Swineshead Pre School Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children build up very emotionally secure relationships with the caring and thoughtful staff.

Children of all ages play harmoniously together. They learn to share, take turns and to be kind and helpful to one another. When children arrive, they are happy and settle quickly.

Children demonstrate that they feel safe. Older children show their understanding of rules and boundaries when they join forest school sessions. They know that if they carry a small stick they can do this by themselves and if they carry a large stick they need help from a friend.

The manager and staff have high expectations of children. Sta...ff thoughtfully plan attractive and well-organised activities for children. This helps to spark children's curiosity and a desire to explore further.

Children have unique opportunities to learn about objects. They feel the texture of dead fish and talk about what they see, for example how the scales on the fish look like the stripes of a zebra. Staff introduce the names of the fish they explore, such as 'sea bass', 'sea bream' and 'mackerel'.

Children learn new words, helping to extend their vocabulary. The manager and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities extremely well. They work closely with other professionals to plan programmes that meet children's individual needs.

For instance, staff have attended training to enable them to meet children's care needs.

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

The manager is highly qualified and knowledgeable. She is a good role model for staff and supports them well.

The manager carries out individual meetings and speaks to staff regularly about how they can develop their practice. Staff have access to a range of professional development opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. Their practice and interactions with children are generally good across the nursery but are not yet consistently outstanding.

Staff have developed good relationships with parents. Information boards in the entrance hall show parents a wealth of information to help them support their children. Parents have opportunities to borrow books and story bags to support their children's learning at home.

Parents express how happy they are with their children's care. They say that staff always speak to them at the end of the day to share their children's achievements.The manager oversees the monitoring of all children's progress.

She is currently working with staff to build on children's communication and language skills. For example, the manager is extending the period of time children spend at group activities to help develop their listening and attention skills. This helps children in preparation for future learning and for their eventual move on to school.

Staff support children's speaking skills well. When younger children show enjoyment as they explore real car seats and a dashboard, staff ask them a good range of questions that encourage them to think and speak. Children talk confidently about their knowledge of where they take a car to get it fixed.

The manager uses her excellent knowledge of children and their families to provide opportunities to enhance the experiences that children receive at home. This is particularly evident for those children who are disadvantaged. The manager places a strong emphasis on helping children to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

For example, she asks parents to contribute to providing healthy snacks for their children. Children have opportunities to develop their understanding of how food grows. The manager provides opportunities for parents to provide nutritious foods for their children at home.

Staff actively promote positive behaviour. They give children plenty of praise and encouragement and a 'thumbs up'. This helps to raise children's self-esteem and confidence.

Staff encourage children to complete simple tasks that help to promote their independence. For example, older children help to tidy away cups and bowls after lunchtime. This helps to give them a sense of responsibility.

Staff use appropriate strategies to support those children who speak English as an additional language. Children have opportunities to sit, listen and observe other children. Staff provide opportunities for children to learn about their own cultures and beliefs and those of others.

This contributes to children's sense of belonging.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager uses robust recruitment procedures to make sure that staff are suitable for their roles.

Staff gather information about who can collect children. They ask for passwords from people they do not know. This ensures that children do not leave their care with a person unknown to their parents.

This contributes to children's safety. The manager works tirelessly with other agencies. This helps to ensure children's safety.

Staff understand their responsibility to promote children's safety. They carry out risk assessments to help ensure that the environment is safe for children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nidentify opportunities to further staff's professional development, to raise the good levels of practice and interactions with children to consistently outstanding levels.