Riverside Pre-school CIO

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are happy and settle extremely quickly. They greet staff with smiling faces. Staff are impeccable role models.

They treat children respectfully, which inspires children to treat their friends with respect and kindness. Children consistently use good manners when communicating with others. They welcome their friend's interaction during play.

Children show kindness, sharing resources and taking turns. Children work harmoniously during group time, thinking of ideas and helping their friends to solve problems. This is because staff provide regular opportunities for children to work together in group activit...ies, encouraging and supporting children to use their voice and make decisions.

Children's well-being is of paramount importance and staff are mindful of this in everything that they do. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the deputy manager ensured that children still had access to learning. She created a social media account and read stories, created activities, encouraged children to participate in stretching exercises and delivered activity packs to children and families.

Parents commented that this had a positive affect on children's and families' mental health. Children flourish and confidently use knowledge gained to extend their learning further. For example, children initiate discussions about global warming and its effects on local wildlife.

Children make excellent progress in their learning and development. Staff know children exceptionally well. They have a secure understanding of what children know and can do and how to extend children's learning and development, which ensures that all children flourish.

Children are curious and eager to learn. They engage in exciting activities that are well thought out by immensely skilled staff, who are inspired by children's fascinations and interests, which in turn inspires children to learn.

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

Staff provide excellent opportunities for children to further develop their skills in writing and mark making, which helps to prepare them for transition to school.

Staff know children extremely well. They know what children can do and what they need to develop further. For example, staff consistently update a 'Notice and Focus' board to ensure all staff understand what children are working towards.

Staff think of unique ways to further support children's developing skills in making marks. For instance, children enjoy using a 'Pegs to Paper' activity, which helps to further strengthen muscles and helps develop control for pencil grip to support future writing.Staff diligently support children in taking care of their own needs.

Children learn how to hang up their coats, put lunch boxes away, wash and dry their hands and be independent during snack routines. Staff further support these skills by encouraging children to choose fruit and vegetables on trips to 'The Veg Shed' (ECO shop). Children are supported in using money to pay for the food, which they then prepare for snack.

This further supports their learning and development for the future and improves self-confidence.The highly dedicated leaders have an excellent understanding of what outstanding practice is. They have clear goals, which they share with staff, parents and other professionals.

Staff are extremely proactive in ensuring outcomes for children are improved. They cleverly include all areas of the curriculum when planning activities, that are based on the interests of children. For instance, children learn about mathematics and problem solving while working out how many buckets and spades are needed for five children in the sand area.

This ensures that children are exposed to all areas of learning through their own fascinations and interests.Children's physical development is supported very well. Opportunities are provided for children to have access to the outdoor environment.

This enables them to develop their gross-motor skills. For instance, children develop different ways of moving, such as using inventive ways of balancing. Children are able to manage their own risks while walking on beams, wooden stumps and tyres and use their arms to steady themselves.

Staff allow children to make safe risks to further develop their understanding of what is safe and what is not.Staff encourage children's interests in literacy. They provide opportunities for children to listen to stories.

For example, children enjoyed listening to 'Dear Zoo'. They enjoyed interacting with the story, taking turns to call out the names and sounds of the animals and anticipating what would happen next. Children develop a love of books and independently choose books to look at quietly with a friend.

Staff understand the importance of communication and language in children's learning and development. They make excellent progress with communication and language. For example, during specialised language groups, children are able to listen and sound out new words, which will further support their learning and development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff are highly aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse, which may indicate that a child is at risk of harm. The manager ensures that all staff are trained in paediatric-first aid and safeguarding.

Leaders hold daily team meetings to reflect on events during the day and update their knowledge on current safeguarding practices. Staff are extremely confident in the process of when, how and who to report to if they have concerns about a child or an adult. This ensures appropriate and timely action is taken to keep children safe from harm.

Leaders have a robust system for recruitment. They ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children and continue to monitor existing staff suitability. This helps to lower the risk of children being at risk of harm.

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