The Peartree Kindergarten

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents do not come into the setting but hand their children over to staff at the door. Children readily separate from their main carer and come into the setting happily.

They develop good relationships with staff and confidently go to them for support with activities, reassurance and a cuddle. Children behave well. Staff are careful to ensure that the established routines for babies are continued.

This helps to promote a sense of belonging for babies and supports them to feel safe and settled.Children benefit from interesting activities across the areas of learning. Staff ba...se some activities on children's interests.

However, they also introduce topics that children might not know about, which ignites new interests and challenges children's learning. For example, staff have introduced the topic of 'outer space'. Children are inspired by this, and staff supplement activities with books and stories.

Children learn that books can be both fiction and non-fiction. Staff chat to children as they play and learn. Children practise physical skills as they handle 'moon dough' and explore the texture.

Staff introduce additional items, such as lollipop sticks, googly eyes and star-shaped cutters. This supports children's individual creativity effectively.

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

Since the last inspection, the outdoor area has been improved to ensure that those children who learn best outdoors are able to do so.

The children particularly enjoy playing outdoors and staff ensure that they are able to access activities across all areas of learning when outside.Staff know the children well and talk confidently about where they are in their learning. Staff know what children need to learn next and organise the curriculum to meet children's individual learning needs.

Staff are aware of the intention of activities and what they want the children to achieve.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. The member of staff responsible for coordinating the care and learning for these children is knowledgeable and passionate about her role, which helps to ensure that they make the best possible progress.

Staff engage children in conversation, repeat back what they say and introduce new vocabulary, such as when playing a shopping game together. They use signing and pictorial prompts to support children's developing understanding. However, children who speak English as an additional language do not have regular opportunities to use their home language in the setting.

Staff do not know key words to enable them to respond readily to children's requests and needs.Overall, children are supported well to develop the key skills needed for school.They learn to manage their own hygiene needs, such as washing their hands.

Children are taught to use cutlery and manage their own self-care needs, such as putting on their own coat and shoes.Children are helped to understand what is expected of them. For example, when a child wants a wheeled toy, a member of staff gently explains to him that he needs to wait for his turn.

Older children take part in games that require taking turns. Staff encourage children to work together, such as helping each other to use crates to build a 'bridge' across a puddle in the garden.The management team has a clear vision for the development of the setting to bring about the highest-quality care and learning experience for children.

Staff have regular supervision meetings to support their well-being, monitor their practice and tackle underperformance. There is a programme of professional development to further improve practice.The management team ensures that children receive any additional funding that they are entitled to.

However, they do not seek parents' views on how the early years pupil premium could be best spent, to promote the best possible progress for their children.Overall, staff work well with parents. Parents describe staff as 'friendly' and 'caring'.

Staff work together with them and encourage them to remain actively involved in their children's learning in the setting and at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to protect the welfare of children.

They are aware of the indicators of abuse and know how to report concerns. Staff are confident about the process to follow. There is an effective whistle-blowing procedure to ensure that they know how to report concerns about colleagues.

The management team is clear about the procedure to manage an allegation against staff, to ensure that the necessary action is followed. Effective recruitment and selection procedures are implemented to ensure that those working with children are suitable to do so.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support children who speak English as an additional language to feel confident to use their home language in the setting ninvolve parents in decisions about how the early years pupil premium funding for their children is spent.