Tiny Turtles Preschool Paulsgrove

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children happily arrive at the pre-school and are warmly greeted by staff. Children hang their coats and bags up before entering the main hall, where they explore the activities staff have organised.

For example, children enjoying dressing up and engaging in role play with each other. Children confidently move between the play spaces and access the resources they need. Staff deploy themselves well to supervise children's play.

However, the quality of teaching is variable. Staff do not always engage children in meaningful learning during their play, or support children to embed their skills. In addition, staff do not fully... support children's language development.

Staff encourage all children to sit together at the start of the session. Children enjoy singing and staff encourage children to say good morning to each other. Children enjoy playing outside.

Staff encourage children to practise mark making. For example, they draw pictures of spiders and ladybirds using chalk and suggest children look for real-life insects in the garden. Children have the opportunity to practise their physical skills.

For example, they move plastic guttering to create structures and attempt to throw balls into basketball nets.

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

The area manager for the group of settings is currently managing the pre-school. She has made a number of improvements to the day-to-day running of the pre-school, including the support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

This is starting to have a positive impact on children's learning and development, and on staff morale and well-being.Staff feel supported in their roles and report that they feel the manager is making positive changes. The manager is aware that supervision sessions are overdue.

She speaks to staff regularly about the routines and their roles and responsibilities. However, not all staff are aware of the individual needs of the children they support, including if they have any external agencies involved in their learning. This has an impact on how well staff support all children and the quality of the education being provided.

Staff take time to get to know the children and their families when they start. They monitor children's progress and identify individual learning targets for children. However, there are inconsistencies in the quality of the education for children.

For example, staff are not clear about how to sequence planned activities to focus and extend children's learning.Staff build positive relationships with parents and carers. They speak to parents about the activities their children enjoy.

Parents report that they feel informed about what their children are learning. The manager organises parent open days throughout the year, where parents can experience the activities their children take part in.Staff encourage children to recall past experiences.

For example, they ask children questions about activities they have previously taken part in, such as finding insects in the garden. However, staff do not focus sufficiently enough on supporting and encouraging children's spoken language. They do not give children enough time to answer questions they have asked.

In addition, staff ask questions that are not always age-appropriate for the children they are looking after.Staff identify children's emotional needs well. They acknowledge older children's worries, and talk to them about their feelings and emotions.

For example, they ask children about various events, such as going to school and how they think they might feel.Children enjoy healthy snacks at the pre-school and bring in their own packed lunches. At lunchtime, children know they need to find their lunch box and choose where they want to sit.

Staff encourage children to open their own packets and containers, and provide support to children where necessary. This helps children to develop their independence.

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 meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date implement effective supervision sessions that provide support, coaching and training for all staff, to ensure that they offer quality learning and development experiences for all children.22/06/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nembed staff practice to ensure planned activities are well sequenced, ambitious and build on what children know and can do in order to maximise their learning strengthen staff understanding of how to support children's communication and language development effectively, particularly for younger children.