Mortimer Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely settled, happy and secure at this very welcoming, friendly and inclusive setting. They benefit from highly stimulating and exciting activities. For example, the staff provide regular yoga sessions to help children feel calm and manage their emotions.

All staff are training to use sign language. This is used very successfully throughout the setting to provide excellent support for children's developing communication skills. Children's behaviour and respect for others is impeccable.

Staff support children to learn about emotions and how to manage their feelings exceptionally well. Children e...arn 'cubes' to put in a bucket for listening, taking part and following complex instructions. Staff teach children to learn about mindfulness as they have a quiet time and complete yoga positions.

Children expand this activity by making up their own poses and eagerly learn new sign language, such as 'excited', and talk about what they are excited about. Children develop positive attitudes and are keen to learn. They express their interests confidently and decide what activities they would like available each day.

Children have a can-do attitude and show high levels of independence during play and with self-help skills. Staff encourage children to complete tasks at every opportunity.

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

Leaders set ambitious goals and staff demonstrate a drive and passion for their work.

Self-evaluation is highly accurate and focuses sharply on continually improving outcomes for the children. Leaders and staff make excellent use of additional funding to successfully support individual children's learning. Gaps in children's attainment close rapidly, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), in readiness for school.

The manager observes staff frequently and has an excellent understanding of how to develop practice. Regular supervision meetings facilitate a focus on what needs to improve, such as supporting children's speech and language development. Staff talk enthusiastically about training opportunities and improving their practice.

The manager ensures all staff have non-contact time to complete the setting's record-keeping procedures. Staff morale is very high.Staff are inspirational teachers and have exceptional knowledge of their key children.

They meticulously assess what children know and can do, and plan precisely for their next steps in learning. Staff actively implement new ideas that build on children's interest, to improve outcomes further for children. For example, an activity incorporating dinosaurs and numbers specifically ignites children's interest to learn, and meets the needs of children with SEND superbly.

Staff skilfully tune into children's communication and thoughtfully repeat back language correctly to promote their listening and understanding skills. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, develop confidence in their language and communication skills.Throughout the day, children really enjoy listening to stories.

Staff place books in all areas of the setting to extend knowledge and develop children's imaginations. Children relax and read with staff or by themselves in cosy and quiet spaces. Staff use books and songs to support other areas of learning, such as children's mathematical awareness, when they learn to count backwards and complete simple addition and subtraction sums.

Practitioners develop an excellent rapport with parents. The seamless settling-in procedure helps practitioners plan effectively for each child. Parents provide extremely positive feedback about the setting.

They feel their children are supported exceptionally well as individuals. They comment that their children's learning and development has excelled since starting at the setting. Parents comment that children who speak English as an additional language are supported well to develop their second language.

The committee and manager have a clear vision for the pre-school. They have successfully maintained the outstanding standards of practice since the last inspection. The committee supports the manager and staff to provide a challenging curriculum.

Through effective management, the provider and manager ensure staff workload is manageable and safeguarding, direct teaching and guiding of children's learning remain staff's utmost priority.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is a vigilant culture towards safeguarding children.

All staff are highly trained and have an impressive understanding of their role in protecting children. They have excellent knowledge of how to identify potential signs of abuse and the procedures to report concerns about a child's welfare. This includes protecting children from extreme views and using technology securely, while building an early awareness.

Daily risk assessments provide children with safe environments to play and learn. Emergency contact numbers are displayed and meticulously planned fire drills help children to learn about staying safe. The manager and staff update the safeguarding policy and other policies in line with changes to legislation or local authority procedures.