Lewin Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff teach children the pre-school rules.

Children learn how to use equipment safely and explore the different areas of the pre-school with confidence. They listen to staff as they line up to go outside or move between activities. Staff spend time explaining rules to individual children in a way they understand.

They role model kindness and consideration and encourage children to help each other. Children are highly considerate. They support each other to access resources.

Older children show the youngest children how to play games and complete puzzles. All children feel safe and secure in a pre-school where ...they respect each other. They behave well.

Staff spend time with individual children. Children explore their interests and practise challenging new skills. In the writing area, staff spend time modelling how to hold pencils and form letters and numbers when children are developmentally ready for this.

Children persevere and try hard to reach their next steps in learning. They concentrate for long periods of time and celebrate their achievements. Staff develop children's curiosity by exploring their interests.

In the garden, staff help children to dig for dinosaurs in the mud and make fossils with salt dough. They enjoy talking about dinosaurs and what they know about them to staff. Children feel valued and happy.

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

The manager creates a curriculum with a clear intent for all children. She shares her vision effectively with staff. Staff support children to develop a wide range of skills to support their physical, social and emotional development.

All children are confident and curious learners.Staff have a strong knowledge of child development. They plan challenging focused activities that the children enjoy.

Overall, the activities that children select themselves support them to deepen their knowledge and practise key skills. However, the planning of these activities does not always focus closely on the next steps of the eldest children. On occasion, these children are not able to select from the most ambitious activities.

Staff are skilled at interacting with children. Staff ask children a range of effective questions and introduce challenging new vocabulary. They explain the meanings of words to children.

Children are skilled communicators, both with their friends and the staff at the pre-school. Children are developing their fluency and confidence.Staff get to know all children very well.

They regularly find out what children know and can do. Staff use this information to plan focused activities. Children deepen their knowledge and understanding of key skills.

All children reach their developmental milestones.Staff plan a range of opportunities to help children to do things for themselves. Children create the activities with staff by making play dough and setting up areas of the pre-school together.

Children feel a strong sense of belonging. They feel valued as they take on new responsibilities. Children are independent and take pride in their achievements.

They are excited to learn.The manager works effectively with staff to promote the safety and well-being of all children. However, staff are not always deployed effectively to help children to join in with activities so that they can fully engage and enjoy their learning.

Staff have a strong understanding of a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. They can identify any gaps in children's learning. Staff work closely with a range of experts to help children with their learning where required.

All children receive the support they are entitled to.Partnerships with parents are strong. They say that children develop a range of skills at the pre-school.

They say that they develop social skills and are confident talkers. Parents report that the information they receive from the pre-school helps them to extend their children's learning at home.The manager regularly arranges professional development opportunities for all staff.

She works with staff to identify the new knowledge needed to support individual children. Staff have recently undergone training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff develop their teaching skills over time.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a strong understanding of the safeguarding issues that may affect young children. They regularly attend training to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.

Staff demonstrate an understanding of the signs that a child may be at risk of abuse or harm. They know how to report their concerns to the appropriate authorities. Staff regularly carry out risk assessments of the pre-school to ensure that children are safe.

They regularly evaluate their practice to ensure that policies and procedures are up to date. All staff understand their responsibility to report allegations or concerns relating to adults.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: further develop the planning of play activities to help all children, including the most able, to experience the highest level of challenge develop how staff are deployed to consider the support all children need to join in with activities.