West Derby Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are excited to enter the pre-school. Staff give young children lots of cuddles and children separate easily from their parents/carers. Staff enquire about how they are, and children quickly settle and join their friends.

This helps children to form strong attachments. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and conduct. They model positive attitudes and attend swiftly to children's needs.

Children begin to learn to express and manage their own feelings. They begin to understand how their feelings and behaviours have an impact on others. Staff enthusiastically engage children in a variety of exper...iences that support their learning.

Children play outside freely and enjoy the time to develop their large-muscle skills. For example, they run in a large open space, smiling with their friends. Staff help children to develop their small-muscle and handwriting skills through a range of planned tasks.

For example, children spend time using scissors and manipulating dough. Staff excitedly read stories, which promotes children's positive attitudes to reading. Staff understand the importance of focusing on children's communication and language development.

In addition, funding has been spent effectively to enhance children's individual development. For instance, a sensory area has been tailored to support all children to acquire a range of skills in preparation for going to school.

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

Leaders possess a clear vision and drive to provide the highest quality of education and care.

They have ambitious aspirations for children and staff, such as improving the lending library experience for children. Leaders are highly motivated to support children and their families. They work with the children's centre to identify extra services available for families, for example providing information to promote a healthy diet and safety online.

Staff are highly qualified. Leaders regularly observe the quality of teaching and provide access to training which meets the needs of the children they work with. For instance, staff attend specific, targeted talk training for children with speech delay.

Staff show what they have learned in their practice, with good outcomes for children.Staff's interactions with children across the pre-school are warm and caring. They know children well, through their ongoing assessments, observations and discussions with parents.

Staff use this knowledge to help identify children's next steps in learning. However, on occasions, staff do not focus sharply enough on extending children's existing learning to further support their individual progress.An established key-person system helps children to form secure attachments.

Staff support children's emotional and social development well and help them to develop positive attitudes to learning. Children are encouraged to share and enjoy cuddling and seeking to engage staff in their rooms. Staff provide the care and attention that support children's feelings of belonging.

This promotes children's emotional well-being.Staff ensure that they meet the needs of all children. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with outside agencies to help create targeted plans to support children who require additional help.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Children are making good progress in preparation for the next stage of their education.Staff provide children with some opportunities to develop their independence skills.

For example, they encourage children to manage their own personal care skills such as self-feeding and handwashing. However, staff do not always extend these opportunities. For example, they do not always encourage children to hang up their own coat after being outside and instead do this for them.

This does not consistently build children's confidence in developing their independence skills.Parents speak highly of the 'supportive and warm' staff. They comment that their children settle quickly in the 'home-from-home' environment that staff provide.

Staff have built strong relationships with parents. Parents praise staff for the good communication through regular contact and conversations with their children's key person.Leaders and staff are committed to improving their own practice through continuous professional development.

There is a strong focus on staff well-being. The appointed well-being champion takes an active role in promoting mental health messages and activities. As a result, staff say they feel well supported and strive to provide the best possible start for children in their care.

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 further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to plan more precisely to build on children's next steps in learning and development nextend the opportunities for children to develop their independence skills, in particular when children move from one activity to the next.