Penguin Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents

This provision is good • The manager makes good use of feedback from parents and staff to identify areas for development. She uses this information, alongside her monitoring of children's progress, to make changes and target improvements.

For example, the manager has organised additional resources and training to help promote children's mathematical learning. • The manager and her staff have created a calm, inviting space for children to explore. They organise the indoor and outdoor areas effectively.

This enables children to access all areas of learning, wherever they prefer to learn. • Staff know the children in their care well. They talk confidently about children's i...nterests and current stage of development.

Staff use this knowledge to provide activities and resources to help children achieve the next steps in their learning. • Children form warm, playful relationships with staff. They seek staff out to tell them about their achievements, such as using the potty.

Staff use home visits effectively to build good partnerships with parents. They encourage parents to share information about their children's capabilities and to contribute to their initial assessments. • All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their individual starting points.

Staff work alongside specialist professionals, such as speech and language therapists, and use additional funding to help meet children's specific needs and promote their continued progress. • Parents praise the professional, friendly staff. They comment on the level of support provided and how grateful they are for the pre-school.

Parents report feeling well informed about their child's learning and appreciate the play events and parent meetings that staff organise. • Staff do not maximise opportunities to promote children's emerging literacy skills, particularly their mark-making skills and appreciation of the meaning of written words. • Occasionally, staff do not make the most of chances to provide higher levels of challenge to build children's confidence in trying new skills and the ability do things for themselves.