Little Jax PreSchool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and eager to start their day at this friendly pre-school. Staff plan individualised settling-in procedures for new starters. This allows children to begin to become familiar with the pre-school environment and their key person.

Staff are knowledgeable and give children practical and emotional support. This helps to build trusting bonds with the staff and to feel safe and secure.Staff plan an ambitious curriculum, they focus sharply on children's communication and language.

They narrate everything they do and repeat key words and phrases to children. For instance, while young children explore the s...mall-world figures, staff use simple words, such as up and down. Children excitedly join in with the words and the actions as they sing 'The Wheels on the Bus'.

Staff support older children in their imaginative play and introduce new vocabulary. They discuss the different colours with the children, such as 'lilac', as they paint on cardboard boxes. This supports the children in becoming confident communicators.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They are positive role models. Staff gently remind children to use their manners and give them time to negotiate sharing resources.

This helps children to manage their behaviour and develop kind friendships. Children's behaviour is good; they treat each other with consideration and respect.

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

Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have worked hard to develop a well-sequenced curriculum, with a particular focus on children's personal, social and emotional development.

Staff know what the children are working towards and can speak about the progress that they have made in specific areas of learning. However, occasionally, the curriculum on offer is not ambitious enough to fully support the oldest children in their learning.Children are supported well to develop a love of books.

Storytelling is used to extend children's language as they talk about what words mean and expand their vocabulary. Staff are skilled at capturing children's interest in stories. Children listen intently as staff bring characters alive.

Staff encourage children to make predictions about what will happen next. Children are confident at repeating the familiar phrases. This helps prepare children well for the skills they need for school.

Staff provide plenty of opportunities for children to be active and to develop their strength and stamina. For example, children roll tyres and balance on the logs in the garden. Staff encourage children to have a go, this helps children develop their confidence in their physical development.

Children are helpful, and staff encourage them to be friendly and kind. Staff teach children the routines and the importance of hygiene. For example, they help clean the table before snack and wash their hands.

This helps children to understand healthy practices.Staff work very well together as part of a team to support children's behaviour. They use strategies that are individual to the child.

Staff use advice and support from professionals to plan specific support for children. They quickly identify children who struggle with their emotions and offer reassuring support. Children respond extremely well and settle back into their chosen play.

The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong and consistent. The special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) works closely with parents and outside agencies. She gathers in-depth information from parents and other professional to provide targeted support at the earliest opportunity.

This means that children with SEND are making good levels of progress from their starting points.Self-evaluation is accurate and identifies areas for the manager to develop further. A good programme of supervision and training develops the practice and knowledge of staff.

However, there is scope to sharpen processes to help individuals improve their teaching skills and practice to a consistently high level, such as through peer observations and feedback.The manager has considered ways to help keep children safe. She has reviewed and made changes to the risk assessment for the garden.

For example, fences are secure, and staff ensure that gates are locked. Staff keep children under close supervision as they play in the garden.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have a good awareness of their safeguarding responsibilities and understand their duty to keep children safe and protected from harm. Staff are aware of who to report concerns to about children's welfare, both within the setting and to the local authority. They have completed appropriate safeguarding training, and information is provided on a regular basis to keep everyone's knowledge up to date.

Staff know how to keep children safe and have a secure knowledge of indicators to identify possible abuse. They are vigilant and perform risk assessments to keep the premises safe and secure.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the curriculum to ensure that it is even more ambitious to extend children's critical thinking, particularly for the oldest children develop systems to sharpen processes to help individuals improve their teaching skills and practice to a consistently high level, such as through peer observations and feedback.