Caterpillars Pre-school

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are exceedingly confident, independent, and very motivated learners. They thoroughly enjoy the extremely well-planned curriculum. This guarantees them high-quality learning opportunities.

Children are skilfully supported to prepare for the next stage in learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make excellent progress. They are fully prepared for their eventual move on to school.

Children of all ages form exceptional relationships with staff. There is an extremely happy, homely and calm atmosphere throughout the pre-school. Children's behaviour is exempl...ary.

They remain focused and engaged in play. For example, children show high levels of curiosity as they explore the extremely exciting range of resources and activities inside and outdoors. Children run a pretend Chinese restaurant.

They take and record orders from customers over the counter and via the telephone. Children are helpful and kind as they point to the menu and recommend dishes. They pass orders to their peers, who busy themselves chopping celery, peppers and carrots using real utensils with care.

They throw the ingredients into saucepans and pretend to cook them and serve them with fresh noodles when ready. Children are delighted when their customers pretend to eat and compliment them on the meal.

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

Partnership working with parents is excellent.

Staff share daily information with them. This enables parents to build precisely on what their children are learning in the setting. Parents express their utmost satisfaction about the pre-school.

They describe how settled and happy their children are. They say the staff are 'amazing' and that they go above and beyond to provide exciting play experiences every day. Parents express their genuine pleasure and add that there is nothing they would change.

Partnership working with staff from local schools, early years settings and other professionals is excellent. This directly contributes to the outstanding provision and the exemplary support for children's learning.Excellent systems are in place to meet the care and learning needs of all children.

The manager and staff keep very good track of children's progress through highly effective observations and assessments. These clearly show children's individual abilities and areas for development. Staff obtain resources aimed at supporting children's individual learning needs.

They successfully plan activities for one-to-one or group sessions. They ensure that children's priorities for learning are targeted exceptionally well.Children demonstrate extremely high levels of engagement and concentration.

They work collaboratively as they construct a train track that winds its way around the hall floor. Together, children carefully plan how to negotiate space to avoid other children and their games. Children make group decisions about where tunnels or the curved track are best placed.

They are extremely patient and kind to each other.Staff provide children with rich experiences. They offer an abundance of extra activities to support children's understanding of diversity and what makes them unique.

Children enjoy opportunities to use maps and participate in discussions and creative opportunities. They celebrate their own and other customs from around the world.The deployment of staff is highly effective.

Children are supervised closely, and staff maintain a safe and secure environment to protect children from harm. Robust assessments of all areas used by the children ensure their safety is maintained. Appropriate risk taking during planned activities enables children to learn about keeping themselves safe.

The manager and staff continually reflect on all aspects of their practice, and there is a continuous drive for excellence. The manager and staff pay superb attention to enhancing their professional development. Together, they demonstrate a real commitment to provide the highest level of teaching.

All aspects of the pre-school environment are thoughtfully reviewed. This helps to promote children's practical development of communication and language, phonics and mathematics.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have an excellent understanding of child protection issues. They are extremely familiar with the procedures. For example, staff understand that they must take prompt and effective action should they have any concerns about a child's welfare.

Staff are confident with the whistle-blowing procedures to report any concerns they have about colleagues. They supervise children vigilantly and ensure a safe environment is maintained. Staff have an exceptionally good understanding of the signs that may indicate a child may be at risk of harm, including from radical and extreme views.