Playdays Preschool 3

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are warmly greeted by staff when they arrive at the pre-school. They have strong relationships with their key person and enjoy spending time playing with their friends. Staff know children well and plan a play-based curriculum around children's interests and their next steps in learning.

They adapt activities to ensure all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can fully engage.Children's personal, social and emotional skills are well supported by staff. Children behave well and talk about making the right choices in their play.

Staff encourage children to spend time b...eing active, both indoors and outdoors. Children's physical development is well supported as they practise their balancing and climbing skills, as well as riding on the bikes. Staff support children to clean their own teeth after lunch and teach children about how to keep their teeth healthy through their food and drink choices.

Children recreate games they have been taught when playing with their friends outside. For example, they play their own game of 'What's the time, Mr Wolf?' and run after each other when it is 'dinner time!'. They giggle as they chase each other and enjoy taking turns to be the wolf.

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

The curriculum is planned to meet the individual needs of the children attending. There is a strong focus on early language and communication, as well as personal, social and emotional development. This results in children interacting well with their peers and adults in the pre-school.

Where children have limited speech, staff encourage them to use sign language to support them to communicate their needs.Staff ensure they provide resources to support children's interests. For example, they set up a dinosaur play activity to help a new child to settle.

They provide dinosaur fact books in this area to encourage children to share these with staff. Children told the inspector that they love reading books with their friends in the book area. During group times, staff use props and puppets.

They engage children's attention effectively, and children clearly enjoy learning.Children understand the routine of the day and are confident to let staff know if they do not want to engage with a particular activity. However, the organisation of certain transitions can result in children becoming restless, for example when waiting for all children to put on their coats to go outside.

During these moments, some children start to engage in other activities, which they quickly have to abandon when their friends are ready.The pre-school has set up a colour system which supports children to think about their behaviour choices. Staff ask children to consider if they are making a red or green choice.

Children proudly explain when they or their friends are making green choices by using the slide safely. Staff praise them for managing their own behaviour.Generally, children demonstrate good independence skills.

However, at times, staff do not allow children to do things for themselves, particularly during snack times and mealtimes. This does not support children to be fully independent.The manager and staff value relationships with parents.

They take time to speak with parents and carers when they bring children to the pre-school and at the end of their sessions. Lending bags are available to support children's learning at home. Parents report that they know who their child's key person is and that staff are approachable.

Staff contact parents if children are absent and will carry out a home visit to drop off resources, to support them at home if they are away for a prolonged period.Staff report that pre-school leaders care about their well-being. They are given additional responsibilities, such as 'oral health champion', and are encouraged to undertake a range of additional training.

The manager organises access to support from other professionals, to ensure staff are able to meet the health and development needs of all children attending the pre-school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a secure understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities.

They undertake safeguarding training and the manager regularly checks their knowledge. Staff can talk about the signs and symptoms which could indicate a child is at risk of abuse or neglect. They are able to demonstrate their understanding of safeguarding issues such as female genital mutilation and radicalisation.

Staff describe the procedures to follow should they have a concern about the welfare of a child or the suitability of a colleague working in the pre-school. Staff are deployed effectively during the session to ensure children are well supervised indoors and outdoors.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide further opportunities for children to develop their independence skills, particularly during snack times and mealtimes review the organisation of transitions between activities to ensure that children's play and learning time is maximised and that children are fully engaged.