Smart Start Wistow Community Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive at the pre-school happy, settled and confident. They are eager to attend and leave parents with ease.

Children are greeted by staff who take a keen interest in any information that children what to share. They ensure that time is made available for any follow up play or suggestions. Children are able to access all areas within the room and make independent choices about where they wish to play.

Children have a positive attitude to learning and are eager to explore the interesting range of resources offered. For example, they explore with stones as they post them down the tube. They discuss what happens ...when they remove the tube and how the stones will drop.

Staff have high expectations of children. They have a good knowledge of their abilities and are consistent in their support, to ensure children learn through play. Staff skilfully promote children's communication and language skills.

For example, they enhance children's learning during mathematical activities with well-chosen questions. They encourage children to learn new vocabulary and to solve problems and think of new ideas during activities. Children behave well and are kind and considerate to others.

They take on responsibility in the pre-school and help to tidy away toys at the end of each session.

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

Partnerships with parents are well developed. Parents spoken to during the inspection said they are kept informed about their children's progress and development.

They are also able to access online records to view their children's development. Parents say that they feel 'the door is always open' for them to talk to the manager and staff. Parents' sessions are held to enable a more in-depth discussion.

Staff talk to parents about what children enjoy at home and use this information when planning.Staff organise an inviting learning environment for children, indoors and outside. Children quickly become engaged in purposeful learning, and are keen to try new activities.

For instance, they enjoy using different resources to transfer water into sand, as they gain good coordination skills. Children concentrate well during activities and persevere when learning is challenging. Staff praise children as they attempt new tasks, such as putting their coats on independently.

This helps children to develop good levels of self-esteem and contributes to their 'can-do' attitudes to learning.Many staff are well qualified and they are supported effectively in gaining further qualifications. All staff access regular safeguarding and first-aid training.

The manager has an ambitious but realistic vision for the setting. Staff feel involved in decisions that affect their practice and they have time out of the sessions to update children's progress records. The manager gives high priority to promoting staff's well-being and monitoring their workloads.

However, the manager does not fully review the achievements of all children to ensure that everyone makes the best possible progress.Children's emotional well-being is given a high priority and the key-person system is extremely effective. Children's changing needs are discussed with parents and the staff team.

As a result, everyone knows the children very well, new children are very well settled and all children's behaviour is very good.Children enjoy a wide range of additional activities that not only support their physical development but help them develop other skills to support their future learning. For example, yoga sessions help children to develop self-confidence and mindfulness, while sessions are available to support children's understanding of French.

During snack children count in English and French.Children enjoy listening to stories individually and in groups. They enjoy joining in with parts of the story they know, talking about what they can see in the pictures.

Staff place books in all areas of the setting to extend children's knowledge. Children develop good literacy skills. They recognise letters from their name and are able to talk about what other things start with the same letter.

However, sometimes, the strategies used by staff to support children's early writing skills are not fully effective.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and her staff team have a very good understanding safeguarding.

They understand the setting procedures and also the local procedures should they need to make a referral. Staff know and understand their role and responsibility to ensure that children are kept safe and protected. Staff are vigilant and ensure that all safety issues are addressed within the building.

They understand how to support children to take risks and also to play safely. For example, children understand that the pebbles on the floor create a hazard and are quick to start to pick these up.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimplement more effective strategies to support and extend children's early writing skills review the achievements of all children, to ensure that everyone makes the best possible progress.