Manton Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and excited for their day at pre-school. Staff warmly welcome both children and parents. They get down to the children's level and ask them how they are and about their time with family over the weekend.

They remember key information about each child and make them feel valued. Children enter the pre-school with confidence, and parents leave knowing their children are well cared for.Leaders create and deliver a broad curriculum that focuses on developing children's mathematics and physical skills.

Staff identified that these skills need more focus following the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff use the 'the...me' of colours, shapes and numbers to develop children's mathematical skills. They weave this throughout all the learning on offer.

For example, children complete a variety of shape puzzles to develop their physical skills. Additionally, during morning registration, they count the number of children and add the number of girls and boys together with staff support. When the activity ends, children identify the colour and shape of their carpet spot they have been sitting on.

Children are safe and secure. They have excellent relationships with their friends and staff. Children draw pictures and excitedly seek staff to share their work.

Staff praise children and ask them about their creation. They beam with pride at the praise and interest they receive from staff. Children play cooperatively together.

At the doll's house, children work together to set up the resources. They listen to one another's ideas and use their own experiences to create a story using the figures.

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

Staff report high levels of well-being.

They speak positively about the support they receive from the leader and committee. Staff have regular opportunities to discuss their professional development and attend training. Most recently, they have attended 'five to thrive' training.

This gave staff a new way of thinking and ideas on how they can adapt their teaching for those children who need it. For example, staff consider children's backgrounds when they settle them into the pre-school. They use comforting language and talk to them about how they are feeling, to help children relax and enable them to engage in play.

Leaders provide a happy, inclusive environment for all.Parents speak highly of the nurturing staff and how much their children love to attend. They have good communication with staff at the beginning and end of each session.

However, although staff complete assessments on children and what they are learning, these are not always discussed with parents to help them understand their children's development and how they can progress their children's learning at home.Staff provide good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Key persons use their assessment process to identify any gaps in learning and put strategies in place to help close these.

Staff seek support from outside agencies and make referrals where needed. Children make good progress from their starting points.Staff foster children's love of books.

At group story time, children excitedly choose books for staff to read to them. Most children listen with intent and are keen to answer questions about the story and feel the textures in the book. However, staff do not remind children of expectations for group time before it begins.

At times, children get up, become loud and play with other items, which causes distraction for those who are attempting to listen. Staff do not successfully re-engage these children, nor do they remind them of how to behave or explain the impact that their actions can have on others.Staff provide children with good-quality interactions.

They engage in meaningful conversations with children and listen to them respectfully. Staff sit alongside children; they role model play and introduce new vocabulary like 'coral' and 'clownfish' when they explore sea animals. However, staff do not use every opportunity to challenge the most able children further.

At times, these children become bored; they disengage from learning, and some leave the activity, as they lack challenge.Leaders have identified the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the children. With their current cohort of children, they recognise that some children require more practise in building their small-muscle skills.

Staff provide children with various opportunities to practise and develop these skills at pre-school. Children manipulate play dough with their hands and resources on offer to strengthen the small muscles in their hands for early writing. Other children cut shapes with scissors, supported by adults close by who model how to perform the activity, if necessary.

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: strengthen partnerships with parents to ensure they are aware of what their children are learning at pre-school, the progress they are making and how they can support them with home learning nimplement effective strategies to support children's behaviour, remind them of the expectations and teach them of the impact that their actions may have on others support staff to use every opportunity to consistently provide the most able children with further challenge, to extend learning and build on what they already know and can do.