Seedlings Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are warmly welcomed into the pre-school by friendly and engaging staff.

Extra reassurance is given, when needed, to help children to settle and join in with the exciting range of activities on offer. The enthusiastic staff work well together to plan the curriculum. They accurately use their assessments from frequent observations to ensure that they provide opportunities to help children successfully achieve the next steps in their learning.

Children have strong bonds with their key persons and benefit from staff who are attuned to their needs and act as positive role models. This helps children to understand t...he high expectations for their behaviour and prepares them well for future learning. Children are kind and considerate of others and have formed good friendships with their peers.

Children are happy and confident at the pre-school. Babies delight as they explore the different textures of flour, uncooked spaghetti and wooden toys, placed together in a large tray. Toddlers show increasing levels of concentration as they learn how to successfully use scissors to cut paper.

Older children enthusiastically count down from 10 and pretend to be rocket ships launching into space. There is lots of laughter and staff are keen for children to enjoy their time at this nurturing and inclusive pre-school.

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

The leadership team has a clear vision and shows great passion for giving children the best start in their learning.

Since moving to their present site, they have made improvements to the setting, and further changes have been started. As a result, the pre-school is a valuable and highly regarded asset to the community.Partnerships with parents and carers are very strong.

They talk positively about the progress their children make, particularly in their confidence and language development. Parents comment that there is a 'family' atmosphere and value the regular updates about what their children have been learning.The dedicated managers support staff well and there is a strong team ethos.

Generally, the quality of teaching is very good. However, some less-confident staff could be supported more in their roles. This would help to further improve all staff's knowledge and understanding of how to effectively deliver a high-quality and ambitious curriculum.

Children enjoy their time in the outside play areas. For example, pre-school children excitedly look for picture cards hidden by staff. Children show they can recognise numerals as they match the numbered frogs to the correct lily pad.

However, further development of the outside play area is required to enable children to develop their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning.The special educational needs coordinator shows a high level of commitment to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included into the setting. Staff work closely with parents and have developed highly effective links with other professionals.

Targeted interventions are in place to promote children's development. This helps to provide a consistent approach to all children's care and learning.Staff give children's communication and language development a high priority.

They model language well. For example, staff speak clearly to children, ask questions and give them time to respond. Children are strong communicators and are confident to share their ideas and observations.

Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyles. They provide children with a good range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. Older children learn simple cooking skills in the refurbished kitchen, supported by an enthusiastic cook.

Children brush their teeth after lunch, promoting the importance of oral health.Children enjoy regular outings to an allotment, local woods and beaches. The staff team includes fully qualified forest school leaders, who are very keen for all children to explore the natural environment and learn in it.

For example, young children are carried in backpacks and this allows them to have a better view of leaves and birds in trees. Older children talk about and vote for which food crops should be grown in the allotment.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff attend regular training to gain a good knowledge of safeguarding and participate in regular discussions to consolidate their understanding. They follow procedures in place to record and report any concerns they might have. Managers share information with other professionals working with families to help promote children's welfare.

There are robust recruitment processes in place to ensure that all staff working with children are suitable. Leaders and managers understand the importance of supporting staff's physical and emotional well-being. Staff teach children road safety skills.

For example, children learn the importance of following the rules of the 'walking bus'. This helps children to keep themselves and others safe when on outings.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nexplore professional development opportunities for less-confident staff to support them to further improve their knowledge and understanding of how to deliver a high-quality and ambitious curriculum review the use of the outside play areas to provide better opportunities for children to develop their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning.

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