Westgate Pre School Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children who attend this pre-school receive a warm welcome from staff as they arrive. As a result, they are eager to attend and settle quickly to their chosen activity.

Children forge close relationships with staff. They interact positively with them as they eagerly share what they are doing and involve staff in their play. The curriculum is planned to provide children with a wide range of activities that enhance children's knowledge and builds on what they already know and can do.

Consequently, children make good progress from their individual starting points. Children are confident communicators. They readily engage ...staff and their friends in conversation.

Staff successfully extend children's communication and thinking skills as they ask children questions and patiently wait for them to answer. Children listen carefully and follow instructions well. Staff take time to explain and demonstrate the purpose of activities to children.

This enables them to participate and eventually continue the activity for themselves. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They calmly explain to them about taking turns and sharing with their friends.

Children work together as they construct and paint. They negotiate who is going to paint first and what colour they are going to use. They patiently wait until their friends have finished before they add their colours to the picture.

Together, they proudly show their picture to staff and are rewarded by lots of praise for their efforts.

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

The manager has a clear knowledge of what children need to learn in readiness for the next stage of their learning. She can competently explain the intent for activities and why they have been incorporated into the planning.

However, this information is not consistently shared with staff to ensure that they are fully aware of the learning intent for some activities.Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings, which provide an opportunity for them to share any concerns and discuss their key children. They complete well-being questionnaires, which focus on their personal well-being and feelings.

All staff attend training to further their knowledge and skills. The manager observes staff and identifies where additional, focused training can support practice even more.Children are well prepared for the move on to school.

They eagerly talk to staff and share what they have done on their school visits. Staff provide school uniforms, so that children can try them on and become familiar with them. Staff complete transition documents to share with school staff, so that they are aware of where children are in their learning.

School staff visit the pre-school to see children in the pre-school environment and to share lunch with them. This helps to ensure consistency in children's care and learning.Children develop wonderful imaginations.

They pretend that their tent is one of the houses where the three pigs live. They build a wall with cushions and look through binoculars to see if they can see the big bad wolf. Children pretend to be the wolf as they knock on the door and say, 'I'm a big bad wolf and I'm going to blow the house down'.

Staff extend children's thinking as they ask them if they can remember what the pigs built their house from.Children learn about life cycles. They look at the caterpillars they have hatched and know that they will turn into butterflies.

Children enjoy making their own caterpillar as they stick circles and pipe cleaners onto card. However, the activity is adult-led. The resources are already prepared and cut out.

This does not support children to fully develop their creative or small-muscle skills.Children with have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive superb support. They have individual targets which are discussed with parents, outside agencies and other professionals.

Staff are proud that they have just received an award from the council for the support they give to children with SEND.Children's personal care needs are met well. They are afforded privacy during toileting and nappy changing times.

Potty training is started following consultation with parents and in line with children's individual stage of development.Parents are eager to share their experiences of the pre-school. They are happy with the care and learning their children receive.

They say that feedback is good, and the manager is very supportive. They say the pre-school is fantastic and that the manager and staff go over and above with everything to support children and their families.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have an extremely good knowledge of safeguarding. They are alert to indicators of abuse and organise the environment to ensure children's safety is paramount. Staff attend safeguarding training and are fully aware of the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child or a member of staff.

The premises are safe and secure. Robust recruitment and induction ensure that everyone working with the children is safe and suitable to do so.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support all staff to understand fully what the learning intention is for activities provide children with more opportunities to develop their creative and small-muscle skills during adult-led activities.

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