North Wootton Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The quality of education that children receive is variable.

Through their interactions with children, staff show that they understand how to support children's learning and development. However, staff's time is often spread too thinly for children to receive consistently good levels of attention. As a result, there are times during the day when children are not well supported to learn as they play.

At these times, the noise levels increase, and this makes communication difficult. Managers devise a curriculum which they intend to help children gain key knowledge and skills through learning about a wide variety of topics. H...owever, this is not consistently well delivered to help children make good progress.

Leaders and staff understand the importance of helping children gain strong communication skills. When staff chat with children they introduce new language to them, helping to develop children's vocabularies. Children participate in group times and they enjoy singing and sharing stories.

However, children's concentration levels vary at times when there are too few adults available to support them. Staff are good role models and this helps children develop positive social skills. For example, they kindly invite their friends to join in their play.

Older children proudly help others as they take their turn in collecting up the plates and cups after snack time.

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

Leaders have revised their safeguarding practice after an incident when they did not respond appropriately to concerns raised about staff practice. Those with responsibility for safeguarding now show that they fully understand when and how to follow the procedures of the local safeguarding children's board to ensure children's safety.

Furthermore, staff understand what to do if they have concerns about an adult working with the children.Leaders do not always ensure that staffing arrangements are sufficient to offer enough support for children's learning. This is, in part, due to staffing issues which have left the pre-school working with fewer staff than managers consider ideal.

This affects the frequency of interactions for children when they play and learn in groups and those children who need higher levels of individual support to help them to make strong progress.Despite staffing challenges, staff carefully support new children to settle in. They speak with parents about what children already know and can do.

Staff invite parents to help children settle in and use this time to get to know what interests children. Staff give new children extra time and attention. This helps children to feel confident to explore and familiarise themselves with the pre-school.

Leaders and staff prioritise children's health and safety. They ensure that appropriate procedures are in place to keep children safe and secure. For example, they very carefully manage children's arrivals and departures to ensure that children cannot leave the premises unattended.

Staff identify where a children may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders work with parents and other professionals to identify ways to support children during their time at the pre-school. However, they do not always swiftly and effectively ensure that the plans they put in place to support children reflect the most recent advice and guidance from other professionals.

This affects the rates of children's progress in key areas of their learning from their individual starting points.Leaders ensure that staff complete essential training. However, overall the programme for supporting staff, including leaders, to further develop their understanding of how to help children in the early years to thrive, is not well established.

This affects how well staff can continuously improve the quality of their interactions and children's education.Staff share information with parents about their child's day. Leaders have identified ways to strengthen partnerships with parents, for example, by ensuring that all parents know who their child's key person is.

Leaders also provide opportunities for parents to come into the pre-school for planned days a few times a year, so that they can join in alongside activities with their children.Children have daily time outside for fresh air and exercise. They enjoy riding on bicycles and using a climbing frame.

Children join in a challenge set by staff to fill a big container with leaves. Staff ensure that there are plenty of resources to go around, meaning that all children can join in and have a go.

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 meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date improve staffing arrangements, including how staff are deployed, to provide higher levels of support for children's learning 27/02/2024 ensure that the learning of children with SEND is consistently supported by delivering well-written support plans.27/02/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to raise the quality of teaching through more focused professional development.