YMCA Showroom Pre-School Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy from the moment they arrive at the nursery.

They benefit from familiar staff welcoming them and helping them to quickly settle. Children use their developing social skills to greet their friends and, together, they confidently select their activities from the range of age-appropriate resources on offer. Children behave well and follow staff's direction, with little hesitation.

This helps to keep them safe. For instance, children walk closely alongside staff when moving between rooms within the nursery building.Children enjoy playing together, using their developing imagination to act out a narrative ...during their role play.

They are supported by attentive staff who play alongside them, extending their ideas and vocabulary. For example, when a child pours a pretend cup of lemonade, staff quickly respond saying 'thank you, mmm, yummy' as they drink from the cup. Other children practise their hand dexterity and small-muscle control as they scoop and pour oats from one container to another.

Staff recognise when children show a new interest in their play, such as transporting objects. They allow children to move oats between different areas of the room, away from what their original purpose was, knowing that this is helping children to make connections in their learning.

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

Through the effective assessment of children's learning and development, the manager has devised a curriculum that helps children to secure age-appropriate knowledge and skills.

She has made sure that information-sharing systems work, so that all staff are aware of children's care needs and next steps in learning. Staff use this information to make sure their teaching interactions are meaningful and relevant for each individual child.Staff use a range of assessment and teaching strategies to support children's good communication and language development.

They are trained to use a screening tool that helps them to measure children's progress in relation to their language acquisition and understanding. From this, staff plan appropriate activities to support children's learning.Staff know how to help children when they learn a new skill.

They break learning goals down into achievable chunks, so that children can easily build on what they know and can do. For instance, when teaching children to move forwards on a push-along vehicle, staff first teach children what direction forwards is. They then model the movement needed and position children's feet so they can propel forwards.

Staff allow children time to independently explore resources so they can practise their new skills and follow their individual interests in learning. This is beneficial for most children. However, some children, specifically those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, struggle to focus and concentrate during these times.

As a result, they are not as deeply involved in meaningful learning when compared to their peers. That said, children's behaviour across the nursery is consistently positive. Children's lack of engagement does not lead to disturbance for the wider group.

Staff read a story of the week. This helps children to learn new language and contributes to them developing a love of books. Staff plan activities linked to the text, which furthers children's learning and development.

For instance, staff support children's scientific understanding of the concepts of 'strong' and 'weak' as children build houses for the three little pigs.Staff are caring and respond positively to children. They are attentive to their care needs and offer affection and support when children need it.

This care and attention contribute towards children developing good self-esteem and emotional security.Staff ensure that children benefit from a healthy diet. Children have access to fresh drinking water throughout the day.

Staff provide gentle reminders about good hygiene practices, such as why children need to wash their hands before they eat. Children are learning how to take care of their bodies.Staff build positive partnerships with parents through a variety of ways.

For example, they invite parents into the setting to show and explain how children learn through play. This helps parents to support their children's learning at home. That said, some parents say that they would like more information about their child's development, and some parents are slightly confused about who their child's key person is.

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: nadapt the organisation of times during the day where children independently access resources so that all children benefit from meaningful and focused learning strengthen systems for sharing information so that all parents know who their child's key person is and feel sufficiently informed about their child's development.