Marden Pre-School Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children at Marden Pre-School Playgroup are happy and enjoy their time together. Flexible settling-in processes and strong bonds with staff help children to feel safe and secure.

Children have plenty of opportunities for physical exercise and fresh air. For instance, they spend long periods of time outside riding tricycles and kicking balls. Children confidently lead their own play.

Overall, they make independent choices about what they want to play with. However, at times, staff do not recognise opportunities for all children to extend their interests and learn as much as possible from the good activities they provide....Staff are good role models and have high expectations of children's behaviour.

They consistently encourage children to take turns and share. As a result, children are well mannered and learn to respect others. All children benefit from a stimulating environment in which to learn and play.

Staff plan a wide range of activities, inside and outdoors, that help children to make progress in all areas of learning. However, some resources are not always managed as well as others and children can sometimes wait to engage in meaningful learning experiences.The manager and staff are highly effective in providing an inclusive learning environment for all children, including disadvantaged children and those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The manager uses additional funding well to close any gaps in children's learning and development.

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

Staff observe children's play and use assessment effectively to swiftly identify any emerging concerns. They work closely with other professionals to ensure children, including those with SEND, get the help they need to make continued progress.

Staff enhance children's language and literacy skills positively. Children enjoy a range of ways to experience books and familiar stories. This is illustrated when they enthusiastically use props to act out 'The Three Little Pigs'.

Staff plan exciting activities which positively keeps children motivated to learn. Staff effectively build on what children already know and can do. This helps prepare children for their next stage in learning.

However, at times, staff do not maximise on all opportunities , to help ensure children achieve their highest potential.Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and adapt activities to suit the developmental needs of individual children. They skilfully ask questions to extend children's problem-solving and thinking skills.

Parent partnerships are strong. Staff use a range of ways, such as emails and consultations, to communicate with parents and to involve them in their child's learning. This assists staff to plan accurate individual next steps for children's learning.

Children enjoy exploring the environment and activities available to them. For example, older children carefully place one block on another to see how high they can build the tower before it falls. However, at times, some resources are not always easily accessible to support children's interests as much as possible.

Children demonstrate high levels of independence. This is evident when they hang up their own coats on arrival and pour their own drinks at snack time.Staff successfully promote children's emotional well-being, particularly through times of change, such as the arrival of a new sibling and starting school.

Staff are sensitive to children's individual care needs and support older children to attend to their own personal hygiene.Staff help children to understand about healthy lifestyles. For instance, they provide nutritious snacks and remind children to wash their hands before eating.

The manager supports staff well. Regular supervision and team meetings help staff feel valued and enable them to identify their own strengths and areas for improvement. Staff attend regular training to keep their skills and practice up to date.

This means children benefit from good-quality teaching.The manager successfully seeks the views of staff, parents and children to help identify areas for improvement. For example, following parent feedback, the manager writes a weekly blog to keep parents up to date with pre-school activities.

This enables them to further build on their child's learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager ensures there is a positive approach to safeguarding at the setting.

All staff attend training and have a good knowledge of the indicators of possible abuse and neglect. They know the processes to follow should they have concerns about children's welfare. The manager follows robust recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure all staff are suitable for their roles.

Staff check the premises, inside and outdoors, daily to identify and minimise potential risks for children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support children's own interests more consistently, making use of opportunities that arise from the daily activities.review the organisation of some resources so that all children stay focused and engaged in their learning.

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