Chavey Down Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children receive effective support from staff to settle at a chosen activity upon arrival, and this sensitive approach is evident throughout the day. Children develop warm, caring relationships with staff and from a young age develop good friendships with each other.

For example, they walk in together and engage in pretend play as they 'work from home' in the role-play corner. Children develop their understanding of how their actions can affect others. They receive guidance from staff to learn how to resolve any minor conflicts that may arise.

Children listen to and follow instructions well. They readily gather in grou...ps with staff for story sessions and also to share their treasures brought from home.Staff have worked successfully to maintain effective partnerships with parents throughout the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and to share information.

They have found alternative ways to help parents to have an insight into daily activities while they are unable to enter the setting due to the pandemic. Staff use their secure knowledge of what children know, understand and can do to support them as they play and learn. They are proactive in seeking additional support for children who need extra help with their learning and development.

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

Children gain the skills they need to become increasingly independent. They learn to do simple tasks for themselves through effective guidance and demonstrations from staff. For example, rather than staff opening food wrappers for children, they show children how to do it and help them to persevere to achieve the desired outcome.

Children take great pride in their achievements, which are readily rewarded and celebrated by staff. This increases children's sense of well-being.Staff enable all children to make the progress that they are capable of.

Parents positively praise staff for how they identify and assess potential gaps in children's learning and share resources. They fully appreciate how staff work tirelessly to work with other agencies and professionals to help ensure that these gaps in learning close as swiftly as possible. Staff use any additional funding children receive successfully and specifically to enhance the outcomes for the individual child.

Children, including the youngest and those new to the setting, know who to approach for reassurance and security. The well-established and effective key-person system supports these relationships and enhances children's emotional welfare.Staff understand that children need to practise skills to ensure that they can master these consistently.

Children access a wide range of toys and resources that support their enjoyment of learning. Many choose to spend high proportions of their time in the outdoor area. However, staff do not always plan an effective balance of planned activities and those children choose for themselves in this area.

This means that some children do not always receive support in their learning as successfully outdoors as indoors.Staff make highly effective use of initiatives to extend children's communication and language development. Children enjoy interactive story sessions which are purposefully targeted for each child's ability and stage of learning.

Younger children take great delight in holding the toy animals that are within the story and attempting to make the sounds that the animals make.Children who speak more than one language receive good levels of support, and staff learn key words in their home language. However, staff do not purposefully explore and plan ways in which they can successfully embrace children's heritage and cultural backgrounds.

This does not fully support all children's awareness of similarities and differences in their community and the wider world.The provider engages with staff continually to ensure that she is fully aware of any pressures on their well-being from their workload. She takes immediate and effective steps to minimise these, which in turn enables staff to focus on the care and education of the children.

Staff report that leaders foster a culture of effective teamworking and mutual support.The provider, manager and staff continually review their practice to highlight areas where they can make well-targeted improvements. Staff receive good levels of training to build on their professionalism and increase their knowledge.

This training enables staff to support the individual needs of children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff, including the designated safeguarding lead, know and understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children.

They understand how to refer any concerns that they may have about children or adults. Staff have regular opportunities to review and update their knowledge of child protection issues and the wider aspects of safeguarding. Staff complete daily risk assessments and take immediate action to minimise any risks.

They raise children's awareness of how to keep themselves safe, for example when using tools to prepare fruit at snack time. The provider uses strong, thorough recruitment procedures to ensure that staff caring for children are suitable.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to improve the balance of planned activities and those children choose for themselves in the outdoor area nincrease staff's understanding of how to embrace children's cultural backgrounds and how to plan more effectively for these.