Roade Rascals

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are confident and well settled in this setting.

They quickly become involved in activities, such as pretending to cook in the home corner or looking at books with staff. Older children are keen to talk to visitors and invite adults to play with them. Staff have high expectations of children's learning.

Older children readily have a go at writing their own name. Younger children persevere at putting on their own wellington boots to go outside.Children behave well.

For example, they remember to say 'please' and 'thank you' when asking for different food items to make their own sandwiches. Children are a...ble to make decisions and choices during their play. They select different items such as ribbons and buttons to stick on their drawing of their body shapes.

Children are safe in the setting. They learn how to assess risks and help to write their own risk assessments and minimise any hazards. For example, children assess how to handle a sharp knife safely when cutting fruit.

They check it is safe with an adult before knocking down a wall or tower they make with the large wooden blocks. Children enjoy being outside. They spend considerable time making pies and mixing pretend food in the mud kitchen.

They are proud when they master using the pedals on the bicycle.

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

Children learn about other people and communities. For example, staff help children create money wallets and try Chinese food during Chinese New Year.

Children learn to respect each other and their differences. They are fascinated when they notice how they have changed when looking at photographs of each other taken last term.Staff know children well.

They assess their learning and progress effectively. Staff use this information to decide what children need to learn next. However, on occasions, this information is not specific enough.

Staff, other than a child's key person, are less clear about how to support learning. This is with particular regard to younger children's language development.Children enjoy making patterns with the magnetic pin boards.

Older children explore the magnetic alphabet and can name and sound familiar letters. Staff use and model the sounds of letters effectively. They extend this well with the children when they use the alphabet flash cards.

However, younger children are sometimes not challenged effectively. This is because the less experienced staff are not always sure how to adapt an activity for different ages or abilities.The manager is well organised.

She is well aware of the strengths of staff's practice. She has a clear understanding of areas that may need improvement. The manager makes good use of her experience and qualifications.

She helps staff to reflect on and improve their own practice effectively. Staff completing qualifications are well supported.Staff provide many different activities to ensure that children have the experiences they need to learn.

Children visit the local library regularly and borrow books to support their interest in stories. They also learn from going to the theatre and visiting the museum.Older children recognise numerals and count with confidence.

For example, they work out whether they need one or two cups of flour from the recipe for play dough. They count how many cups of salt they have added and decide how much water they need.Staff form good relationships with parents.

They ensure that they share information about children's time at the setting with parents. Staff explain what they want children to learn next and make suggestions about how parents can support this at home. Parents speak highly of the staff.

They appreciate the care given by staff to help children settle in when they are new.Children are well prepared for starting school. The manager and staff have a good relationship with the Reception teachers.

They invite school staff to come for lunch so that they can get to know the children. Children role play starting school and dress up in the uniform they will eventually wear.Children enjoy listening to stories.

They anticipate what might happen next and can recite familiar phrases and refrains. For example, they enthusiastically recite the rhyming phrases about hunting for a bear. Staff model sentences and new words effectively.

Children enjoy repeating 'crunch, munch and scrunch' when talking about the gingerbread people they had made.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff are knowledgeable about protecting children.

They know about signs of possible abuse and how to report their concerns. They are clear about the reporting concerns if an allegation is made against a member of staff. The manager has implemented suitable procedures to record accidents and injuries as well as concerns.

The staff know families well and are alert to concerns and changes that may present a possible risk to children. Staff are also clear about what to do should they be concerned that a child is being influenced by radical or extreme ideas.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff adapt activities and identify intended learning to more closely support children of different ages and abilities nensure next steps for children's learning are more clearly identified, particularly for supporting language development to help close gaps more quickly.