Ladybird Pre-School (Chinnor)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy close bonds with staff and their friends, which helps them to feel safe and settled. Children arrive at pre-school confidently and find their friends or a trusted adult.

Most children settle well, and those that need additional support receive this from leaders and staff. They help children to understand their emotions through stories and exploring the cuddly 'colour monsters'. Children make choices in their play, choosing to be indoors or outdoors and also from the activities staff provide.

Leaders have developed a simple curriculum which is based on a loose thematic approach, with a sound and colour of... the week and a learning through play ethos. They are ambitious for all children to make progress in their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff support children effectively through their interactions, role modelling, narrating and encouragement.

This helps children to make good progress in their learning. Leaders spend any additional funding appropriately, such as buying new resources and creating a sensory area. There is an identified breach of statutory requirements, for which an action has been set.

However, this does not have a direct impact on children and has not affected the overall inspection judgement.

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

The management committee have not met their responsibilities relating to suitability. They have not ensured that information about committee members is provided to Ofsted in a timely manner to enable necessary suitability checks to be completed.

This is a breach of statutory requirements. However, the impact of this on children is minimal as the committee do not spend any time in the pre-school when children are present.Leaders responsible for the day-to-day running of the setting are effective and staff feel supported by them.

Leaders use suitable procedures for self-evaluation and identify appropriate areas for improvement. This helps them to provide good-quality care for children. Leaders and staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals to meet children's individual needs.

This includes those with SEND and ensures that they receive any additional support they need and that they make effective progress in their learning.Staff use basic hand signs to support children's communication and language. This is particularly helpful for children who find it harder to communicate verbally.

Staff help children who speak English as an additional language to develop new vocabulary. However, they do not currently know about these children's language development at home and whether this is in line with expectations or if parents have concerns. Nonetheless, most children are confident to share their wants and needs either through conversations or gestures.

Leaders complete a broad monthly plan of learning connected to the theme, such as autumn and harvest. Staff then plan weekly focuses for their key children and provide activities or experiences to support this. This helps them to tailor learning to children's individual needs.

However, staff do not consistently use their questioning skills effectively to help children respond and problem-solve. Children ask staff for help, such as to make the music player work. Staff automatically do this for them and do not give children time to think critically to solve the problem.

Children behave well. Staff remind them of the simple pre-school rules. They support them to negotiate and take turns, such as when two children want to play with a specific doll.

Staff praise and encourage children's attempts and achievements, ensuring that they feel a sense of pride and that their contributions are valued.Staff provide children with the opportunity to be outside each day. They encourage them to practise their gross motor skills, such as on the swinging tyre or rolling hoops down the hill.

Staff help children to learn about the world around them and notice things in the outdoor space, such as changes to the leaves. Children also enjoy growing herbs.Staff plan and provide interesting and exciting activities for children.

Children engage well in these and show sustained concentration. They enjoy making bread to share with their friends or to take home. Staff use mathematical language as they help children to measure the ingredients.

Children also enjoy mark making and trying to draw the initial letter of their names in the shaving foam. Others simply enjoy exploring the texture and sensory experience.

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 meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date implement effective systems to ensure that information about committee members is provided to Ofsted in a timely manner to enable necessary suitability checks to be completed.25/10/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to develop their questioning skills further so this can be enhanced to provide children with opportunities to problem-solve and think critically strengthen parent partnerships further to gather additional information about language development for children who speak English as an additional language to offer them more consistent support.

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