Latchingdon Sessional Pre-School Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and content. They are keen and eager little learners, who thoroughly enjoy their pre-school day.

Staff present a morning routine that children quickly become familiar with. They know that they start their day with their 'mile-a-day' walk around the garden. Staff enthusiastically walk with them, holding their hands where required and chatting joyfully with them.

Children are confident speakers and engage well in conversations with staff and each other.Staff help children understand the pre-school rules. Children know that when the small hand bell rings, they stop what they are doing, place th...eir hands on their head and repeat a little rhyme.

They patiently wait for the next instruction staff give them, such as 'tidy-up time' or to let them know that the snack table is about to be packed away.Children eagerly help to tidy away the toys and resources to their favourite song. They are kind, caring and considerate.

Staff are good role models. This encourages children to speak respectfully towards each other and celebrate each other's achievement. Staff facilitate these celebrations with the awarding of 'wow' moments.

These can be special moments achieved within the pre-school or at home and shared by parents, such as 'being really helpful to mummy', or 'counting to 10 on their own'. Children show real delight in celebrating their friend's successes.

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

Partnerships with parents are very strong.

All parents spoken to during the inspection speak very highly of the staff and manager. They state that their children are well cared for and talk about how the staff go over and above their duties to help the whole family. Parents of children who left the pre-school to go to school, write positive, thankful comments to the staff about their child's time with them.

Staff make very good use of the local environment to enhance children's knowledge. They regularly go for walks in the local area to the shop, church, older people's care home and school. Visitors, such as the police and veterinary nurse, come into the pre-school to share their expertise and to widen children's experiences.

Staff arrange the curriculum around a theme as well as following children's interests. At present they are learning about pets. Children have opportunities to participate in craft activities related to the theme and the role-play area is currently set up as a vet's practice.

Staff arrange for two small tortoises to visit the pre-school and children are excited to meet them. They ask lots of questions and discuss the difference between tortoises and turtles. Children show surprise that tortoises cannot swim and ask, 'What even with arm bands?' Staff sensitively explain why they cannot swim, 'even with armbands'.

Staff expertly guide children to use letters and numbers in their everyday play. For example, they seek tiny dried pasta letters to match the first letter of their name and sort coloured items into their individual colour trays and then count how many they have of each.Children listen intently to staff as they read stories.

They join in with their favourites and enjoy showing staff their different facial expressions. For example, they look surprised or scared in line with the story.Staff use their initial registration session to welcome children in a warm and friendly way when they take the register.

They incorporate mathematics when they count how many children are present, sometimes in Spanish and sometimes in English. Children who have brought items in to show their friends are given good opportunities to do this during the 'show and tell' part of the group activity. They confidently show their friends what their particular item does and then happily hand it to staff to go in their bags to be returned home at the end of the day.

The manager has arrangements in place for the supervision and coaching of her staff. The staff team also meet informally every day to discuss planning, individual children's needs and anything else that is required. However, the leadership team have not sought further ways to help all staff develop a deep knowledge of teaching and 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: strengthen the programme of professional development to support staff in further developing their knowledge and skills to a consistently high level.

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