Rillington Pre-School Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely happy, safe and emotionally secure at this community-focused setting.

Staff are very supportive of children, who they know exceptionally well. Children are encouraged to work at a natural pace and move seamlessly from one activity to another. This results in a calm and relaxed atmosphere.

A wide range of highly stimulating activities is provided. Activities and experiences are thoughtfully adapted to meet children's current interests and needs. Extremely strong bonds have been formed between staff and the children in their care.

Staff are constantly mindful of children's well-bein...g. For example, they provide them with opportunities to be busy or quiet to meet their emotional needs.Children are enthusiastic and eager to learn.

They show great excitement as they search for dinosaurs that staff have hidden under blankets in the playroom and outside in the sandpit. Children are curious and experiment with ideas as they play with pipes and toy cars. They anticipate whether cars will fit down the pipe and come up with ways to make them go faster.

The dedicated staff team has very high expectations for children in their care. There is a very strong focus on supporting children's positive behaviour.

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

This is a welcoming and friendly pre-school that supports the local community extremely well.

There are excellent partnerships with parents. The manager and staff work hard to involve parents in the life of the pre-school and their children's learning. For example, they provide a home-loan service for toys, books and resources.

Staff encourage parents to help out at the setting. They provide parents with helpful information, such as ideas for children's healthy packed lunches. Staff suggest activities for parents to try at home.

For instance, they give parents ideas about how to support their children's listening skills through games, rhymes and action songs.The pre-school's curriculum is ambitious and thoughtfully considered. The extremely experienced and well-qualified staff team provides excellent support for learning.

Children's developing communication and language skills are promoted extremely well. Staff use gesture, singing and rhyme. They repeat back to children what they say to show that they are understood.

Staff say children's names first before giving instructions in order to gain their focus and attention. They introduce new and more complex vocabulary as they play with the children with toy animals and dinosaurs.There is outstanding support for children's personal, social and emotional development.

A strong emphasis is given throughout the pre-school on children playing cooperatively, sharing and taking turns. Staff make activities exciting. For example, they encourage children to guess what might be in the tin they produce at circle time.

Children take turns to open the tin to see what is inside. They are encouraged to express their feelings and emotions through the use of puppets. Staff talk to them about how faces change with emotions, as they play a game together with giant dice which they take turns to roll.

Children's growing independence is fostered very well. They are encouraged to express themselves in group situations to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Children independently choose and access toys and resources.

Support for children's mathematical development is woven meaningfully through activities. Children describe in detail the colour of toy farm animals and clap the syllables in their names as part of the secure daily routine.There are rich and highly stimulating opportunities for children to learn about the wider world outside the setting.

Children enjoy visits from animal handlers and trips to see baby lambs and pigs on a local farm. This helps them to learn about animals and the natural world. Staff invite a local Italian restaurant owner into the setting to make dough balls with children.

Children take part in baking competitions and movement and dance sessions to help widen their experiences still further.There is excellent support for staff well-being. The manager meets with staff to support and extend their knowledge and skills.

Staff are very reflective and work extremely well together. They are passionate about what they do and want the very best for the children in their care.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The setting is safe and secure. The manager has an excellent understanding of her responsibilities around safeguarding. All staff keep themselves up to date with procedures to keep children safe.

They know very well how to identify any concerns with children or staff, what procedures to take and who to contact. There are highly robust policies and routines in place to support safe practice. Staff have a high-level awareness of risk.

They teach children very important safety messages through activities. For example, staff model how to handle scissors safely. Children are encouraged to dispose of broken toys safely and straightaway.