Mulberry Bush Pre-School - Collier Row

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and secure. They have excellent relationships with key persons and turn to them for comfort and cuddles. This helps to reassure them.

Children mirror the kindness of staff in their interactions with their peers. They put arms around their friends when something has not worked out well and show genuine compassion for one another's well-being. Children have a clear understanding of the rules and know the expectations for their behaviour.

They respond to positive reinforcement cheerfully. Staff know children well and overall, have high expectations for them. They organise a curriculum that focuses on ch...ildren's interests to help motivate them to learn.

However, their new planning format is in very early stages and sometimes staff miss opportunities to enhance children's learning at the highest level. Staff work closely with external services, such as speech and language therapists, to help develop effective programmes of support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps children who require additional support to thrive within the setting.

Effective parent partnerships continued during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The manager shared information, ideas and home-learning sessions through a closed social media format and regular online video calls. This helped to maintain communication and build a continuity of care and learning between home and pre-school.

This contributed to easing settling-in procedures, when children returned.

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

Staff promote a love of reading and build on children's enthusiasm to explore books well. They support children to use puppets, consider characters, retell, and create their own stories.

This helps children to develop their imaginative skills and improve their communication and language skills successfully.Children develop excellent skills to help them manage their own needs independently. For example, staff encourage younger children to zip up their own coats and pull on their wellington boots before accessing the outdoor space.

Older children master using cutlery correctly and safely, to prepare fruits for a smoothie-making activity. They listen intently to instructions and are well-prepared for their move onto school.Staff promote children's well-being and support making healthy choices successfully.

They talk to children about healthy food and drink, and the positive effects of physical exercise on their bodies. Children enjoy engaging in yoga and dance sessions. They access the outdoor space using their bodies to climb equipment and navigate the space around them confidently.

Children develop good physical skills.The manager uses supervision meetings to help staff identify areas to enhance their skills and knowledge. An effective programme of professional development is in place, to help staff to access further training, such as specific SEND courses.

Staff build on their understanding of how best to identify gaps in children's learning and develop strategies to support them. This has a positive impact for children who require additional support and the progress they make.Children talk to staff, their peers and the inspector confidently.

They ask thoughtful questions, consider one another's feelings, make suggestions for songs they would like to sing and request activities such as 'dough disco'. Staff build on children's ideas with enthusiasm and use this to contribute to planning. Children understand that their voice and opinions matter and are valid.

This helps build excellent self-confidence.The manager and staff are knowledgeable about the early years foundation stage. This helps them to deliver a well-thought-out curriculum overall.

Staff engage children in meaningful conversations and use photographs to support children to recall previous learning experiences. This helps children to remember what they learn. Staff build on this knowledge well.

Overall, self-evaluation is effective and the manager involves staff, parents and children in reflecting on practice to identify areas for improvement. For example, the manager has recently implemented a new system for planning. There is a clear ethos of following children's lead and staff share this vision.

However, the manager does not consistently ensure that staff plan precise next steps to challenge every child to achieve the highest possible level in their learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and managers follow safe recruitment procedures to ensure the suitability of those working with children.

Staff have a secure understanding of safeguarding. They are able to recognise the signs of potential abuse and are alert to signs that a child may be at risk of extreme views and behaviours. They know the correct procedures to follow to escalate concerns regarding a child's welfare and understand the importance of documenting concerns precisely.

Effective procedures are in place to monitor accidents and incidents, and to assess risk. This helps staff provide a safe environment for children in their care.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nembed plans to further improve how staff identify clear and precise next steps, to raise the quality of teaching and learning to the highest level.

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