YMCA Thames Gateway Romford Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The manager and staff greet children warmly on arrival. They are consistently kind and attentive, which helps children to settle and form secure attachments. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure as they explore the activities and join in with the daily routines.

Staff promote equality and help children to understand what makes them unique. For example, they celebrate children's individual experiences and preferences, such as by playing recordings of their favourite music. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging and to learn about their similarities and differences.

Children benefit from an ambit...ious and well-delivered curriculum which supports all areas of their learning effectively. There is a strong emphasis on children's emotional development. Staff help children to identify their feelings and begin to moderate their behaviour.

For example, children use deep-breathing techniques to calm them when they feel angry or upset. Staff ensure that any gaps in children's learning are quickly identified and supported. For instance, they provide visual aids, such as a pictorial timetable, to further assist children's understanding of the routines and expectations.

Children are curious about the learning experiences and are keen to join in. They have fun learning through activities that interest them, such as making 'currant buns' from dough as props for a favourite counting song.

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

The manager and staff have worked hard to address the weaknesses identified at the last inspection.

For example, they have developed their knowledge of how to identify and manage potential risks within the pre-school premises. Staff describe how they constantly assess the environment and support children to play safely. The provider ensures that any safety concerns raised by staff are responded to swiftly to provide a safe and secure environment for children.

Staff use what they know about children effectively to provide a broad and interesting curriculum. The manager ensures that additional funding is used effectively to promote children's individual learning and developmental needs. This helps to minimise any disadvantages that children may face and enables them to make good progress from their starting points in learning.

Overall, staff support children's communication skills well. For instance, they speak to children during activities and share songs and stories with them throughout the day. This introduces children to a broad range of words.

However, at times, staff do not give children enough time and encouragement to practise and refine their own speaking skills.Staff support children's independence and personal-care skills particularly well. For example, staff provide a 'nose-wiping station', where children can access tissues and a mirror to help them carry out this task unaided.

Children enjoy learning and are keen to do things for themselves. For example, they are proud to pour their own drinks, remembering that they must count to three and then stop so that their cups do not overflow.Staff provide healthy snacks for children and ensure that they have opportunities for active play each day, indoors and outdoors.

However, they do not consistently help children to deepen their understanding of how exercise and a balanced diet contribute to their overall health.Staff ensure that there are clear expectations for children's behaviour which are consistently shared. For example, they remind children about 'golden rules', such as being kind and using 'walking feet' indoors.

Children demonstrate that they understand the expectations. They are kind to others and display good manners and behaviour.The manager and provider deliver effective support for staff, personally and professionally.

Staff describe how this helps to promote strong teamwork and high morale. They speak enthusiastically about the opportunities for professional development and the positive impact this has on their practice. For instance, staff regularly refresh and update their safeguarding knowledge to help them to understand the signs of child abuse and neglect.

Parents speak highly of the staff and praise the quality of care and education their children receive. They say that staff keep them well informed about their children's development and how they can also support this at home. For instance, staff provide books for parents to share with their children, which helps to promote children's love of reading.

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: develop staff's interactions with children further, to support and encourage children to practise their speaking skills help staff to broaden and extend children's understanding of the benefits of healthy lifestyles.