West Thorpe Pre School Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are warmly welcomed by staff and immediately engage in learning in this pre-school. They are supported to reflect on their emotions and briefed on what is happening throughout the day.

This helps children to feel safe and secure, and confident to talk about their emotions. They ask each other and staff how they are feeling and make links to different emotions, such as happy and excited. Parents comment on how the pre-school is supporting their children's personal development, including their confidence and social skills.

They note how their children practise breathing exercises that they have been taught by st...aff to help regulate their emotions.Staff encourage children's independence throughout the day. Children are encouraged to actively participate in their pre-school, completing surveys to choose what is for snack.

They are keen to help with daily tasks, such as pouring drinks and getting ready to go outside. Outdoors, children have lots of opportunities for physical development. They move equipment to make an obstacle course and play on scooters.

Staff deliver engaging activities, such as making magic wands and providing lots of opportunities for reading. Children engage with books independently throughout the areas of provision. Staff enhance this by reading with children enthusiastically and taking time to explore language and the themes of the story.

Children show what they know by completing sentences in familiar stories and discussing ideas about the characters. Throughout the pre-school, children show high levels of well-being, focus and attention. They are happy, confident and actively engage in their learning.

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

Staff build strong and secure relationships with children and their families. There is an effective key-person system that ensures all children are supported effectively in their development. Children are organised into groups, which are overseen by multiple staff members.

This helps staff to reflect on their observation and assessment of children's development. They work together to gain a shared understanding of the children. Staff then work collaboratively to provide a flexible curriculum that supports children's development.

Staff modify the layout of the room to engage children in writing, and they provide meaningful role-play experiences based on their knowledge of the children. Children make good progress and show very positive attitudes and behaviours towards learning, staff and each other.Parents value the regular communication they receive from the pre-school both in person and electronically.

They feel they can actively participate in their children's learning by providing information that they know staff will use to support their children. Parents comment on the nurturing environment provided by the caring and attentive staff. They know they can raise concerns and ask for specific help to support their children's development.

Parents talk about the progress their children have made in the pre-school and know what staff's priorities are for their children.Overall, there is clarity to the approach used to develop speech and language in the pre-school. Leaders and managers have used specialist training that informs the specific strategies implemented to develop children's communication skills.

These include introducing new vocabulary, leaving time for children to process instructions and modelling the correct pronunciation of sounds. However, these strategies are not fully embedded across the whole staff team. There are weaknesses in some staff's teaching interactions with children that have an impact on the overall progress children make over time.

Staff are supported through ongoing supervision and regular feedback. They are set specific targets to work on to improve their teaching skills. Managers use peer observations to identify opportunities to build on staff's unique strengths and talents.

Newer staff remark how managers have supported them through their formal training. They benefit from being mentored by more experienced staff to apply what they have learned to their practice. However, there are some inconsistencies in staff's knowledge of how children learn and how the curriculum fits together that have an impact on the progress children make.

Leaders and managers identify effective support for disadvantaged children. They engage well with the local authority and other outside agencies to inform practice and ensure the safety and participation of vulnerable children. Staff use speech and language screening tools well to identify children who need additional support.

This means early intervention is implemented quickly where needed. Detailed plans are in place for children with identified speech and language needs to ensure all staff know the strategies required to support these children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress and fully participate in the curriculum.

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: nembed a clear approach to teaching to ensure all interactions with children support them to make progress in their learning strengthen staff's knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop to support their development further.