Orchard Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happily to the welcoming pre-school. They have a good understanding of their morning routine, which is demonstrated as they collect their names for self-registration. Practitioners smile and greet children individually.

This gives children a positive sense of themselves and offers a sense of belonging. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the pre-school. They have good attachments with their key person, which helps them to feel content and enjoy their learning experiences.

For instance, children energetically join in with music as they bang on the drums and shake the bells. Practitione...rs are passionate about their teaching delivery and offer children good adult-led learning opportunities. For example, children develop their mathematical skills as they problem solve with numbers during games.

Children are motivated in their play and display high levels of interest in a range of activities. Practitioners have high expectations for all children. Those that receive additional funding have their specific learning needs met well.

For example, the pre-school purchased a role-play kitchen for children who need support to develop their communication, language and social skills. This has had a positive impact as children are able to use their home experiences to help them within this play area.

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

Children benefit from meaningful learning opportunities across the well-planned curriculum.

For instance, children learn how to keep themselves safe as they use different tools for construction. Children build on this knowledge as they bring in items from home, such as hammers and different-sized screw drivers. They develop their confidence as they talk to their peers about these items.

Practitioners lead group activities with children regularly throughout the pre-school session. On occasions, these do not fully engage all the children participating.Some children attend other settings.

Practitioners are not consistently prompt at liaising with other settings that children attend. This, on occasions, prevents up-to-date information being shared between professionals.Practitioners support children well to develop their early literacy skills as they take part in rhyming activities.

Practitioners use clear language and offer children a good amount of challenge. They praise children well, which promotes their positive self-esteem. Children are motivated to join in and show respect for one another as they take turns in guessing which objects rhyme.

Children behave well in the pre-school. They show kindness to one another. Children respond well to the wishes of staff.

For example, they help put chairs out for snack time. Children show pride in being 'helpers'. They develop their independence skills as they do things for themselves and others.

Practitioners are sensitive to children's needs. They support them to make good choices if, on the rare occasion, they are reluctant to join in. For instance, children are supported to understand the reasons for washing their hands before snack.

This leads to children making good decisions.Children are encouraged to be healthy. They take part in activities where they choose which hoop each food type needs to go into.

This helps children to understand about a healthy, balanced diet. Recently, children have taken part in a tooth-brushing challenge. The pre-school worked with parents to promote healthy routines for teeth brushing at home.

The manager works closely with practitioners. She is practical in her approach and respects the skill set that all practitioners bring to the team. The manager completes supervisions with practitioners every term.

At times, training is attended as a result of their supervision. Practitioners do not use this knowledge effectively to impact children's learning experiences. Practitioners feel their manager supports them well and takes account of their workload, minimising this wherever possible.

This supports the good team morale.Parents share verbal feedback about the pre-school. They speak highly of the support their children receive from their key person and manager, particularly in regard to support for early special educational needs.

Parents comment that their children love attending the pre-school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager creates an environment of vigilance.

She has a good knowledge of making referrals in regard to children's welfare and for allegations about members of staff. The manager ensures all practitioners know their roles and responsibilities. On entry into the pre-school, the manager goes through policies with parents.

This transparency encourages parents' understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. Practitioners have a robust understanding of safeguarding and how to pass on concerns. They have a good knowledge of wider safeguarding issues.

The manager completes safer recruitment checks effectively. Practitioners confirm their suitability regularly, ensuring they remain suitable to care for children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen systems of working with other settings that children attend to share valuable information about children's routines, home experiences and development develop supervisions for practitioners to ensure training that is attended has an impact on children's learning review group activities to ensure children have maximum learning opportunities.