Whitchurch Under Fives

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enter this welcoming pre-school confidently and are eager to explore the activities on offer. Those who are less sure receive sensitive support from staff to engage in their play alongside their new friends.

Children show they have formed strong bonds with the staff and readily invite them into their play. Staff value the children and listen to their ideas. They confidently choose their favourite stories to read with staff and join in with the story, enthusiastically repeating familiar phrases and joining in with actions.

Staff have high expectations of the children and pitch activities at the right level to o...ffer suitable challenge. When playing a game, staff support younger children to count how many bears they have, and older children work out how many more they need to get 10 on their card to win. Children concentrate well and learn to wait their turn with adult support.

Partnerships with parents are very good. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents do not enter the pre-school. Staff talk to parents daily outside about their children's day and the progress they are making.

Staff email parents with regular information, including newsletters and updates about promoting their children's oral health. Parents attend information evenings that they report are really useful and help them understand what their children are learning. Children take home activities to share with their parents, promoting a consistent approach to supporting children's learning between the pre-school and home.

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

The manager and staff have made good improvements to their practice since their last inspection. They have regular meetings and have attended training in line with what their children need, such as supporting children's communication and language. This has enabled staff to offer activities specifically aimed at improving any possible speech and language delay they highlight in children.

This means gaps in children's development are closing steadily.Staff know the children extremely well, monitor their progress carefully and focus on what children need to learn next. They offer a curriculum that is based on children's interests and needs.

Staff help all children, including those who receive funding, to make good progress in all the areas of learning.Children's behaviour is excellent. They form good relationships and learn to share and take turns.

Staff take time to celebrate children's kindness individually and during large-group times. They praise children when they make 'good choices' and 'high five' them when they show concern for their friends. This helps to raise children's self-esteem.

However, arrangements for toileting and snack time are not used effectively to promote children's confidence in carrying out all aspects of their self-care.Children have plenty of opportunities to practise their physical skills. Outdoors, they climb and balance and have an area to run up and down to check what happens to their bodies when they are physically active.

They use various tools and mark-making equipment to strengthen their hand muscles in readiness for early writing.Staff support children's communication and language effectively. They repeat words back to children correctly, provide a narrative for what they are doing and build on children's vocabulary.

They check what children have learned, for example if they remember the name of a 'kite'. Children show that they remember words when they say they do not want to use a 'telescope' but will use 'binoculars' instead.Staff tailor support for children who have struggled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They have placed a strong emphasis on helping children learn to share, and tailored settling-in sessions to allay fears for those children who have not experienced much socialisation.Children use their imaginations well. They cut up petals, add them to water and whisk the mixture, saying they are 'baking a cake like mummy'.

They become engrossed in their pretend play and add different materials to their potions. However, at times, staff get the children to tidy up when they are absorbed in their play and do not allow them to continue to their satisfaction.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have a good knowledge of child protection and wider safeguarding issues. They know what to do if concerned about a child's welfare or the behaviour of a colleague. Recruitment procedures are robust, and the manager carries out checks to ensure staff's ongoing suitability to work with children.

Children play in a safe and secure environment. They learn to take managed risks as they climb the stairs in the 'home' room.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review arrangements for snack time and toileting to fully promote children's confidence in carrying out all aspects of their self-care skills help staff understand the importance of allowing children who are absorbed in their play to continue to their satisfaction.