Westcliff Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement There are weaknesses in the quality of education at the setting.

Although staff know their key children well and are clear about what they want them to learn next, they do not implement a curriculum that is fully focused on children's individual next steps in learning. Staff are polite and kind towards the children, but their interactions do not stimulate curiosity. This limits the opportunities that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have to make good progress in their learning.

Despite this, the setting is a welcoming and safe place for children, who enter the setting happy and... settle quickly. Children are confident to seek staff out if they need support or reassurance. They confidently approach new people, drawing them into their play.

This demonstrates that they feel safe and secure in the setting. Staff remind children to use their manners and are positive role models. Children generally behave well and have formed friendships.

They chat with each other as they look at magazines together or engage in role play activities. However, children who struggle to regulate their behaviour do not receive effective support from staff.

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

Leaders are reflective and strive to provide high-quality care and learning.

They make changes as required to benefit the children and families attending. Leaders recognise that further changes are required to ensure children receive a good-quality education and welcome support from their local authority advisers. However, effective supervision and training to strengthen the quality of staff interactions is not fully in place.

Staff identify appropriate next steps for their key children and plan activities linked to these. However, in practice, some planned activities and opportunities are unavailable to the children. In addition, staff are not clear about what they want individual children to learn from the experiences provided.

This means children are not provided with sufficient opportunities to extend their current knowledge. As a result, children are not making the best possible progress.Staff provide basic information when children play and ask them simple questions.

However, they do not regularly model a wide range of vocabulary or use effective questions to encourage children's thinking. In addition, staff do not always recognise when children have spent extended periods with no interactions from adults. This means that children do not always benefit from consistent and frequent staff interaction which stimulates their interest, or excitement.

Children enjoy stories and songs. They enthusiastically join in singing action rhymes in different ways such as slowly, loudly, and fast. Staff read stories with the children and provide them with additional information about the pictures and storylines.

During a spontaneous imaginative play activity, staff support children to act out their own story and decide where their spaceship should land next. This helps children develop a love of stories and books.Children generally behave well.

However, when children engage in challenging behaviour and need support, staff do not use consistent strategies to help them learn to self-regulate their behaviour and understand the impact of their behaviour on others.Children's independence is promoted. At snack time, children are provided with child-sized bottles so they can pour their drinks successfully.

They carefully use knives to butter their toast. Children find and put on their coats before going outside. They make choices about their play throughout the day and decide what activities they would like to access.

This helps children learn important skills for the future.All staff understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. They know the procedures to follow if they have a concern regarding a child's well-being.

However, the setting's written electronic devices policy does not reflect the current procedures at the setting. This means the risks associated with allowing staff to take the setting devices home have not been fully considered.Staff form positive partnerships with parents who are pleased with the setting.

Parents report their children are happy to come to the setting and were supported to settle when they first started. They are kept informed of matters regarding their children.

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, the provider must: Due date ensure there is an ambitious curriculum based on children's learning and development needs that is implemented through planned, purposeful activities and experiences 11/02/2025 ensure that children's behaviour is managed appropriately and consistently by all staff so children can learn to self-regulate their behaviour and understand the impact of their actions on others 11/02/2025 review the electronic devices policy to ensure it is in line with current practice at the setting to allow any risks to be fully considered and minimised.11/02/2025 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nuse effective supervision and training to strengthen the quality of staff interactions so children have appropriate support and challenge that extends their learning and stimulates their curiosity, interest, or excitement.