Lampton Park Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy in this extremely welcoming and friendly setting. Resources are at the children's level.

The setting is free flow. Children demonstrate enjoyment when engaged in play on their own or with their peers. The staff know the children well.

The staff work closely with parents to ensure they feel welcomed and valued in decision making regarding their child's development. Pictures of children and their families are displayed. The staff encourage parents to share information about the child's individual preferences, likes or dislikes.

Staff skilfully build on aspects of children's own experiences. Th...is helps them to develop positive attitudes to learning and maintain high levels of curiosity. For example, they thoroughly enjoy playing with sand and diggers and exploring different types of construction vehicles or mixing herbs and scooping water.

The staff are highly motivated to support children's communication and language development. They use every opportunity to teach children new words or engage in conversations to help build a strong foundation for future learning. For example, after reading 'Buster keeps warm', children learn the names of different items of clothing.

Staff provide opportunities for parents to take home resources, such as the lending library and rhyme bags. Staff have high expectations of behaviour and are positive role models. They gently remind children to follow the setting's rules when necessary.

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

Children make good progress in their learning and development relative to their starting points. The curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced. For example, staff use different observation methods to find out what children can do and use these assessments to plan the next stage of learning.

Staff speak exceptionally highly of leadership and management. They describe their colleagues and leaders as their extended family. They feel valued and included in decision making.

For example, leaders and managers organise regular staff meetings and outings to share their views and feelings.Good staff interactions support learning and benefit children's language and communication skills. Staff support children well.

They use visual resources effectively to enhance children's speaking skills. For example, staff use a story stick to keep the excitement, participating in the storytelling during group time.Children are supported well to securely understand the early mathematical concepts appropriate to their age and stage.

For example, children explore shapes and attempt counting up to 10 in their play.Children are learning and taking care of their bodies to keep fit and well. They learn to care for their teeth and eat healthy food.

The staff work closely with parents to ensure that the packed lunches are filled with nutritious foods. For example, children crunch on carrots and cucumbers. They engage in discussions with staff about the health benefits of eating vegetables at lunch and snack times.

Staff encourage children to participate in tidy-up times and look after their environment. They use positive reinforcement to support children's development. For instance, staff praise children and make them feel good about their achievements.

However, on occasion, staff do not fully encourage children's independence in their self-care.The staff knows children well and, as a result, they plan the environment to meet children's individual needs. Children are highly motivated and engage in self-chosen activities for an extended period.

Staff encourage children to use their imaginations and creativity. For example, children use toys to make sandwiches packed with different ingredients and pretend to eat them with their friends.Leaders are passionate about supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They establish effective links with external professionals to get children the support they need. Staff include parents in regular reviews, helping children to make good progress.The dedicated staff believes that 'every child is unique and deserves to develop and learn in their own way.'

Accurate self-evaluation includes the views of staff, parents and children. This enables leaders to understand how to continue to improve the setting. However, on occasion, leaders could be more efficient in managing their workload, as they often create unnecessary extra paperwork for themselves.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff complete regular training to ensure their safeguarding knowledge and skills remain up to date. For example, they know who to contact in case of concern and keep relevant notes for themselves to revisit requirements regularly.

Staff understand the signs and symptoms that might suggest a child is at risk of harm. This includes the wider safeguarding issues, such as extremism and radicalisation. Staff supervise children closely at all times.

Staff carry out daily checks to help make sure that the learning environment is safe. Leaders identify training that enhances staff teaching, such as in-house first-aid training for all the staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove systems to support senior management's well-being and ensure workloads are not overwhelming build on the good teaching already in place to consistently challenge children to further develop their independence.