Playmates Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enthusiastically enter the pre-school and are warmly greeted by staff.

This helps children to feel emotionally secure and safe. A clearly designed curriculum helps children to build on their skills and knowledge over time. Staff know each child well and form close working relationships with parents and carers.

They gather a range of information from the outset, to ensure they can respect and respond to each child's unique needs. Staff plan a range of stimulating activities, as well as skilfully extending children's learning as they respond to their interests during play. This helps children to remain focused a...nd engaged in purposeful play.

Targeted interventions are used well by staff to close any gaps in children's achievements. This ensures every child achieves in line with their capabilities.Staff talk to children about what they are doing and encourage their verbal responses, aiding their communication and language skills.

When choosing snack, staff encourage children to verbalise what they would like. Staff help children to behave well and to manage their emotions. When children get frustrated, staff encourage them to use their words to ask for help.

When children get upset during a game of chase, staff remind them of their rights. Children then put their hand up and say 'stop'. This is respected by the other children who continue to chase those who are happy to participate in the game.

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

Managers oversee staff practice, offering training and support to continually develop their knowledge. Ongoing training on special educational needs and/or disabilities enables staff to quickly identify and provide relevant support to meet these children's needs. Managers carefully consider how to spend any additional funding when children receive this, ensuring it is individualised to meet the child's needs and has a positive impact.

Staff respect the individuality of all children. Information on children's backgrounds, beliefs and home language is obtained from the outset. Staff request frequently used words in children's home languages and share these words in English with parents.

This supports children's growing vocabulary. Staff plan activities around the cultural events children celebrate. This helps all children to broaden their experiences and to value the uniqueness of others.

Planned group-time activities are arranged for all children and used to support their listening and attention skills, as well as their turn-taking and speech. Fidget toys are offered to all children, with instructions followed to select one and pass the box on to the next child. Younger children have fun as they recall simple rhymes and take turns to pass the hat or the water bottle to the next child.

They squeal with delight when it is their turn to squirt water at their friends. They also learn to respect boundaries and stop when asked to.As children get older, their learning is extended.

For example, they listen to their name and confirm they are here when the register is taken. They also identify their name in print and confirm if they are feeling happy or sad. Staff extend conversations by asking why they feel like this.

However, during some group times, other children continue to play in the adjacent areas. This creates noise, which reduces older children's ability to fully listen and concentrate during the planned experience.A range of strategies are successfully used to support older children's interest in books.

However, these are not used with the younger children. Additional funding is spent on outside services that come in and provoke older children's interest through interactive storytelling sessions. Book bags are created and sent home so parents can read and share stories with the older children.

While staff working with younger children are trying their own ways to engage and ignite children's interest in books, they have so far been unsuccessful.Children's awareness of safety is explored through simple discussions and sharing of information with parents. For example, during discussions, children identify that the register needs to be taken in case of an emergency.

Staff ask further questions to explore children's understanding of safety. Children identify that the ambulance service helps people when they are poorly and they would need to ring 911 for the emergency services. Staff respectfully correct children and confirm in England they would call 999.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review how planned group times are delivered so that they consistently build on children's listening and attention skills consider how to develop younger children's love of books and share this approach so that all staff implement it consistently.