The Sparrow’s Nest Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children develop very good social skills, make friendships with their peers and are considerate of the needs of others.

Children behave very well and are extremely cooperative as they play with other children. Staff have the highest expectations and sensitively support children to develop an understanding of themselves and their feelings, that they strongly embed into practice. Children see adults who are polite and courteous towards each other and, therefore, learn to behave in this way themselves.

Staff skilfully guide children to show sensitivity to others' needs and feelings and to form positive relationship...s with other children.Parents offer the highest praise for this setting. They commend the 'dedicated and patient' staff.

Parents provide extremely positive comments that they are always 'kept in the know'. They have daily discussions at the entrance with staff regarding planning and learning intentions. Parents also have secure access to their children's online assessment records to support children's learning at home.

They comment that they feel confident and assured that their children are receiving 'a wonderful journey' through their early years.Leaders are sensitive to the impact that COVID-19 (coronavirus) may have had on the children and their families, and on staff. They offer flexible and sensitive support to staff as they return to work.

They have made thoughtful adaptations for children's arrival and entry to the pre-school, to promote the continued safety for all with minimal disruption to children's experiences.

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

Staff and the management team work expertly together to deliver challenging and engaging activities that meet all children's individual needs. They have a shared determination to maintain high-quality teaching and learning continuously.

Staff diligently monitor the curriculum, children's progress and areas where development is delayed. This leads to unique early interventions, such as targeted groups to support children's listening, attention and language skills. The staff team all know each child extremely well and can support their individual learning needs.

Consequently, gaps in children's learning are quickly closed. All children make excellent progress and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) reach their potential.Children are confident, curious and deeply engage in the wealth of activities provided.

They thrive in the setting and take delight in the rich, varied and imaginative activities on offer. Children have ample opportunities to play and learn outside. They thoroughly enjoy water play as they tip and pour water into containers.

Staff offer highly effective support to children and model new language expertly, introducing new words, such as 'empty' and 'full'. This helps younger children to develop an early understanding of volume and widen their mathematical understanding. Children use a pincer grip confidently to grasp water beads to fill bottles.

Staff praise children for their clever thinking when children count the water beads collected and calculate simple mathematical problems with great aptitude.Children have excellent opportunities to discover the world around them and to explore their imaginations. For example, older children show great interest and concentration while investigating snails, noting how they move and the patterns on the shells.

They use chalk to draw a road system on the floor for the snails to move along. Children learn to care for living things. They prepare a bed of lettuce leaves that they have grown in the setting to see if the snails will eat them.

Children who speak English as an additional language swiftly become confident communicators in both their home language and English. The key persons' excellent knowledge of children's home experiences and language significantly enhances children's understanding and use of English. Many of the staff are multilingual and support children's home language as well as English exceptionally well.

All children develop confidence in their language and communication skills.Staff promote healthy living superbly. Children make their own obstacle course outdoors, engage in weekly sports sessions, grow a variety of vegetables and learn about healthy foods during snack times.

They talk about why fresh watermelons are healthy. Staff teach children about personal safety. For instance, they talk with children about the safe use of knives as they help to prepare the watermelons for snack.

Staff well-being is of paramount importance to the management team. Staff commend the leaders of the setting for their continuous support and appreciation. Leaders encourage staff to follow their interests and passions.

They provide staff with unrestricted access to new training opportunities. Staff value this and continually strive to improve their own practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure children's safety and welfare is given the highest priority. All staff have a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding and their individual responsibilities to protect children. They are extremely well versed in the procedures to follow in response to any concerns they may have about a child.

Staff receive in-depth training. As a result, all members of staff have a secure safeguarding knowledge, including the impact that wider safeguarding issues, such as child exploitation and drug trafficking, have on young children and their families. Ratios are always maintained and the very well-deployed staff are diligent in their supervision of children.