Pre-school Learning Alliance Bestwood Childcare Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enter the setting confidently, and quickly engage in purposeful play. They are happy and content as they enjoy playing with a range of age-appropriate toys and resources.

Children show a positive attitude towards their learning. They become enthralled as they fill toy trucks with sand. Children make good progress as staff have high expectations of what they can achieve.

For example, staff encourage children to write their names on pictures and teach them about letters and the sounds they represent.Children relish the time they spend outside. They are highly engrossed in their play as they roll hoops down a hil...l.

Children benefit from the unique and spontaneous opportunities staff offer them to develop their understanding of the natural world. For example, as it starts to snow children, quickly get ready to go outside and watch the flakes melt on their warm hands.Children behave well.

Staff give them reminders of the setting's simple rules, such as using 'walking feet' inside to ensure they play safely. Children learn to share and take turns. They learn to play together as they build a train track.

Children are proud of their accomplishments as staff congratulate them on their achievements. This helps children gain confidence to engage in activities alongside other children and staff.

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

Children make good progress from their individual starting points in learning.

Parents access information about their child's learning through an online portal and daily discussions with staff. They are encouraged to share their experiences from home to add to their child's learning journal. This helps to promote continuity in children's care and learning.

Staff plan a curriculum that continually builds on what children already know. They assess children's abilities and use the information to provide activities and opportunities to enhance their learning. All staff are clear about what children need to learn next as learning intentions are displayed next to the activities provided.

However, staff do not always use questioning to further challenge children's learning.Staff carefully plan how they will introduce early mathematical concepts. They teach children about numbers, counting and shapes through interesting activities.

For example, young children count the potatoes and carrots in the role-play area. Older children work out how many small cubes they need to make a big cube.Staff foster an atmosphere that is affectionate and caring, and children follow their example.

Children help staff comfort a child who is briefly upset when they leave their parent. Children learn about different faiths and cultures observed in their local area through stories, crafts, activities and tasting new foods. They show each other how to use chopsticks after learning about Chinese New Year.

Children's independence is supported well. Children are able to direct their own play, showing curiosity as they choose from the wide range of activities on offer. Staff play alongside children and extend their learning and development.

For instance, before children create pictures with paint and collage materials, staff encourage their early writing skills. They remind children to put their name on their paper. Children are eager to participate in activities.

However, the planning of some adult-led activities results in some children losing interest.Staff have a well-balanced workload that allows them time to observe children's development. The manager works alongside staff but also meets with them to discuss their teaching and well-being.

However, the professional development of staff is not fully focused on raising the quality of education even higher.Staff use the curriculum they plan to broaden children's experiences and support them to succeed in future learning. For example, each week at snack time, staff encourage children to try a fruit they may not have eaten before.

Children learn about the importance of dental hygiene. Staff talk to children about brushing their teeth, and children delight in using toothbrushes to clean the teeth on a model. Parents comment that their child is now insisting that they clean their teeth daily.

Staff place a strong emphasis on helping children build good language and literacy skills. They provide children with opportunities to make marks and explore different media. Children enjoy writing Valentine's Day cards for those they love as they talk about their feelings.

Children eligible for additional funding make good progress. The manager and staff consider how funding is spent and check that it is making the intended difference for the children. Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well.

They model language clearly and utilise support and expertise from their area manager.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a secure knowledge of child protection issues and wider safeguarding concerns.

They know who to contact if they have a concern about a child's welfare or if an allegation is made about a colleague. All staff have attended training, such as safeguarding, and most have paediatric first aid qualifications. There are good systems for the safe recruitment of staff to ensure that they are suitable to work at the nursery.

Staff complete regular risk assessments to keep the environment safe and secure. They teach children to keep themselves safe, for example holding scissors correctly.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on the good planning for adult-led activities to ensure that all participating children are fully challenged develop staff's questioning skills to help to raise children's thinking to a higher level nexplore further professional development opportunities that focus more precisely on raising the quality of children's learning.