Holy Family Playgroup With Out Of School Clubs

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Leaders and staff have worked hard to improve the overall quality of the provision. They have taken steps to update their safeguarding knowledge and are actively working on strengthening the quality of educational practice across the setting.

This means children's safety and welfare are protected and all children are supported to make consistently good progress. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make particularly good progress from their starting points.Children benefit greatly from warm and nurturing interactions with the staff.

Children listen attentively as staff read stories to them.... They are eager to join in and are captivated by staff's skilful telling of the story. Staff are excellent role models who treat all children fairly and with respect.

As a result, children, including those who are new to the setting, are happy, settled and quickly develop strong bonds with their key person. This, in turn, has a positive impact on their behaviour. Children are extremely kind, caring and have impeccable manners.

They eagerly arrive at the pre-school and are ready to learn.Staff are aware that some children have had different experiences throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Children and their families are held in high regard by the staff.

For example, when children and their parents are anxious at the start of placement, the key person implements individualised settling-in sessions and makes time to meet with parents and their child. This puts them at ease these and helps to make them feel comfortable. Parents speak very highly of the staff and say the pre-school is 'like a family'.

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

Leadership and oversight of the pre-school is much improved since the last inspection. Staff benefit from regular supervision and coaching from the manager. This includes a review of their training needs and support for their workload and well-being.

The manager has started to implement some peer observations to further raise the quality of educational practice. However, these are still in their infancy and not yet having the full effect to raise the quality of staff's teaching to the highest levels.Children's speech and language skills are well supported.

Staff engage in meaningful conversations with children and invite them to share their experiences and ideas. For example, older children confidently talk about their home lives, families and favourite things. Staff's constant narration and gentle encouragement for children to repeat words help younger to build their vocabulary.

Staff make good use of daily routines and activities to help children build on their mathematical skills. For example, outside, children count out how many bubbles they blow and how many footprints they make in the sand with the dinosaurs. At snack time, children count out the number of fruit items they have on their plate.

Children understand concepts such as place value. For example, they know that if they have two dinosaurs and add one more, they will then have three.Children love the outdoors and have good physical skills.

They expertly manoeuvre around obstacles as they run around and ride tricycles. Children balance on pieces of equipment and confidently land as they jump off. Children attend sessions such as 'park rangers' and visit the local parks and the beach.

These further support children's large physical skills and help them build their confidence away from the pre-school.The dedicated cook makes sure all meals and snacks provided for children are healthy, nutritious, and meet children's individual dietary needs. Children independently wash and dry their own hands and, at times, are afforded the opportunity serve themselves snack and pour their own drinks.

However, sometimes, staff are too quick to intervene and take over. This means children do not get consistent opportunities to build on their existing self-help skills.Children behave extremely well and understand what is expected of them.

Staff help children develop an awareness of how they are unique. For example, during circle time, children hold out their arms and compare their skin colours. Children embark on many different outing within the local area.

This helps them to gain an understanding of the wider world around them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager has undertaken training to ensure she has the knowledge and understanding to be the designated safeguarding lead.

In addition, all staff have attended safeguarding training, including refreshing their knowledge of the 'Prevent' duty. This ensures children's ongoing safety and welfare. Children demonstrate that they are gaining an understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

For example, they know to wait for staff before going through the outdoor gate and line up as they move between indoors and outside so staff can check they are all present. Procedures for the recruitment and vetting of staff are robust.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nembed the newly introduced arrangements for staff supervision to further enhance staff's educational practice to the highest levels review how routine times of the day are carried out to provide children with more opportunities to develop their independence and self-help skills.