Ripley Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The quality of teaching and education offered to children is good. Staff support the children well and help them to make good progress in their learning and development. Children are happy and show that they feel safe in the pre-school.

For example, they separate from parents and carers overall with ease and they move confidently around the pre-school. However, managers are not fully aware of gaps in their and the staff's knowledge, and do not monitor the pre-school vigorously enough to identify where staff need additional training. Additionally, although staff record children's attendance, they do not ensure that all hours of att...endance are fully recorded, as required.

This does not adversely affect the children's safety due to the low numbers of children attending.Children confidently make choices about what they would like to do, and they enjoy the wide range of interesting and fun activities available for them. Children show good determination skills and motivation as they become absorbed in play.

For example, when outside, children persevere as they learn how to hit a ball with a bat. Children's emotional development is effortlessly supported by the staff to help children feel secure. Children behave well and staff are good at offering them individual praise and encouragement, which in turns supports their self-confidence.

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

Staff comment that they are well supported and that they have good opportunities for training. Staff have regular supervision meetings. However, these are not fully effective in ensuring that all staff have the knowledge, training and skills they need.

For example, some staff are not familiar enough with some of the pre-school policies and procedures. Important details are missing from children's attendance registers. This means that there is not an accurate record available of who is present.

The recruitment process is robust to ensure that suitable staff are employed to work with the children. Staff are well deployed to supervise children. They ensure that children's needs are met and offer a welcoming environment.

The premises are secure and maintained well. Staff know and understand the procedures when children have an accident or injury, including recording and sharing details with parents.Staff provide fun activities that interest the children.

For example, children enjoy different themes on animals, sensory play, board games and imaginative role play. Staff offer a varied curriculum which is ambitious to support the progress children are making and builds on their interests. Staff support children's developing independence well, such as by helping them to put their belongings away on arrival.

Children are becoming aware of healthy lifestyles. They can make choices about when they go outside to play and enjoy their fruit at snack time that they bring in from home. Children understand the importance of washing their hands before eating and do this without much prompting.

Staff sit with children at mealtimes and gently remind them to sit down so that they are safe while eating and drinking. However, staff do not consistently extend children's learning about the world, for example by talking about where the food they are eating comes from and how healthy eating affects our bodies.All children enjoy singing and show good attention skills as they listen to stories.

Staff model language effectively and introduce new vocabulary well throughout. Staff are effective in supporting children's speaking skills. They include children in conversations well to support their communication and language.

Staff support children's behaviour well. Staff intervene when there are occasional disagreements between children, and they positively remind children of behaviour expectations. This helps children to manage their feelings.

Overall, children are kind to each other and treat their friends with respect. For instance, some children ask to use the sand timer to enable them all to have equal time with toys.Children enjoy creative play.

All have opportunities to play and explore with media and materials. For example, children enjoy exploring with paints, pencils and water. Children have fun cooking and staff interweave the areas of learning well to maximise learning opportunities for children.

This helps to extend children's learning and build on what they already know.Staff have good relationships with parents. For example, they share learning records and photos of what the children are doing during the day with them.

Parents speak positively about staff at the pre-school and comment that their children are happy and that they feel very well supported. Staff understand the importance of working in partnership with other professionals to support continuity of children's care and education.

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 meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure that the daily record of attendance contains the names of the children being cared for on the premises and their actual hours of attendance.22/03/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nextend ways to help children understand the importance of living a healthy lifestyle nimprove the arrangements for staff coaching and supervision to further support staff to consistently implement the settings polices and procedures.