedures to keep children safe from harm. They are aware of the possible signs that might indicate a child is at risk of harm. The staff know how to report any concerns they may have about a child in their care.

The manager ensures that staff attend regular child protection training to ensure they keep their knowledge up to date. Staff take part in regular discussions with the manager to help to ensure the continued effectiveness of their safeguarding knowledge.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop teaching methods further so that they are highly responsive to children's individual needs build on the current systems for staff supervision to support staff to raise their practice and teaching to the highest level.