Deanshanger Village Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff create a warm and welcoming environment, which enables children to feel safe and secure within the pre-school.

Children confidently separate from parents and carers and are eager to enter and start the day. They confidently access activities that staff design around children's current interests. Children soon settle and start the day with regular exercises in the garden.

They show their understanding of daily routines and staff expectations as they follow requests and show respect towards each other. Children learn to share resources as staff offer timely and focused support to help them adapt their actions and p...lay cooperatively.Children make good progress in their development.

The staff team works together to assess children's development using information shared from home, their observations and the interests of the children. Staff form development plans and recognise children's achievements. They work together to discuss what children need to learn next.

Children enjoy periods of uninterrupted play. They access toys and resources to test out their ideas. Children explore the garden and develop small-muscle skills as they pour water into various containers in the water tray, plant bulbs and seeds and manipulate materials in the junk modelling area.

Children discuss their ideas and plans, such as how to make binoculars and telescopes from the resources available. Staff support them as they discuss the resources they use and develop their independence in using tape and glue. Children develop a sense of achievement and show pleasure when they achieve their ideas.

Staff are involved in children's play. They talk to children about what they are doing, listen carefully to their answers and put suggestions forward to extend their learning. Children feel valued.

They demonstrate a sense of belonging and well-being.

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

Staff place a strong focus on children developing their independence. They ensure that children have opportunities to practise and develop new skills.

Children learn to pour their drinks at snack time and peel fruit with limited adult intervention. They access their individual place mats to set the lunch table in anticipation of the social event that lunchtime becomes. This supports children to develop a wide range of skills and achieve tasks for themselves.

Parents speak positively about the care and learning experiences that their children receive. They comment on the progress their children make, especially in their language skills. Staff actively involve parents in the pre-school.

Parents comment warmly about the 'family feeling' the staff create. Staff share information in various ways to ensure that parents are well informed about their child's development. Parents receive home link books, are invited to parents' evenings and have daily feedback, which enables them to support children's learning at home.

Staff plan a good balance of experiences relating to children's interests. Children confidently lead their play. Staff generally plan focused activities using their good knowledge of gaps in children's development to help challenge their next steps in learning.

However, staff do not always pitch group activities at the right level to engage all the children. Consequently, some younger children lose interest as they have yet to acquire the skills required to partake in these selected activities.Children learn to behave well.

Staff encourage children to share and use good manners. Staff provide consistent and focused support for children who struggle to regulate their emotions. This support helps children to develop their personal and social skills.

The management team follows robust procedures to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children and well prepared to fulfil their roles. Staff understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities, potential risks to children and the procedures to follow to safeguard children's welfare.Staff present clear information to children.

They promote discussion, and support children to understand the learning they are sharing. Staff engage with the children and talk to them about their play and interests. They model language well and help children to develop a broad vocabulary.

For example, they ask relevant questions to encourage children to recall and reapply their existing knowledge. This support helps children to work things out for themselves and express their ideas.Staff state that they have good working relationships and receive support from management.

The management team provides annual supervision meetings. However, these meetings focus on the development of the children. Currently, less focus is placed on staff development and continuous improvement so that children receive the best possible interactions and teaching.

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 group activities to ensure that all children can participate, are well supported and gain the most from the activities provided strengthen staff support to enhance and develop their skills, interactions and teaching practice.