Ellenborough Park Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The curriculum is well-designed to support younger children to learn new skills and for older and more able ones to practice them and gain a positive attitude to their learning. For example, children take turns well as they play hopscotch. After practising on the stepping stones, they learn to jump with two feet close together and then wide apart.

More able children gain confidence to hop onto the single square. Children lead their own learning and challenge each other. For example, children use the chalk to draw a road from the hopscotch grid and encourage their friends to walk along and balance on the line.

Children ...play nicely together. They agree on the rules for their game, 'hunt the gems'. For example, they decide to put gems in a cardboard tube when they find them.

They remind each other of the rules throughout so that anyone joining the game understands. Children talk about where they have looked and agree where to look next.Children show fascination as they explore the paint.

They make marks on the glass frame and watch the paints' movements as it drips to the bottom. Staff build on children's knowledge and help them to explore the paint further. Children are helpful towards each other, offering to paint their friends' hand so that they can make prints and mix colours.

Staff use happy and sad faces well to ensure children learning English as an additional language (EAL) or who are less confident can voice their agreement.

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

The manager has good understanding of how to build an ambitious curriculum which considers how children learn, their interests and what they need to learn next. Staff implement the curriculum effectively, building on what children know and can do to enable them to make the progress of which they are capable.

Staff use additional funding successfully to support children's emotional security, for example.The manager supports her staff well to improve their professional skills and to provide good quality interactions to support children's learning. For example, recent training has enabled staff to implement an effective curriculum to support younger children, those children learning EAL and those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

However, staff do not always ensure the organisation of some activities, such as sand play, support all children to engage in purposeful and uninterrupted play.Staff use whole group times well, especially to support children's communication and language skills successfully. Staff know to use a quiet voice to calm the children and encourage good listening as they introduce 'beat baby'.

Children engage enthusiastically, tapping out the beat of familiar songs. Children make choices about the songs they sing and staff adapt their ideas well for example, changing the words to support interests.Children develop strong attachments to familiar staff who know them well.

Children receive cuddles and reassurance when they become upset. Staff use strategies well, such as redirection and distraction. They reassure children and encourage them so that they feel confident to re-engage in their play.

There are good opportunities for children to learn to regulate their emotions. For example, children know they can visit the 'den' when they need to calm down and confidently rejoin their friends when they are ready.Staff develop clear daily routines to help children understand behavioural expectations and the pattern of the preschool day.

For example, children keenly find their name to add to the daily registration board. Staff help those children who find transitions between activities difficult. For example, they use visual reminders so that children know what is happening now and what will be happening next.

They are respectful and provide children with a five-minute warning before they need to help to tidy up.Children gain the skills they will need for their future learning, such as independence. Children relish the responsibility of finding their cup and plate for snack and placing it in the basket when they have finished.

Children persevere to peel their banana and satsuma and talk happily about the fruit they like to eat at home. However, at times, staff provide support too quickly and do not help children test their ideas for example, on how best to cut the vegetables for their soup.Staff build strong partnerships with parents, gathering information through settling in visits, stay and play sessions and ongoing conversations.

There is a good exchange of information when parents drop children off, which helps staff meet children's individual care needs successfully.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have good knowledge of the indicators that a child may be at risk of harm.

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) understands her responsibilities to report any concerns about a child to appropriate agencies. Staff implement policies and procedures effectively. They accurately record children's daily attendance and monitor absences efficiently.

Staff carry out regular risk assessments and implement these successfully to keep children safe and secure. There are robust recruitment and induction arrangements to ensure staff are suitable for their role and remain so.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the organisation of activities to engage children fully in purposeful learning support children further to test their ideas and make discoveries for themselves.

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