Ilkley Preschool Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this welcoming pre-school.

The highly experienced staff team develop secure attachments with the children. These attachments support children's well-being and ensure that children feel very safe and secure at the pre-school. Children confidently separate from their parents and carers when they arrive.

They purposefully choose from the wide range of stimulating activities that reflect the children's current interests. Staff are nurturing and kind, they consistently act as excellent role models. Children behave very well and are kind and considerate to one another.

For exa...mple, older children choose to support younger children to pump soap from dispensers. Children happily take turns and cooperate during their play. The manager plans programs of learning which support children to develop a wide range of skills.

Every step is taken to encourage children to become independent learners. Specific next steps are planned for children by their key person. These next steps build upon children's prior knowledge and help children secure and strengthen new skills.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive targeted support. Staff implement plans from professionals which support their development. Due to this work, children at the pre-school make very good progress and are well prepared to move smoothly onto school.

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

Staff support and encourage children to think for themselves. Children demonstrate high levels of creativity, they are confident to bring their ideas to life. For example, children create jellyfish in the 'Crafty Café'.

They choose their preferred colour of paint and decide the number of eyes their jellyfish will have. They are supported and encouraged by adults to work out ways to connect and attach the tentacles to the cardboard jelly fish bodies.Children enjoy listening to a range of stories and traditional tales.

Staff bring the pages to life as they read with animation. The manager ensures that books are made easily accessible to the children. For example, children enjoy choosing information books which are related to their current interests.

They flip the pages and point at the illustrations with excitement. Children are developing a love of reading and literacy.Children are consistently encouraged to be independent by staff.

Staff explain how to do things, they allow children adequate time to process instructions and then encourage children to try for themselves. For example, children learn how to use a key to open a till in their role-play café. Children demonstrate high levels of perseverance as they keep on trying.

They listen carefully to staff and show high levels of self-esteem and pride when they achieve what they set out to do.Staff provide excellent opportunities for children to develop their language skills and widen their vocabularies. For example, staff skilfully break down sentences and present information to younger children clearly.

They encourage older children to think of different describing words. Children are introduced to a variety of new words which are repeated to them in a range of contexts. Children confidently use these new words in their play.

Staff plan activities that support children to learn about different cultures and traditions. For example, children have been learning about numerous international festivals. Staff support children to develop a deep understanding of cultural traditions.

For example, children experience visits from families to talk about festivals they celebrate, they cook traditional recipes and enjoy visiting the library to find information books to support their learning. Children enjoy numerous trips into the local community, including parks, shops and local attractions, such as the 'Tarn'.The manager supports children's move to school well.

Teachers visit children in the pre-school setting. Relevant information is shared to support children to move to school with confidence. However, as yet, the manager has not developed effective systems to share information with the other settings children attend, in order to complement their learning.

Parents are very happy with the progress their children are making at the pre-school. They report that the team are 'fantastic' and that their children love attending. They enjoy receiving lots of updates about the children's development, and how to support their learning at home.

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: nimprove how information is shared with the other settings children attend to ensure continuity of care and support children's good progress even further.