St. John’s Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children confidently enter the preschool. They run in eagerly and say 'hello' to the staff. They know the routine and what to expect on arrival which supports children to feel confident and secure as they know what is expected of them.

Additionally, staff use strategies such as visual timetables to help children, including those with English as an additional language and special educational needs and/or disabilities, to understand what is coming next. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children are supported well to manage their emotions.

Staff talk to them and read stories that help children to understand ho...w they are feeling. For example, while listening to a story about emotions, staff help children to make the connection between feeling 'yellow' and happy. This has a positive impact on children and is reflected in their good behaviour.

This prepares them well for future learning.Children learn about healthy lifestyles. For instance, at mealtimes, staff talk to them about the importance of eating nutritious food, such as fruit.

Furthermore, children spend long periods of time enjoying the exciting and stimulating outdoor learning area, where they benefit from fresh air. Staff plan activities to help children develop their physical skills, such as strengthening their leg muscles when they use the swings and see-saw.

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

The manager and staff have a good understanding of what they want to children to learn.

The curriculum is sequenced well and builds on what children know. For example, staff have introduced the names of plants and flowers as children play in the garden centre role play area. To extend the learning further, children sow and grow their own seeds.

Children develop a love of books and enhance their early reading skills. Staff read stories to children in an exciting and engaging way. This is demonstrated when children listen attentively as a member of staff narrates and sings the story of the 'Three Billy Goats Gruff'.

Furthermore, children enthusiastically join in as they knock sticks together to make the noise of the goats going over the bridge.Staff closely monitor children's development. They use assessment well to plan children's next steps in learning.

However, these are not always shared with parents when they are updated. This means that at times staff do not make sure parents are fully informed about what their child is ready to learn next, so they can continue this at home.Staff promote children's self-esteem and confidence well.

For instance, they help children to celebrate their achievements, such as giving them a sticker when they demonstrate their good writing skills.Children form strong bonds with their key person. Additionally, staff get to know all the children in the preschool well.

This enables children to feel safe and secure with all adults in the absence of their key person.Staff are very caring and frequently check in with children throughout the day to see how they are feeling. This helps to assure children's emotional well-being.

Staff plan effectively to ensure children have a wide variety of ways to explore and investigate. The activities and resources help to improve children's concentration and support them to take risks which helps to build their resilience. For example, children persist with balancing on planks and tyres until they can successfully walk from one end to another.

Staff support children to learn about the wider world and celebrate diversity. For example, children have painted paper plate faces which reflect people from all around the world. Furthermore, it helps children to begin to understand their own uniqueness.

Staff feel well supported by the new manager. They report that she regularly checks on their well-being and workload. However, supervision and performance management processes do not always precisely identify staff training needs, to improve the quality of teaching even further.

The manager has a clear vision for the preschool. She evaluates the service which helps her to identify areas for development. For example, the staff team have reviewed the environment to better support the needs of children and make best use of space.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review and improve arrangements for sharing information with parents about their child's progress and next steps, to fully support home learning strengthen processes for supervision and staff performance monitoring to help identify training needs of staff to raise the quality of teaching even further.