Rudgwick Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and settle quickly when they arrive in the morning.

They have a good understanding of the routine and what staff expect. For example, they put their belongings away and sit down for registration time. Children have secure attachments with staff; they seek them out for affection and reassurance and also to be part of their play.

This demonstrates that children feel safe and secure. Staff know children well and plan and provide an interesting environment for them to explore. For example, due to some of the children's current interests involving play dough, staff scent the dough to encourage children to... use their senses and provide different utensils for them to strengthen their small muscles.

Parents speak highly of the staff and state how well they have supported their children over the years. There is a very secure sense of community within the setting and staff work effectively with parents, which helps to support and promote children's emotional well-being. Children behave well and understand the importance of showing kindness and consideration towards others.

They have secure friendships with each other and play happily. Children's relationships with each other are truly heart-warming. They play extremely well together and are also proud of their friends' achievements and praise them.

For example, a child created a dome out of shapes and his friend responded, 'well done! Let's do a high five!' Staff are positive role models. They treat children with respect, provide lots of praise and encouragement, and take time to listen to their thoughts and ideas. Children are truly valued and celebrated as individuals.

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

Children are very much involved in the setting and taught to take responsibility for themselves and the environment. For example, they help to clean their table before sitting down for snack and then collect their food items from the tray. Staff explain that they teach children about the importance of recycling and looking after the environment.

Children put their milk cartons into the recycling bin and their food waste into the compost bin.Staff have secure attachments with all of the children and the key-person system is effective. Staff know each child's individual interests and can confidently explain their next steps in learning and the good progress they have made from their first assessment.

However, staff do not gather as much information as possible from parents when children start to ensure that they have a secure understanding of what children already know and their current stage of development. This means that individual planning is not initially accurate enough.Recruitment procedures are effective.

The manager and committee ensure that all staff complete an induction and are fully supported at all times. Regular supervision meetings and annual appraisals enable staff to discuss their practice and identify training needs to help them strengthen their skills further.Children have a real love of books, which staff nurture extremely well.

Children listen intently as staff read with excellent enthusiasm and intonation. Children spend long periods of time exploring books with staff and use their imaginations to describe what they think is going to happen next. This helps prepare children for their next stage of learning and develop their early reading skills in preparation for school.

Children have lots of opportunities to be creative. They enjoy using a variety of craft materials to make paper chains to decorate the room. Staff allow children time to explore the resources and make independent decisions about what they would like to do.

Children are proud of their achievements and staff praise them enthusiastically for their efforts. Children's pieces of work are displayed within the setting, which helps promote a sense of belonging.Managers, staff and the committee are highly reflective.

Since their last inspection, they have worked hard to develop opportunities for children to strengthen their mathematical language and skills. For example, they have purchased more resources, such as calculators, dice, textured numbers and print, which children now use confidently during their play. This has had a positive impact on children's mathematical development.

Children have constant opportunities to gain fresh air and exercise. They have continuous access to the garden which enables them to decide where their learning takes place. In addition to the well-resourced garden, children have lots of outings to explore the local area and learn about the local community.

For example, they visit the library, restaurants and soft-play centre. This helps to develop children's knowledge and understanding of others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the procedures to follow should they have concerns about children's safety or well-being. The manager places high regard towards safeguarding training. For example, she ensures that all staff refresh their training regularly and that child protection procedures are discussed during staff meetings and supervision sessions.

Staff understand the importance of risk assessing the environment and resources to ensure that hazards are minimised. Children take part in fire drills throughout the year, which helps develop their knowledge of how to keep themselves safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove systems for gathering and obtaining information from parents, to help clearly identify children's starting points and enable staff to have a secure understanding of what children already know.

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