Holymoorside Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children and their families receive a warm welcome at this friendly and inviting pre-school.

On arrival at the setting, the children eagerly explore the range of activities that are on offer. They happily immerse themselves in play of their own choosing for a sustained period of time. Children show their resilience as they work together to use tools to fix toy vehicles.

Staff support them to solve problems and keep trying when children initially cannot fit wheels on tractors.Staff play alongside children as they use their imaginations to make birthday cakes out of play dough. They encourage the children to narrate thei...r own play and they ask children purposeful questions to encourage conversation.

Children talk about the person that they are making the birthday cake for and how old they will be on their next birthday. They sing happy birthday and pretend to blow out the candles.Children listen intently to stories being read.

Staff use children's love of books to extend their learning. After reading the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', staff invite children to go for a walk on the village recreational field to hunt for a bear. As children hunt for the bear staff support them to recall the events in the story.

The children show joy and excitement at finding a bear hidden in the trees.

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

The manager and staff have been proactive in addressing the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. Staff understand how to manage children's behaviour.

They have set pre-school rules, which they consistently implement and remind children of. This helps children understand what is expected of them.Staff support children to play together in small groups and to share and take turns with resources.

However, occasionally staff overlook the needs of quieter children. They fail to identify when these children may need help to form wider friendships and support to join in with other children's games.Staff know the children they work with very well.

They regularly observe them to make sure that they are making progress in all areas of their learning and development. Staff have noticed that since the COVID-19 pandemic, many children struggle to make the expected progress with their communication and language development. As a result, staff have implemented a curriculum that focuses on encouraging and supporting children to hold conversations, listen to and follow instructions, and to confidently express their ideas and feelings.

All staff have regular supervision and receive feedback on their practice. They discuss their strengths and the areas where they may need support, mentoring or professional development opportunities to help them gain new knowledge and skills. Staff's well-being is a priority for the manager.

Staff comment that they enjoy working at the pre-school.Parents speak very positively about the care that their children receive at the pre-school and the strong bonds that their children have with the staff. They comment that the staff ensure they are kept well informed about their child's time at the pre-school, and they give them regular updates about their child's developmental progress.

Staff share ideas with them about how they can help their child practise and develop new skills at home.Staff provide children with the opportunity to develop their physical skills. Children have the opportunity to play outdoors each day and exercise in the fresh air.

Staff provide children with a healthy snack and teach children about the importance of washing their hands before eating. Children are developing appropriate independence skills. Staff encourage them to pour their own drinks at snack time and to put on their own wellington boots and coats to go outside.

Staff carry out daily risk assessments to ensure that all toys and equipment provided are safe and suitable for the children to use. However, staff do not always make the most of opportunities to help children learn how to keep themselves safe. When children sit playing with toys at the bottom of the slide, staff ask them to move away.

However, they do not help the children understand that this will prevent them from getting hurt as other children come down the slide.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The staff have a secure understanding of the signs and symptoms that may indicate that children are at risk of abuse.

They are confident about the action to take should they have a concern regarding the welfare of a child. Staff understand how to follow the whistle-blowing policy should they have any concerns about the conduct or suitability of another member of staff. The pre-school building is kept secure and doors are kept locked.

This prevents unknown people entering the premises. There are procedures in place that staff follow to ensure that children only leave the setting with people that have permission to collect them.

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 identify quieter children, and help them to take part and join in with the play of others provide children with explanations to help their understanding of potential hazards, so that they learn to assess risk and keep themselves safe.