Willington Pre-School Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Enthusiastic staff welcome children warmly to this pre-school. Children enter smiling and happy to be there.

Staff support new children to settle quickly. They form close attachments, helping children to confidently explore the environment. Children make good progress in all areas of learning.

Staff thoughtfully plan activities for children around their interests and needs. For example, staff use new children's fascination with water play to engage with them. Staff build warm interactions seamlessly into the routine.

For example, younger children snuggle in as they sit on staff members' laps and listen to a st...ory.After being welcomed, children have free-flow access to the whole setting, indoors and outdoors. This helps children build confidence to move around the pre-school.

Staff are deployed well and are on hand to help when needed. For example, they extend learning by thoughtfully questioning children as they make potions out of mud. Children develop a range of skills that support them in readiness for school.

Children learn to be considerate. They share and take turns. Staff support children to develop good friendships with their peers.

This means children play happily together, their friendships being supported by staff who teach them to be kind to each other.

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

The manager works hard to improve the provision for all children. She has created well-considered play and learning spaces, inside and out.

Staff are well supported and embrace new ways of working with enthusiasm. This inspires them to improve outcomes for children further. However, the committee members do not yet take an active role in the running of the setting.

The provider has robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. New staff receive a detailed induction to the setting. This means they are knowledgeable and well supported in their work with children.

The manager and special educational needs coordinator work closely with other professionals. They provide well-targeted support to help the development of children with additional needs. This means children at risk of falling behind are supported to achieve.

Staff provide good support for children who receive additional funding. The manager identifies gaps in children's experiences and spends funding to provide new learning opportunities. For example, an animal expert visited the pre-school to give children a first-hand experience with animals, which they were allowed to hold.

Children develop strong bonds with their key person. Key persons get to know children well. For example, children show real joy when their key person helps them learn to pedal a tricycle.

Children make very good progress in their communication through a sequenced curriculum. Staff have a good understanding of how to plan for this. They actively listen to children and are interested in what they have to say.

Staff encourage children to take turns in conversation, and invite quieter children to speak.There is a well-considered curriculum based on children's needs, interests and backgrounds. Staff make good use of their assessment of children's development to plan a broad range of play-based experiences.

This means all children make consistently good progress and are prepared for school.The environment is stimulating and inviting, enabling children to feel safe and confident in the space. As part of the daily routine, children freely choose where they want to play throughout indoors and the garden.

However, staff do not always incorporate children's next steps for learning during these free-play sessions. For example, children have limited opportunities to explore mark making and early writing.Parents and carers are highly complimentary about the care their children receive.

Parents are well supported to engage in their child's learning. For example, they say that staff offer help and advice to improve their child's communication skills. The manager actively seeks the views of parents and uses them to adapt care for children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have an excellent knowledge about how to keep children safe. Staff know how to identify and report concerns about children.

The manager has implemented extensive procedures to safeguard children. Comprehensive training and policies ensure staff are up to date and very knowledgeable about wider safeguarding issues, including the 'Prevent' duty. Staff know how to report concerns about other staff appropriately.

Leaders have a robust recruitment system to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. Regular risk assessments and effective staff deployment help to keep children safe at all times.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: create opportunities for committee members to develop a clear understanding of their roles and legal responsibilities nincrease opportunities for children to independently explore mark making and early writing throughout the day.

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