Pippins Preschool (Cambridgeshire)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children smile and say 'good morning' as they hang up their coats and bags. They have many opportunities to be independent. For example, children cut fruit, pour drinks and clean away their plates.

Children play with resources that reflect their interests. Staff encourage children to explore new language. Children eagerly share their ideas.

For example, children have lively conversations about the 'perfect habitat' for dinosaurs. They make a barrier using mud and leaves and decide whether it would protect the dinosaurs from the 'erupting volcano'. Children enjoy exploring outside and experimenting with the resources....r/>
They show their ability to solve problems as they adapt the environment, setting up tyres and drainpipes to create a 'road' for the cars. Children speculate the cars will go faster if they push them harder. They develop their physical skills as they balance on beams and stepping-stones.

Children use buckets with rope handles to stand on and walk like dinosaurs. Children freely explore the outdoor play shed. They show deep levels of concentration as they thread beads onto string.

They show persistence and keep trying when they struggle with the smaller beads. When they succeed, they cheer with delight.

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

There is a strong team spirit among the staff and management team.

Staff praise the way in which the management team promotes their personal development and the ample training opportunities. Staff comment on the positive impact recent training on managing behaviour has had on their practice. The manager is present in the room and uses observations, with clear feedback and coaching to develop practice.

While some changes are at an early stage, the manager and staff team are keen to maintain and enhance the quality of the pre-school over time.Children make good progress. Staff have a strong focus on supporting children's communication skills.

They sit alongside to support children during activities and discuss what they are doing. For example, children make fireworks out of play dough and coloured pipe cleaners. Staff introduce new words, such as 'bang' and 'whizz', when talking about the fireworks.

Children speak confidently and eagerly share their ideas, which staff listen to. At times, staff ask too many questions in quick succession and do not give children enough time to think through their answers and respond.Children behave well.

Staff praise children's achievements. They help children to manage their feelings and emotions. They are calm as they talk to children gently about the consequences of their actions and help them to make the right choices.

Children remind their friends to share and take turns. For example, while washing the playhouse, children work out that they need to share the sponges between them. When children splash the water, their friends ask them to stop.

Children show high levels of engagement and staff interactions are of good quality. Children make 'fireworks' from sticks and tissue paper. This supports children's developing imagination.

Occasionally, staff do not organise large group activities effectively, to enable all children to be fully engaged in the learning.Additional funding is used effectively to offer all children equal opportunities in the pre-school. Staff know when children need more help with their learning or would benefit from different resources to engage them.

This allows staff to have a positive impact on helping to close the gaps in children's experiences.Mathematical language is woven into everyday play. Children try to match the triangle, circle and square with shapes in the garden.

Staff divide the play dough between the children, counting as they go. When comparing the dinosaurs, children use a tape measure to identify the height of the dinosaurs.Parents and carers comment that their children love coming to the pre-school.

They value the support the staff offer when their children first start. Parents comment that staff go over and above to meet the needs of the children. Parents are aware of their children's learning and development and how they can support their children at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a secure understanding of how to protect the children in their care. They are confident in how they would identify potential signs and symptoms of abuse.

They know the procedures they would use to report concerns. Staff frequently review the risk assessments with the changing needs of the children and the environment. Children are learning how to keep themselves safe.

For example, children safely hold the scissors, telling their friends to 'point them down to their toes'. Recent training has supported staff to have the most up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty and county lines.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support children's early language development even further and give them enough time to consider their answer before asking the next question nimprove the organisation of large group activities so that all children can become deeply engaged in the rich learning opportunities during this time as they do at other times of the day.

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