Northern Pastures Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive at the pre-school with enthusiasm and quickly begin learning.

The curriculum is still developing. However, children make good progress and enjoy their time at the pre-school. Children follow their interests when they take part in creative activities.

For example, during the inspection, a rock painting activity provided children with opportunities to explore the texture and feel of paint on their hands. They gain just as much from this sensory experience as they do from the planned activity. Children show high levels of emotional resilience.

Some children spend time observing and watching activi...ties before taking part. Other children dive straight in and express their delight for activities. Staff value each child as an individual and support them to develop at their own pace.

As a result, children explore with confidence in the welcoming environment.Children behave well and show consideration and care for each other. They are beginning to learn about sharing and taking turns.

Children are developing their understanding about learning as part of a group following the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. For example, when children play outdoors, they take turns riding bicycles and scooters. They show a competitive nature as they race balls down drainpipes and observe who has won the race.

This all contributes towards their developing personal, social and emotional skills.

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

Children develop their communication and language skills well. Staff engage in easy, continual conversation with them as they play.

Children ask questions as they play to help them to develop their understanding.Staff share information with parents about their children's progress. This helps parents to support their children's learning at home.

Staff know their key children well. They find out all about children's home lives and their previous experiences to help them to fully support children's individual needs.Staff are swift to identify children who need extra support with their learning and development.

While children are awaiting formal assessments and diagnosis of their needs, staff work with parents to provide children with extra support and encouragement.The committee members and manager are still developing the intent of the curriculum. The current curriculum is overly complicated and has numerous different strands which focus more on assessing what children can and cannot do.

This makes assessing the effectiveness of the curriculum difficult for the committee members. Despite this, children enjoy activities and are making progress in their learning.Key people take time to work with parents to understand about what might affect children's emotions and behaviour.

In turn, this supports them to provide individual care for children. Staff support children when they are beginning to understand their difficult emotions. They offer comfort and reassurance and ensure that children are safe.

Staff respectfully ask children if they are ready for a nappy change. This shows that staff provide care that is sensitive to children's needs and wishes, while maintaining their good health and hygiene.Children learn about different cultures and countries in their play.

Staff plan activities that are sensitive to helping children to understand about differences and similarities between themselves and others. This gives children an insight into the everyday lives of children in other parts of the world.The committee members have taken immediate and decisive action to address the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection.

There is now a new committee that leads the pre-school with a strong sense of direction and high ambition.The committee members have developed their knowledge through training, taking on board all the support offered. There are now clear roles and responsibilities and the committee members demonstrate a good focus and plan for ongoing improvement.

Staff report much-improved supervision sessions and support from the committee members. This has significantly decreased the workload of the manager. Staff discuss their commitment to the setting and their shared vision to improve the pre-school and ensure its sustainable future.

In turn, staff are now focusing on improving and developing the curriculum for children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff and committee members have an extensive awareness of the signs and symptoms that might indicate that children are at risk of harm.

The committee members understand about local safeguarding issues and how to report any concerns to safeguarding partners. The committee members have undertaken training, so they are clear about their roles and responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe. This includes the committee understanding about how to recruit staff safely and carry out all required checks.

There are rigid policies and procedures in place for the use of technology in the setting. This includes ensuring that no staff or visitors have their mobile telephones in the setting.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: sharpen the intent of the curriculum so that it can be more easily understood and embedded across the provision, including for the committee members who monitor the overall quality of the curriculum for children.