Lydlynch Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive eager to play and happily leave their parents at the gate outside. Nurturing staff support those children who are a little unsure and offer cuddles for reassurance. This helps to promote their emotional security.

Children clearly enjoy their time at the setting. They concentrate well and busy themselves in a variety of activities. For example, they enjoy making marks in the cornflour with their fingers and in the toy dinosaur's feet.

Children are independent learners and are motivated to achieve what they set out to do. For instance, they are excited to create potions with herbs, flowers and bath bombs ...in the mud kitchen. Children enjoy planting and harvesting the home-grown fruit and vegetables in the garden.

This encourages them to adopt a healthy lifestyle and understand where food comes from. Children spend plenty of time outside developing their physical skills, which improves their strength and coordination. For example, they enjoy climbing on the climbing frame and balancing on the balance beam.

Children behave well; they use good manners and share the toys with their friends. Staff encourage them to take an active part in their own self-care. For instance, children know how to brush their teeth and show excitement in this part of their routine.

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

The manager is very reflective and strives to make the setting the best it can be for the children and families who attend. The setting organises trips for the children to places such as the zoo and the farm. This supports children to gain a greater understanding of the world around them.

The manager recognises the impact of the pandemic on children's communication and language skills. She has embedded a strong emphasis on supporting children's speech and language development. Staff use songs, story time and small-group time to help children hear new words and extend their vocabulary.

Children enjoy listening to stories outside in the reading shed.Staff complete regular training for their ongoing professional development. Some funding is spent on staff training, which the manager targets to benefit the children.

For example, some staff have completed training on communication and language to support children's speech development.Children enjoy being creative, using magnetic shapes, dough and craft materials, for example. However, at times, during planned activities, staff do not always allow children to follow their own creative ideas.

They tell them where to put the glue and what to stick where, and often staff do these tasks for children. This means that some children are not developing their own creativity, which does not give enough value to their achievements.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have tailored support to help them make progress.

The manager and staff identify children with SEND through observations and assessments. Staff establish close working relationships with parents. They work with them, and other professionals, to ensure a suitable curriculum is put in place.

Where formal plans are needed, these are completed in time for children to move on to the next stage in their learning with the correct level of support.Staff support children's mathematics with lots of opportunities to count. However, at times, staff do not recognise good opportunities that arise to extend children's mathematical knowledge, such as when they are filling different-sized pots in the mud kitchen.

Staff work well together as a team. They have regular meetings where they discuss children's progress, any gaps in their learning and how best to support them. Staff speak highly of the manager.

They comment how they feel valued and well supported by her. The manager has a good oversight of her staff team, and their well-being is important. She has regular supervision meetings with all staff.

Parents are very supportive of the setting and speak highly of the staff team. They say that they are happy about the care their children receive. Parents are pleased with their children's progress and feel supported when their children need additional support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to safeguard children. They can identify the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

Staff are aware of how to report any concerns, including allegations made against staff. The manager ensures that staff's knowledge is secure, with training and regular quizzes and updates shared in team meetings. Staff maintain a safe environment for children.

They complete thorough risk assessments to ensure the environment and premises are safe. The manager has robust recruitment processes, to ensure that those who are employed have the necessary suitability checks.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nextend further the support for children to develop their mathematical understanding provide more opportunities for children to follow their own creative ideas, particularly in planned activities.

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