Saint Chad’s Anglican Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are keen, happy learners. Staff offer children a good selection of interesting activities to support their learning.

They assess children regularly and determine what they need to learn next. Children are suitably challenged and make good progress. Staff provide good opportunities for children to develop their creative skills.

For example, children work with a wide range of textures and materials to create collages and use flexible resources, such as recyclable materials, to build models. Staff help children to learn about the world around them. For instance, children take part in a doctor's surgery pretend pl...ay where staff teach them about stethoscopes as they play cooperatively together to create stories.

Staff support children's early literacy skills well. They use interesting props as they read stories to children, who happily make comments on the story. Children learn to match letters and sounds through fun activities and many can recognise their names.

However, on occasions, children can be distracted during group times, affecting their concentration and listening skills. Children learn to respect themselves and each other and to take turns and share well. Nevertheless, staff have not fully developed ways of children exercising their free choice, for instance in the selection of toys and resources.

Children gain good physical skills as they run, climb and learn to balance in the spacious outdoor area. Staff place a particular focus in this area of learning by enabling all children to use the outdoor area at any time.

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

Staff help children to gain good communication and language skills.

They speak in clear sentences, sing songs and rhymes, and question children effectively.Staff teach children good early mathematical skills. Children count securely, know shape names and can use words such as 'big' or 'small' to describe size.

Children benefit from warm, caring relationships with the staff. They get to know the children well and provide familiar routines and activities linked to their interests to help them settle effectively. Staff interact with children in positive ways, for example by smiling, through eye contact and by using warm tones of voice.

They teach children about their emotions so that they learn to understand themselves and each other.Children gain good independence skills. For instance, they select their own place sets at snack time, serve themselves and pour their own drinks.

Children have a good understanding of how to behave in safe ways. They know that they need to sit down when eating and that they must walk around the nursery sensibly.Staff understand how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities in their learning and development.

They know the importance of assessing the child regularly and making plans with targets which are reviewed frequently. Staff ensure that they have regular meetings with parents to exchange information in order to support their children's learning effectively.Staff have established successful partnerships with parents.

They keep them regularly informed of their children's progress and offer good ways to support learning at home. For instance, staff invite parents to take part in a language scheme where they carry out home activities to support children's development in this area.The manager supports staff effectively.

She checks their workloads at regular individual meetings and discusses their work and training needs. Staff have attended a course on music which led to imaginative ways for them to support children's listening and expressive arts skills. The manager also supports staff at other settings by offering advice on how to support children's communication and language skills effectively.

Staff teach children healthy ways to behave, such as responding to daily physical challenges and eating nutritious meals and snacks.Staff help children to gain good sharing skills. For instance, as children take part in simple board games, they learn to take turns and they speak and listen in turn when involved in group discussions.

Staff plan a wide variety of interesting activities. However, opportunities for children to select resources of their own choice have not been fully developed.While children are placed in groups that meet their needs, there are times when children become distracted by noise and this affects their concentration and listening skills.

The programme of activities is planned well and the manager has ambitious goals for children's achievements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff know the signs and symptoms to be aware of if they have concerns regarding a child's welfare.

They know procedures to follow to deal with their concerns, and staff have regular training to keep their knowledge up to date. The manager ensures that all staff go through comprehensive background checks as part of good safeguarding practice.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop more ways for children to be able to access a wider range of resources for themselves review the organisation of some group activities to ensure that children do not become distracted from their learning.