Poulner Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children smile with delight as they arrive at the pre-school. They receive a warm welcome from nurturing staff, who know them well. Staff recognise when children may need extra reassurance.

For example, some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are given one-to-one support when they need it, to help them settle. Staff demonstrate the positive and respectful behaviour that they expect of children. For instance, they use positive language and teach children to say please and thank you.

Staff create an exciting variety of learning experiences, and children are inspired by these. For instance,... children show their excitement while creating their own potions in the garden. They enjoy collecting natural resources and mixing these in with coloured water.

Children communicate confidently. For example, they talk excitedly about what they are making, and staff introduce new words such as 'pipette'. This supports children's learning and development.

Children enjoy being outside. They have many opportunities to develop physically. For instance, they enjoy digging in the sand and shingle areas and riding the bicycles and scooters.

The provider, manager and staff place a high priority on supporting all children's well-being. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they maintained regular contact with families to check on their welfare and support children's home learning. Additional funding is used effectively to enhance children's learning.

For instance, staff have used funding to purchase sensory resources and develop a calm space. This provides children with a relaxing area, which supports their emotional development.

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

The manager and special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) have a good knowledge of the children with SEND.

They support staff to put in place targeted plans. For example, staff provide children with focused activities to develop their social skills. They work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children with SEND are well supported and make good progress.

Staff are calm and patient. Their approach to managing children's behaviour is consistent. Staff use effective explanations and distractions to help children learn to choose between right and wrong.

For example, they support children to understand why they need to share and take turns with their friends. This approach contributes positively to the way children behave.The manager and staff understand children's development and support them to become independent.

For instance, staff encourage children to try to put their coat and boots on by themselves when getting ready to go in the garden. Most of the time, children make good progress and learn key skills to help them be ready to start school. However, staff are not always clear on what the overall intention of the curriculum is within the pre-school.

This means that, at times, staff do not support children to develop skills further.The caring provider and manager are passionate about supporting staff's well-being. Staff shared that they enjoy being part of the team and feel well supported.

The manager has daily discussions with staff and conducts supervisions. Staff complete various training, such as SEND training, to develop their knowledge and understanding. This enables them to support children's development.

The manager and staff know the children well. Most of the time, they provide stimulating activities. For instance, they give children opportunities to look at and paint real-life objects, such as flowers.

Staff discuss with them how the flowers grow, which leads to conversations about the seasons and weather. However, on some occasions, staff do not recognise children's learning needs during activities. For example, children become restless and lose interest in large-group activities.

Furthermore, on occasion, staff do not provide enough resources during small-group activities to enable all children to participate in full. This impacts upon children's learning and development.Partnerships with parents are strong.

The key person gathers detailed information from parents when children start at the pre-school. This helps staff to plan for the children's individual care and learning needs. Staff communicate well with parents.

For example, they provide daily updates on children's progress and invite parents to stay-and-play sessions. This supports children's learning at home. Parents report that they highly value the dedication, care and attention that staff provide to their children.

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: support staff to develop their understanding of the curriculum intent so that their teaching is consistently focused on what they want children to learn nimprove how activities are planned and managed to ensure all children are engaged and can fully participate.