Greenhead Preschool and Rainbow Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Leaders and staff provide a stimulating learning environment indoors and outdoors. Children are confident in making choices about how they want to learn and what to play with. This means children remain in their chosen play for long periods of time.

Children show good levels of curiosity and ask questions about things they do not understand. For example, children ask, 'Why does the stick insect have red armpits?' They relish investigating and exploring. Children eagerly use magnifying glasses to closely observe caterpillars, their eggs and the structure of leaves.

Staff place a strong focus on children developing a lov...e of stories and books. This results in even the very youngest children listening attentively to staff as they share well-known stories. Children have good opportunities to be outdoors on a daily basis and practise their physical skills.

Staff skilfully support children to understand about safety when taking manageable risks outdoors, such as when they take part in woodland activities.Children enjoy their time at the pre-school and settle quickly when they arrive. Children who are new to the setting are closely supported and encouraged by the caring staff team.

Younger children feel safe and secure and enjoy a cuddle and reassurance from their special person when they are feeling a little unsure. Children behave well. They build friendships with others as they learn how to share and take turns with resources.

Staff are good role models for children.

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

Leaders and staff place a clear emphasis on finding out what children already know and can do when they first start. This helps staff to plan for their learning from the outset.

Staff build strong relationships with parents, which help them to understand the ongoing experiences that children have away from the setting.Staff use effective systems to observe, plan and assess children's progress to build on their knowledge. Staff use various strategies to keep parents informed about their child's progress and share ideas about extending learning at home.

Leaders and staff monitor children's progress closely to quickly narrow any gaps in children's learning and development. They seek outside help if children need extra support. Children make good progress in their learning from their starting points.

Staff support children well to develop their good communication and language skills. They encourage children effectively to develop a wide vocabulary. For example, they introduce new words to children, such as 'delicate' and 'camouflage', during discussions about the stick insects they help care for.

Staff help children to develop high levels of confidence and self-esteem. For instance, they praise children for working well together as a team to efficiently tidy away their toys at the end of their playtime.Staff sensitively help children to understand similarities and differences between themselves and others around them.

For example, they help children to understand what makes them unique, such as wearing glasses to help their vision.Staff help children to understand about caring for living creatures, such as the stick insects. However, they do not consistently provide opportunities for children to understand how to keep themselves healthy.

For example, they do not always reinforce the need to wash hands after handling living creatures.Leaders support staff's professional development very well and have regular meetings to ensure staff's workload is manageable and does not have a negative impact on their well-being. The well-qualified staff access professional development opportunities to enhance their skills further.

For example, following training, staff have implemented new planning systems to capture children's immediate interests in play and enhance children's experiences.Leaders and staff develop very good partnerships with staff from the host school, providing consistent support for children as they prepare to move on to school. For example, children join the school children each day to eat their lunch, which helps to develop their social skills and confidence.

Children develop an understanding of counting objects and using some number names. However, on some occasions, staff do not recognise opportunities that arise to build on children's mathematical understanding in order to enhance their learning as fully as possible.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff attend regular safeguarding training and understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of how to recognise signs of potential abuse and neglect and wider safeguarding issues. They know how to follow safeguarding procedures should they identify a child at risk of harm.

Leaders follow safer recruitment guidelines to ensure new staff are suitable and existing staff remain so. Leaders and staff implement secure procedures to ensure they identify hazards quickly and minimise any risks to keep the environment safe and secure.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make more consistent use of opportunities to support and extend children's mathematical learning to the highest possible level support children to understand how personal-care routines can help to maintain good health.

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