Pickering Preschool Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The leadership and management team has strengthened significantly. The manager and staff have worked hard to improve the quality of education for children. For example, children make good progress in all areas of their learning.

They enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities, inside and outside. Older children show creativity and use their imagination to make a cave from a favourite story. Younger children show excitement as they splash in the water and make bridges for their vehicles.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They swiftly identify any areas of potential delay and make referrals to other profes...sionals. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have focused on closing gaps in children's speech and language.

Staff are kind, caring and nurturing. They support children to manage their feelings and deal with conflict. Children's behaviour is very positive.

They begin to develop good social skills and learn how to share. Children learn how to stay safe in pre-school. They show confidence in asking staff for help and understand how to use resources safely.

Partnerships with parents are strong. They leave highly complimentary feedback for the pre-school and are very happy with the care and education that their children receive.

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

Leaders have supported staff to develop and put in place a clear educational programme for children.

Staff understand what they want children to learn, and use information from assessments to plan challenging activities. Children are consistently engaged in experiences and staff know how to extend their learning.Children begin to develop a love of books from an early age.

Staff read to children in a cosy area of the room and model clear language to them. Children learn new words, such as 'skeleton' and 'bones', and staff explain their meanings. This helps to extend children's vocabulary and develop their early literacy skills.

However, staff do not always use opportunities to develop children's mathematical skills to the same high level. For instance, children thoroughly enjoy experimenting in water with fruit, jugs and containers. Staff praise children for tasting the fruit, but do not model mathematical language, such as 'full, empty, halves and quarters'.

Staff help children to develop high levels of confidence, self-esteem and resilience. They praise children for all of their efforts, and encourage them not to give up. For instance, some children struggle to use their knife to cut up fruit.

Staff support them to keep on trying, and children show pride when they achieve this.Staff know children extremely well. Although there is a key-person system in place, children benefit from positive relationships with every member of staff.

For example, all staff know how to meet each child's individual care needs, including their sleep routines and medical needs. This provides continuity of care for children and helps them to feel safe and secure.Children have plenty of opportunities to enjoy fresh air and physical activity.

Staff promote their good health and children develop self-care skills, such as using the toilet. However, staff do not teach them about why it is important to make healthy choices and the reason good hygiene is important.The manager and provider have worked exceptionally hard to provide staff with clear policies, procedures and support through effective supervision sessions.

They have high expectations and show commitment to maintain good practice. Staff are very happy in their role. They say they feel valued at pre-school and are encouraged to share new ideas to improve the provision.

Since the last inspection, the manager has built effective partnerships with the local authority, school and other professionals involved with children. The pre-school is part of a national COVID-19 recovery programme, where staff continue to work hard to drive improvements forward. This has had a positive impact on children's learning and promotes consistency.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff understand their responsibilities to keep children safe and protect them from harm. They confidently discuss signs of potential abuse and know the action they need to take, if they have any concerns.

Staff show awareness of a range of child protection issues, such as county lines and the impact of domestic violence on children. The provider and manager have developed robust policies and procedures to safeguard children, including safer recruitment. This helps to ensure staff are suitable to work with children.

The manager regularly completes risk assessments, which are shared with staff. This helps staff to minimise hazards for children, for example, when they go on trips away from the pre-school.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance staff's understanding of how to help children to further develop their mathematical skills, through play and planned activities build on children's awareness of why it is important to make healthy choices and live a healthy lifestyle.

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