Stanton Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are greeted by friendly staff who gather any information that they may need to know to support each child's day. Children are keen to be at pre-school and separate from their parents with ease. Staff know the children well and are responsive to their individual needs.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive individual, tailored support. Staff are well deployed and minimum adult-to-child ratios are maintained. Staff get down to the children's level, modelling how to use resources and extending children's knowledge and skills.

They understand the importance of supporting childr...en's emotional well-being. They build nurturing bonds with the children, who eagerly seek out the familiar staff to tell them their news and things of personal significance. Staff are always available for these positive interactions, which helps children to feel secure.

Staff take children's interests, as well as their ages and individual stages of development, into account as they plan learning experiences. Many of these are linked to themes and topics. There is a balance of focused learning, where children are taught key skills, and times for free play for children to explore and experiment within the learning environment.

Children are learning to be kind, to share and to take turns. They understand how to behave because staff act as good role models. Children follow simple pre-school rules.

Staff help children to remember how to behave as they embed these each day, reinforcing positive behaviour through praise and encouragement.

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

The pre-school is well led. All staff are well supported.

There is a focus on staff well-being and morale is high. Staff receive regular training opportunities, in-house and through an online training service and external training providers. Staff receive effective supervision and feedback to continuously improve.

Children are supported to be independent. Children know how to help themselves to a drink, remembering to keep hydrated. They understand about helping to tidy up.

Children learn how to wipe their nose, use the toilet, and wash and dry their hands. They find their coat peg and have a go at putting their coat on.Staff conduct daily risk assessments to ensure that the premises are safe and in a suitable condition.

Children benefit from spending time outside each day. Staff teach children about safety and how to negotiate the steps and the slide. The children know that they need to wait for their turn when using large equipment and how to test if a plank is stable enough to take their weight before they try to walk across it.

Staff support children to develop their communication and language skills. They provide commentary, pose simple questions and pause to give children time to respond. Staff introduce the children to many new words, such as 'magma' and 'mechanic', explaining what the words mean.

Staff support children who are slower to speak. They repeat words and phrases clearly, supporting children's correct pronunciation. Children are given time to practise their speaking skills and to express their thoughts and ideas at group times.

Children listen as staff read stories. They learn that by looking at a spine of a book they can find out what the book is about. Children have a range of opportunities to practise mark making and pre-writing skills, including using their own 'doodle diaries'.

Staff use the television solely for educational purposes. They use song and rhyme effectively to help children to learn to count in order and to use simple addition and subtraction. Children's mathematical language is further extended as staff talk about which footprint is bigger and the patterns that different shoes make, when playing in the sandpit.

In recent times, the pre-school has changed its approach. As a result, they require parents to provide all food and drink for the children. However, the staff do not provide sufficient guidance or messages to ensure that all children have a healthy diet while at pre-school.

In addition, staff do not ensure that all children receive clear and consistent messages that support healthy choices around food and drink.Parents who were spoken to speak highly of the care and learning that their children receive. They can have daily discussions with staff, and they receive some information via the pre-school's social media account.

Staff observe and assess children's progress. They are currently looking at ways to keep parents better informed of their children's progress, and to involve parents more in their children's learning. However, this has not yet been implemented.

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: nengage more closely with parents, to ensure that there is sufficient guidance and ensure that children receive clear and consistent messages that support healthy choices around food and drink nembed plans to improve ways that information is shared with all parents about their children's progress, and help parents to support and extend children's learning at home.

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