Seer Green Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children show that they really enjoy coming to this pre-school.

Children are confident and happily leave their parents at the main door. They quickly become engaged in the range of inviting activities available. Children have secure attachments with staff, who are kind, caring and nurturing.

Staff encourage children to share and take turns and this helps them to develop good personal and social skills.Children behave well and have good attitudes to learning. They listen to instructions attentively, for example, when they line up after games in the hall.

Children enjoy playing alongside their friends during rol...e play. They collaborate well as they put food on plates in the home corner. They enjoy taking on additional responsibilities, such as cutting up fruit at snack time.

Staff encourage children to pour their own drinks and choose what activities they would like to do. Mealtimes are social occasions, where children and staff eat together. Staff use this routine to teach children about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Children become increasingly independent returning their plates and cups after snack and managing their own personal care. Children are very well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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

The strong leadership team are experienced, knowledgeable and understand how children learn and develop.

They are passionate about their setting and have a clear vision for the future of the pre-school. Staff feel well supported and they have regular training, which is effective in improving outcomes for children. For example, staff have accessed sign language training.

This is now used with children to aid their communication.Partnership with parents is strong. Parents warmly describe the friendliness of the staff team and how happy their children are to attend the pre-school.

Staff provide parents with regular updates about their child's progress. For example, they hold parents' meetings, provide daily discussions and use an online system to share information. This approach also affords parents opportunities to contribute to what their child is learning at home.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator works effectively with parents and professionals involved in the children's care to fully support them to achieve.Children's communication and language skills are promoted effectively.

Staff use descriptive language and talk to children as they play. This helps to give meaning to what children are doing and ensures they hear a wide variety of words. Staff read enthusiastically to children and encourage them to consider what happens next.

However, during some activities staff do not always use effective questioning techniques to support children to solve problems for themselves. For example, when children build with large bricks and have difficulties, staff step in too quickly to help. This is not fully effective in supporting children's resilience.

Staff provide many activities to help children to develop early writing skills. This helps to strengthen the small muscles in their hands. Children construct buildings with blocks and use hammers to secure shapes with tacks.

However, staff do not take advantage of opportunities to further extend children's learning in mathematics, such as extending their understanding of capacity as they play with water.Staff use resources in the local community to extend children's learning. Children experience the natural environment, for example, during forest school sessions and while walking around the local area.

This helps children to develop an awareness of the world around them.The leadership team have a clear vision for the pre-school and regularly reflect upon the quality of the provision. They make changes to the environment to suit children's learning needs.

For instance, the outside area has been enhanced by the addition of raised beds and a small picnic area. This helps to support children's understanding of the world. The leadership team gather the views of parents, committee members, staff and children about the setting.

They use this information effectively to drive improvements and enrich outcomes for children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff, including the designated safeguarding lead, demonstrate a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities to protect children and keep them safe.

All staff receive regular training in safeguarding, including the 'Prevent' duty. The leadership team ensure staff's safeguarding knowledge is kept up to date, for example, through discussions during team meetings and regular quizzes. Staff maintain a suitable environment for children.

They complete appropriate safety checks to minimise potential hazards. The leadership team ensures that all staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop staff questioning techniques to effectively support children to come up with and share their own ideas to solve problems nextend children's good mathematical skills, supporting staff to recognise and build on the opportunities that occur in children's everyday play and activity.

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