Hummingbird Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Leaders, managers and staff create a culture where all children are valued and respected.

Staff focus on helping children to make progress in their communication and language. Recently, staff have added the use of sign language to their interactions with children to further support this aspect of their development. Staff understand and support children's behaviour effectively through the use of positive language, guidance and encouragement.

Staff help children build a positive sense of self and celebrate their skills. Staff know children very well, and give them attention and time throughout the day. Children show that... they feel safe with staff, seeking cuddles from them when they feel they need one.

Children learn to engage well in their play and learning. They thoroughly enjoy being physically active outside, where they use wheeled toys, climb, dig and play in sand. These extended periods of physical play help their health and well-being.

Older children create 'recipes' in the mud kitchen with their friends. Babies receive kind, gentle and supportive care from skilled and experienced staff. Toddlers play in a calm environment where they can explore various resources.

For example, they use large play equipment to build shapes with staff. They join in with familiar and interesting singing and story times, which staff lead well. Children confidently sing the songs that they know.

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

A clear curriculum is in place for children. Staff place a strong focus on learning about the natural world. They help children to learn about making positive contributions to wider society, including learning about and following ecological principles.

Children like learning about nature in the carefully considered outdoor spaces. Staff involve children in making decisions about their day and their learning. This helps the older children in particular to begin to understand values of democracy and social behaviour.

Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have engaged more widely in training and with other services, such as the county early years team that supports childcare providers. This has helped them to raise the quality of provision overall. Leaders remain committed to achieving continuous improvement.

Managers monitor staff's teaching practice to some extent but this is not always highly purposeful, and is sometimes incidental to other activities. Consequently, managers do not always incisively pinpoint what staff can do to raise the quality of their teaching even higher.Staff plan interesting and varied learning opportunities to inspire and engage children during their time at the pre-school.

This provides children with a broad range of learning opportunities across all areas of learning. However, staff do not always clearly identify what they want children to learn during a specific learning opportunity, and this affects the purposefulness of the teaching that they deliver.Children's health and safety is treated with high importance.

Staff are well trained and demonstrate that they understand their roles and responsibilities. Managers and staff ensure that they are up to date with current best practice guidance. For example, they check the sun safety ratings daily to ensure that they can protect children appropriately.

Staff report good levels of support for their well-being. They have regular supervision meetings. Leaders and managers focus well on ensuring that staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard children.

For example, they make sure that staff know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about adults who work with the children.Children join in as they wish and benefit from the learning opportunities that staff provide. However, sometimes staff's attention is taken by more verbal and more confident children, meaning that those still developing their confidence receive a little less attention and staff time during conversations.

Staff identify concerns about children's development and work closely with parents to help seek professional support and guidance. Staff work well with other professionals when children have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make and use clear plans to help children with SEND make progress in their individual learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: monitor staff's practice with children more closely in order to identify where they can be supported to further improve their teaching strengthen planning for the learning opportunities that staff provide, to more clearly define the learning intentions and to enable staff to focus their teaching more purposefully find more ways to support quieter and less confident children to speak up and have their voices heard.