Irby Primary Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children behave well and are eager to learn in this calm and purposeful pre-school. They build positive relationships with staff, who are warm and caring.

Staff have high expectations and place a strong emphasis on the promotion of children's personal, social and emotional development. They understand the need to build strong attachments with children, to help them feel safe and secure, and support them to understand their emotions.Opportunities for outdoor play are plentiful.

Children use their muscles as they partake in an energetic 'warm-up' session. They climb, balance and skip around the well-resourced outdoor are...a and chase after their friends. Staff are positive role models and provide children with clear and consistent behavioural expectations.

Children follow these expectations well and are beginning to understand the impact of their actions.Staff provide various opportunities for children to count, measure and compare, and are skilful in their teaching. For example, children count the number of beanbags they throw into a bucket and match this to the correct numeral displayed on the wall.

Children use excellent problem-solving skills to differentiate between a six and a nine, and staff give them time to work things out for themselves. Children confidently count the contents of their lunch boxes, discuss capacity during water play, and talk about the characteristics of different shapes. Mathematical concepts are embedded securely throughout the setting.

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

The manager has an ambitious vision for the pre-school and has implemented a carefully planned and sequenced curriculum. This is shared with staff, who are reflective and committed to providing a high standard of care and education for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.Self-evaluation is accurate and identifies areas for managers to develop further.

Staff say that they feel supported and valued, and they work diligently to ensure the children make good progress. However, staff coaching and focused professional development opportunities have not yet been fully prioritised, in order to raise the quality of the provision to the highest level.Staff place a sharp focus on supporting children's communication and language skills and take every opportunity to introduce new and challenging vocabulary.

For example, during an activity with dinosaurs, wooden blocks and dough, children feed twigs to their dinosaurs, and staff say the dinosaurs are 'ravenous'. The member of staff explains to children what this new word means, and she encourages them to use it in other contexts as they play. Children express delight and a sense of achievement as they do this.

Children access a broad curriculum that helps to ensure they embed skills across all areas of learning. Staff follow children's interests and set up stimulating activities to ignite their curiosity. However, occasionally, staff do not give children enough opportunity to choose their own resources and express their own ideas and creativity, as this is planned and provided for them.

Children demonstrate a good knowledge of the daily routines. For instance, during a well-organised circle time session, the children listen intently and join in with the actions to familiar songs as they practise their Christmas play. These adult-led group times are exceptionally well delivered.

Staff support children to build upon what they already know and can do and have high expectations for their progress. Children display positive attitudes to learning and behave well.Hygiene practices are effective across the setting, as staff teach children to manage their personal needs and become increasingly independent.

For example, children practise putting on their own pumps, wellingtons and coats and know to wash their hands before eating and after they have been outside.Staff prepare children for their next stage well and provide lots of opportunities for developing their confidence and character. Children benefit from excellent links with the local primary school and are well supported through regular visits and an innovative 'buddy' system, for their move on to school.

Parents speak highly about the pre-school and the 'friendly and supportive' team. They appreciate the daily feedback they receive and comment on the progress their children have made. The pre-school has an open-door policy for parents when they need advice, and parents say 'it's like one big family'.

These highly positive relationships help to ensure the children make good progress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager has instilled a positive safeguarding culture throughout the setting.

All staff have completed safeguarding training and fully understand their responsibilities to record and report any safeguarding concerns swiftly. Staff teach children about keeping safe and potential hazards, such as reminding them that the floor is slippery when it is icy, and ask them thoughtful questions, such as 'why don't we eat food that has fallen on the floor?' This allows the children to begin to manage their own risks and learn to keep themselves safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen professional development and coaching to enhance staff practice and extend children's learning to the highest level provide more opportunities to support and encourage children to fully express their own ideas and creativity.