Locking Stumps Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children settle quickly and are secure at this small, inclusive setting.

They have formed strong bonds with staff and each other. Staff are skilled at supporting children to manage their emotions. On rare occasions when children do become frustrated, staff reassure them calmly with a cuddle.

Staff work with parents of children who speak English as an additional language to create books with recordings of children's home languages. They use these resources and a range of strategies, such as visual support, to help support all children's understanding of routines.Leaders have developed a curriculum that is ambitious and ...meets the needs of the children who attend.

Children benefit from many opportunities to access fresh air and play outdoors. Children are excited and motivated learners. They use magnifying glasses and binoculars to hunt for bugs in the garden.

They proudly show off the worms that they find to their friends and staff. Staff extend children's learning as they pose questions about the size of the worms. Children use their problem-solving skills when deciding how to make a house for the worms.

Staff teach children how to use different bikes and encourage them to keep on trying when it becomes difficult. Staff make good use of additional funding to ensure that all children have access to the curriculum and make good progress in their learning.

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

Leaders value the impact that professional development can have on improving the quality of staff practice over time.

They provide staff with targeted training and feedback on their practice. Staff feel supported in their roles and say that their well-being is prioritised. Leaders and staff are passionate about making continuous improvements that benefit children and their families.

Staff know children well. They collate detailed information about children's care and development before they start at the setting. Staff complete frequent observations and assessments and use this information effectively to plan for what they want children to learn next.

However, at times, staff do not adapt large-group activities to support all children to remain engaged. Consequently, some children lose interest and do not gain the most from these learning experiences.The committed special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works effectively with staff to identify when children may benefit from extra help in their learning.

She makes timely referrals to outside agencies so that children and their families can access further support. The SENCo works in close partnership with external agencies to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress.Leaders prioritise children's communication and language development.

Staff engage children in two-way conversations that link to their interests. For example, staff encourage children to talk about their families and birthdays. Staff use opportunities as they play alongside children to introduce new words, such as 'enclosure' as children make models.

Staff use effective questioning techniques to extend children's language. Children develop good communication and language skills.Staff support children's early literacy skills well.

They read with enthusiasm, using puppets and props to engage the children. Children confidently retell parts of the story that they have remembered. They work together to act out parts of the story.

Children have opportunities to develop their fine motor skills in preparation for later writing. For example, they squeeze dough and add sticks to create a 'birthday cake'. Older children have good pencil control as they draw pictures.

They add them to envelopes and talk about the initial sounds in the words that they can hear as they address them to their families.Staff provide many opportunities to encourage children to be independent. They teach children how to use knives to spread cheese onto crumpets and how to pour their own drinks at snack time.

Children independently wash their hands before mealtimes and after touching soil in the garden. Children are becoming increasingly independent.Partnerships with parents are a strength of the setting.

Parents describe the nursery as 'fantastic'. Staff provide lots of feedback to parents regarding their children's learning. Parents feel supported to extend their children's development at home.

They state that their children have formed friendships with the other children and have made good progress since starting at the nursery, particularly with their social skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Following a notification of a safeguarding incident, leaders have taken action.

They have updated their knowledge of the local safeguarding partnership procedures. Staff receive frequent safeguarding training and support to keep their knowledge up to date. They have a clear understanding of the signs of abuse and the procedures to follow.

Leaders have robust recruitment systems in place to ensure that staff are suitable. Leaders are committed to multi-agency working to support the children, and their families, who attend.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consider the organisation of large-group activities to ensure that all children are able to gain the best from these learning experiences.

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