Cornwood Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The manager and staff create a warm and welcoming environment where children feel safe and secure. Children settle quickly when they arrive and form positive attachments with the staff. Staff respond to children with warmth and kindness.

Children are encouraged to make choices; for example, they can choose their lunch from a daily menu. Children show curiosity to learn new things. They are given lots of opportunities to develop their early writing skills and enjoy recognising and writing their names.

Children recognise the sounds letters make, and they know that 'J' is for January. They learn to play cooperatively with... their friends. Children behave well, can share and take turns.

Children are making good progress in all areas of learning. They recognise colours and shapes and can count. For example, they build towers and can confidently count seven blocks in their tower.

Children enjoy listening to stories as a group. They also enjoy getting cosy on the cushions with staff for stories. Staff skilfully use questions such as 'why?' and 'how?' to allow children to think about what is happening in the book.

Children have weekly visits to the primary school to ensure their move to school is smooth and familiar to them. Staff identify children who need additional support well. They liaise with parents and other professionals to ensure that children's individual needs are met.

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

Staff teach children about numbers and how to order them correctly. For example, they can confidently identify wooden numbers 1 to 5. They use coloured crayons and paper to make rubbings of their numbers.

They present them in a number line on the wall for their friends to see. Staff offer lots praise and rewards to recognise children's individual achievements.Children enjoy singing and dancing to music.

They move their bodies to the actions in the songs. As they sing along to 'The Wheels On The Bus', children become excited as they beep the horn. They learn about the impact of physical activity on their bodies and know that their heart beats faster as they become more physically active.

At the end of the music session, children recognise that their heart beat begins to slow down.Children learn about the importance of being healthy. They identify foods that are good for them, such as the apples they have for snack.

Children talk about looking after their teeth, and know that using toothpaste and a toothbrush helps to keep their teeth clean.Children's imagination is supported well. They recall the story of 'The Three Little Pigs' and use binoculars as they search for the big bad wolf in the garden.

Children pretend that the climbing frame is the house made from sticks as they hide from the wolf.Staff provide children with some opportunities to be independent. For instance, children can pour their own drinks and tidy away their toys.

However, staff do not always recognise and promote enough opportunities for older children to become even more independent.The quality of teaching is good and staff provide children with a wide range of exciting play experiences. However, there are times when children's play is interrupted.

Staff do not always consider the best times to carry out daily routines. This means that children are sometimes moved on from activities when they are fully engaged in their play and learning.Children have lots of opportunities to be physically active.

They can ride bikes, run, jump and climb. Children have daily access to sand and water play. They enjoy using the water wall where they can pour water and see how fast it travels.

Children have excellent manners and say 'please' and 'thank you'. They show respect to their friends and recognise that everyone is different.Partnerships with parents are highly effective.

Parents report that they are very happy with the care their children receive. They are provided with regular information about their children's development and progress, and can share photographs and information in relation to what children have been doing at home. Parents report that they can see a difference in how well their children are developing since attending the pre-school.

The manager provides staff with effective support and coaching. She closely monitors staff performance and identifies training to help improve their knowledge and skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have effective procedures in the event of a concern about a child's welfare. The two designated leads for safeguarding have recently attended child protection training to further develop their knowledge of how and when to refer a concern. They closely monitor when children sustain injuries away from the setting and have clear procedures in place in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff.

There is an effective policy for the use of mobile phones, which are not permitted in the playroom. All staff are suitably checked and vetted.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make sure routines, such as nappy changing, do not interrupt children's concentration and engagement in their play and learning continue to develop opportunities to promote independence, particularly for older children.

Also at this postcode