Rowhedge Under 5’s

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children happily arrive and leave their parents with ease. They are welcomed by attentive and nurturing staff who are genuinely pleased to see them.

Skills for independent learning are promoted as children are encouraged to self-register and store their personal belongings on arrival. This also creates a sense of belonging and self-worth. Staff speak kindly to the children and are good role models.

Children receive praise and encouragement for their efforts and achievements.The education programme is influenced by the children's interests and also includes the pre-school ethos of 'be kind', 'believe themselves', and 'be p...assionate learners'. However, children are not offered sufficient challenge to extend their learning.

For example, knowledge of how children learn is variable and staff do not consistently consider potential learning opportunities when planning activities, which has an impact on their progress. However, while there are some weaknesses in children's learning, children demonstrate they are confident, feel safe and form friendships with others attending. They have established close, trusting bonds with their key person.

They understand the routines and expectations in place and they behave well and are polite.

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

The management team are new to the pre-school. Since the last inspection, they have made significant changes that have had a positive impact on outcomes for children.

They have a clear vision, ambition and commitment to make the necessary improvements and ensure they are fully embedded in practice. Detailed development plans are in place and they actively seek support from the local authority.While many changes have been made, the quality of teaching is variable and not yet at a consistently good level.

The staff do get to know the children and observe them well as they play. However, they are not always ambitious and do not consistently challenge children's knowledge. This means that although children make progress, staff do not fully support them to make the best possible progress they can.

In addition, the organisation of some activities does not provide challenge to extend children's knowledge further and promote a strong focus on learning, in particular supporting opportunities to explore and be creative.The management team provides supervision to check staff's well-being. They support staff with their professional development and model good practice.

Staff are encouraged to share new ideas and the team speak positively about changes made. However, some staff's professional development is not focused sufficiently on improving their teaching skill to ensure children make consistently good progress.Caring staff engage children in conversations and speak to children with respect.

Children are confident and ask questions. Daily routines support children's communication and listening skills. For example, they interact at group time as they recall the expectations of the pre-school as the discuss the golden rules.

They follow instructions when it is time to tidy. However, while staff pose questions, there is a tendency to ask too many and they do not always allow children time to think, process information and respond.Parents speak positively of all aspects of the pre-school.

Many comment on the significant improvements made in a short space of time. Parents spoke of the positive routines and structure that is now in place. They are very complimentary about the management team and say their children are very happy to attend.

Many say the pre-school is calm and they feel their children are safe, engaged and learning.While positive partnerships have, and continue to be established with parents, systems in place for communicating regarding children's learning are in the process of changing to ensure they are effective. This means that staff are not currently communicating as effectively to discuss what children already know, their experiences and interests at home, to enable opportunities to continue learning in pre-school.

Children thoroughly enjoy the time outdoors. They are able to choose where they play and flow freely from indoors to outside. They enjoy the fresh air and exercise and have fun in the large sand pit.

They develop balancing skills, using equipment to make obstacle courses.Staff supervise children well and help them understand the importance of staying safe. For example, a tree swing is very popular.

Children learn the importance of how to use the equipment safely. They sit to the side on tree stumps and effectively use timers to wait their turn.

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, the provider must: Due date seek professional development opportunities for staff that improves their knowledge of how children learn and how to provide an ambitious and challenging play environment.30/04/2025 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff to extend opportunities for children to develop higher levels of imagination, exploration and creativity strengthen staff's use of effective questioning skills to give children more time to think and respond to questions and enable them to share their thoughts and ideas continue to strengthen partnerships with parents to find out what children already know and can do and what interests them so that teaching can be adapted accordingly.

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