St James’ Pre-School (Petts Wood)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive enthusiastically and greet staff warmly. They explore the wide variety of activities and quickly become engrossed, demonstrating increasing levels of concentration.

Children form confident relationships with staff. Children who are new to the setting are closely supported and encouraged by the nurturing staff team. Children show that they feel safe at pre-school.

They know where to find their peg to hang their coat and find their name as they arrive. Children get the encouragement they need to build on their individual interests and make good developmental progress, including children with special educa...tional needs and/or disabilities. Staff are excellent role models; they are gentle, kind and respectful in their interactions, although sometimes their questioning misses opportunities to extend children's thinking.

Children thoroughly enjoy playing outside, where staff provide numerous opportunities to explore and investigate. For example, children use their imagination well as they use wooden blocks to construct buildings. Staff encourage mathematical language asking, 'How many more do we need?' and, 'How can we make it taller and shorter?' They use magnifying glasses to search for bugs.

Children practise early writing skills as they make marks in paint using vehicles. They behave well. Children enthusiastically enjoy group activities, although not all remain fully engaged in the activity.

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

The manager has high expectations for all children. Comprehensive self-evaluation, informed by staff and parents' views and children's progress, helps to identify areas for development. This leads to continuous improvement.

Arrangements to support and mentor new staff are effective. Staff benefit from a well-established programme of training and development. They are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their roles.

Children demonstrate good levels of confidence and independence, even though many are very new to the setting. The staff provide a safe and welcoming environment that supports children's emotional security very well. For example, staff use a visual timetable well to help prepare children for changes of routine.

Staff support children's developing communication and language skills. For example, staff enthusiastically joined children in the garden looking at the bugs they had found; children eagerly talked with staff about the snail's hard shell. However, some opportunities are missed by staff to use questions to extend children's learning and communication skills further.

The quality of teaching is generally strong. However, on occasions, some large-group activities are not well organised, with staff not recognising when children lose interest and become distracted.Staff are committed and enthusiastic.

They engage well with children, using their interests to plan and adapt activities to suit their individual abilities.Children enjoy a broad range of activities that help them to make good progress and take the next steps in their learning. For example, children practise balancing and coordination when using stepping stones and balance beams.

The stimulating and inviting environment indoors and outside enables children to involve themselves fully in activities that promote their learning and development well. The resources are of good quality and staff regularly review activities that children enjoy and adapt the environment accordingly.Partnerships with parents are a strong aspect of the setting.

Staff work very well with parents to ensure they know and understand how their children are developing, providing good opportunities for learning to continue at home. The staff team builds on learning from home. For example, staff support children to enjoy a healthy lifestyle through healthy snack time and regular visits from the dentist.

Staff place a strong focus on children's interest in books and reading. Staff encourage children to repeat familiar phrases and copy actions during stories, which they enjoy.The key-person system is effective and staff know their key children really well.

The close liaison between key staff and parents provides a consistent approach to children's care, learning and behaviour.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager ensures that staff understand how to recognise and respond to a broad range of signs and symptoms of concern about children.

Staff clearly explain how to take action to protect children. They attend training and have regular discussions with their managers and each other to share any concerns they may have about children in their care. They know how and when to report any concerns to relevant agencies.

This promotes children's safety and well-being. The manager has a rigorous recruitment procedure and a thorough induction programme to ensure staff are suitable for the job and have the necessary skills to work effectively in the setting.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the use of questioning to encourage children to think and communicate their responses nensure that all children are consistently engaged in activities.

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