Leven Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children and their families are greeted warmly by staff as they arrive each day. They separate from their parents with ease and confidently explore the environment and make thoughtful choices about their play.

Children develop secure attachments with staff which helps them to settle happily into the pre-school. They display a strong sense of belonging and show that they feel safe and secure.The pre-school's ethos is to motivate, inspire and challenge children to reach their full potential.

Leaders and staff work closely to plan and provide a broad and sequenced curriculum that prioritises children's learning. Staff kno...w the children well and use their knowledge of children's abilities and interests to plan an environment that supports their learning. For example, children enjoy using hammers to smash up ice and find letters hidden inside.

Staff challenge children to find the letters in their name and think of ways they could melt the ice.Staff are good role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. They support even the youngest children to share, take turns and cooperate with each other.

At the beginning of activities, staff remind children of the rules, such as 'good sitting' and 'good listening'. Children behave well and demonstrate high levels of confidence and self-esteem.

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

Overall, staff support children's learning well.

They use observations and assessments to provide a range of activities and experiences that reflect what children need to learn next. However, at times, planned activities are not adapted effectively enough to support younger children's understanding and stage of development. This means that younger children do not consistently benefit as much from the learning experiences as others.

Staff are passionate about using the forest area each day to help children to learn about nature. Children excitedly dig in the mud and find worms together. Staff engage in meaningful conversations with children about what they have found.

They teach children how to plant and grow vegetables, such as onions. Children use fishing nets to see what they can find in the pond area. This helps to build children's understanding of the world around them.

Partnership with parents is given high regard. Parents are very positive about the level of care and kindness that staff provide to the children. They like the home-from-home feel of the pre-school and say that staff are approachable and friendly.

Staff use daily conversations and an online platform to share children's daily activities and their progress. Parents are provided with ideas about how they can continue to support their children's learning at home.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported at the pre-school.

The management team liaise closely with outside agencies, parents and professionals to implement effective strategies. Staff attend training courses to help develop their knowledge of SEND and offer tailored support to their key children. This helps all children to make the progress they are capable of.

Children are independent and take great pride in being able to do age-appropriate tasks for themselves. They learn to recognise their own names and enjoy the responsibility of completing self-registration each day. Children peel their own fruit at snack time, pour their drinks and put on their own coats for outdoor play.

These skills prepare children well for their next stage of learning and eventual move to school.Staff support children to learn about healthy living. Children have daily opportunities to be active in the fresh air and develop their physical skills.

Staff provide children with healthy snacks and fresh drinking water. Parents are provided with guidance on providing healthy packed lunches for their children. Staff help children to understand about good oral health through planned activities and conversations.

The management team are reflective, dedicated and have a clear vision for the pre-school. They use feedback from parents, children and staff to review their practice and make on-going improvements. The well-established staff team enjoys working in the pre-school and feel well supported.

All staff have regular supervision sessions to discuss their practice and well-being. Staff attend regular training and staff meetings to improve their skills and knowledge. Peer-on-peer observations help to ensure the sharing of good practice.

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: review the planning and implementation of group activities for younger children so that they fully benefit from the intended learning.