Tring Stepping Stones Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happily at the pre-school and settle into play quickly. They choose from a wide range of activities and resources that encourage them to explore and develop their imaginations.

For instance, some children explore how to make marks in flour, while others enjoy pretending to make meals in the well-resourced area for role play. Staff know children well and purposefully provide resources that reflect children's interests and individual stage of development. For example, children who are new to the pre-school can pursue their interests in playing with vehicles, both inside and outdoors.

Children behave well.... Staff give children clear and consistent messages that help them to understand what is expected of them. Children play cooperatively, take turns and share resources successfully.

Children build good relationships with their key person and with the other staff. These effective relationships help children to feel secure at the pre-school. Children are learning about how to develop healthy lifestyles, such as the importance of exercise and healthy food.

They are developing good physical skills, for instance skilfully balancing on a beam and using scissors and pencils effectively. These skills prepare children well for their future learning at school.

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

Staff take time to get to know the children and their families well.

They gain detailed information on what children can already do when they start to attend the pre-school. Staff plan effectively to help their individual key children successfully build on their existing knowledge and skills.Children are developing strong communication and language skills.

For example, they talk in detail about their experiences such as taking journeys on aeroplanes. Children demonstrate a strong understanding of the world. For example, they talk about countries and are able to link animals to different continents.

Staff set up high-quality learning environments each day. Children are excited to explore and they engage in effective learning. Staff place books in almost every area.

They explain how this helps children to enjoy stories or find further information linked to their play experiences.Staff make good use of outdoor play opportunities to teach children mathematics. For example, as children push cars down guttering pipes, staff explain how changing the angle of the guttering affects speed.

When children ride bikes, they talk about how they are making a circle as they ride around. Staff help them to think about what other shapes they could make, for instance if they pedal in straight lines.Staff work well in partnership with parents.

They establish an effective two-way flow of information that helps to promote consistency in children's care and learning. Parents' comments about the pre-school and staff are highly positive. They state that they feel well informed about their children's development and know how to support their learning at home.

Parents share that their children feel safe and that their needs are well met.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Staff work very closely with parents and other professionals to help them have the best knowledge of children's needs.

Staff readily undertake training to develop their knowledge and practical skills. This helps to ensure that children's educational and care needs are effectively met.The managers and staff regularly reflect on their practice and look for ways to continually improve.

They think carefully of how their ongoing plans will be of benefit to children.Staff turnover is low; despite this, the provider has rigorous recruitment procedures in place to help ensure staff are suitable to work with children. The provider has generally good systems in place to review staff's practice and to help them develop further.

However, the level of support for the managers is not as effective. For example, there are no individual supervision arrangements in place to support their ongoing development to the highest of standards.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a robust knowledge and understanding of the signs and symptoms that may indicate children are at risk of harm. They know how to report these concerns to relevant safeguarding agencies. Staff regularly complete safeguarding training and give high priority to ensuring children are safe.

New knowledge that staff gain from training is shared at staff meetings to help all staff to increase their knowledge and skills. Managers continually reflect on their policies and procedures in line with local area intelligence.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build further on the existing supervision arrangements for managers and staff to enhance the quality of teaching and practice to the highest of standards.