Pollyanna Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff offer a warm welcome to children and are genuinely happy to see them as they arrive. This helps children feel secure, well cared for and content. Children settle down quickly and seek comfort, support and play with the surrounding adults.

Their personal, social and emotional development is supported well. The interactions shared between staff and children reflect a respectful culture. They consistently engage children in conversations that encourage them to think and recall information from past activities and events.

For example, children and staff make play dough. Following the activity, staff ask the children ...if they can remember what ingredients were needed to do this. Staff praise children as they list the items used.

This helps staff to check the children's understanding and gives them the opportunity to consolidate their learning. Staff reinforce behavioural expectations with gentle reminders and encouragement. They treat the children with kindness and listen intently to what children say.

This helps children feel valued. In turn, children are kind and considerate to staff and one another. For instance, children help each other by holding the bottom of the cup steady while their friends skilfully pour items in as they play.

They demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning and being part of a group.

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

The leadership and management team is ambitious and has a clear understanding of the strengths of the setting. It understands where its attention is best placed to drive continual improvement.

Leaders offer effective coaching and training for staff to support their professional growth. They are good role models and are committed to ensuring that their workforce is well established and strong. This has a positive impact on the care and education that children receive.

Children benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum that supports their physical development and independence. Staff promote children's learning effectively through their interactions, encouragement and everyday practice. For instance, staff encourage children to hold their arms out as they walk over planks of wood in the garden.

This helps them to improve their ability to balance and supports their coordination. Additionally, staff support the children with toileting and to carry out tasks, such as putting on their coats and pouring their own drinks, by themselves. This helps children to build their confidence and self-care skills and prepares them for future transitions.

Staff promote good hygiene practice for children to follow. Children wash their hands before and after messy play activities and mealtimes. Children understand the structure and routine and follow instructions well.

For example, after washing their hands, they collect their water bottles and sit patiently at the table as they wait for their food. Staff encourage good manners as they serve children their meals. Children are polite and thank staff as they place the food in front of them.

Staff use mealtime opportunities effectively to engage in conversation with children to extend their communication skills.Overall, children sit patiently and listen during group activities. They develop their concentration skills and confidence to talk and share their views during these times.

However, at times, group activities are not adapted well enough to support the youngest children's needs and abilities. The youngest children do not fully understand some learning intentions and can lose interest and move away from activities. Their learning and development are not completely supported at these times.

Staff deploy themselves well to ensure that children are seen and heard at all times. They are available and ready to support the children's learning and give them care and comfort when needed. Staff have good systems in place to ensure that the environment is safe for children to play and explore.

They involve children when looking for dangers, which helps them develop good foundations for keeping themselves safe.Parent partnerships are strong. Leaders and staff have developed good relationships with parents and create a two-way flow of communication.

This supports the children to feel safe and achieves a positive, shared approach to children's learning. Parents voice that they value the staff and that they have been kept up to date with the recent changes to the setting. This helps them feel involved and understand what is happening next.

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: nimprove the planning of group activities for the younger children to engage them more fully.

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