Peapods Early Learning Centre Ltd (Hillingdon)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children benefit from a welcoming and inclusive learning environment where they feel safe and secure. Staff welcome parents and their children when they arrive at the setting.

Children settle readily, make friends to play with and develop a good sense of belonging and community. Their behaviour is generally good. Staff provide a good range of activities to help enthuse children to learn and support their learning and development effectively.

Children eagerly try new learning experiences and relate well to each other. They love to make play dough and observe how ingredients change when they mix. They learn to roll and c...ut play dough into different shapes.

Staff talk to children. However, on occasions they miss the opportunity to further extend children's language and thinking to deepen their learning. Staff care for the children and praise them as they learn new knowledge and skills.

Occasionally, some children do not have the opportunity to fully develop their independent learning skills as they play.Managers monitor and evaluate the provision to help ensure that children receive good-quality care and support and achieve well.

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

Managers and staff know children well.

Staff gain relevant information from parents about what their children know and can do. They observe children as they play and use such information to plan for their next steps.Managers and staff check the progress of each child carefully.

When identifying issues, staff provide well-targeted support to help narrow the gaps in children's learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language equally learn well.Children enjoy their time at the nursery.

For example, younger children eagerly explore toys, including technology tools to find out how things work. Older children can sort and match objects and are learning to solve problems. Children listen attentively and respond well to instructions.

However, not all members of staff consistently help to extend children's language and thinking even further.Managers supervise staff and offer them specific feedback to help them strengthen their skills. They encourage staff to use their time effectively to meet children's learning needs and help them reduce the workload.

Staff attend courses and use their skills to improve children's learning experiences.Staff establish good partnerships with parents and provide them with useful information about their children's learning and development. They work well with other providers and relevant agencies to help children receive the specialist support they need to help them learn and develop.

Managers and staff seek the views of parents, children and outside professionals to help them improve their practice. Parents are pleased with the good progress their children make and appreciate the support their children receive from this attentive and approachable staff team.Staff support children's social and emotional skills effectively.

For example, they remind children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children learn to share resources fairly, take turns and display positive attitudes to learning. They are happy and confident to ask for help when needed.

Staff help children to adopt a healthy lifestyle. For example, children learn about the importance of washing their hands to reduce the risk of infection and enjoy eating healthy meals. Children are learning to help themselves to snacks and meals.

However, staff do not always encourage all children to manage small tasks for themselves so that they become even more independent in their learning.Children enjoy outdoor play, fresh air and exercise. For example, younger children love to push wheeled toys.

Older children confidently manoeuvre bicycles and climb the apparatus safely.Through practical activities and learning about festivals, children gain an understanding of their own identity, other people and their communities. This helps them learn to be unique and tolerant of others around them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Robust vetting checks help ensure that all staff are suitable to work with the children. Staff receive induction training to help them become familiar with the setting's policies and procedures, including safeguarding.

They demonstrate a good understanding of child protection issues and know how to follow the reporting procedures to protect children in their care. Staff undertake regular risk assessments on the premises and resources to help children remain safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: noffer a higher level of challenge to aid children to develop their language skills and thinking help children to develop further their independence and skills in managing tasks for themselves.