Happy Days Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children happily play alongside familiar friends in this warm and inviting pre-school. They receive a friendly welcome by the enthusiastic staff, who know families and children well.

Children are familiar with routines and enjoy morning 'shake' times to wake up their bodies and feel ready to play. Children have close bonds with staff, who nurture children passionately. They eagerly join in with activities and are keen to have a go and explore.

Children are encouraged to be independent. They keep trying as they put on role-play costumes and are praised positively by attentive staff, who know children's individual needs ...well. Children enjoy cutting up fruit for group snack and washing up after.

They independently wash their hands and quickly find tissues for their noses. Children ask for help when needed. They are reminded how to do things themselves, such as how to wash the paintbrush after using it so it is ready for the next person.

Children engage well and are curious learners. They enthusiastically make models, experimenting with materials and joining methods. For example, children make swords out of cardboard tubes and work out how to join the tubes together to make them 'longer' and 'strong', using string and tape.

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

The owner and manager have a strong vision: to passionately teach children independence and self-regulation skills. They use children's interests to build a stimulating curriculum and focus on children's school readiness. They plan activities to focus on children's physical development, such as building core strength during activities.

Leaders enhance this well. For example, children enjoy activities, such as yoga sessions and specialist sports coaching, which help to broaden children's learning experiences.The leadership team work positively together to support staff, and the manager places a strong emphasis on supporting staff well-being.

For example, the deputy manager provides regular in-house training to share knowledge. Regular staff meetings are held by leaders to share information and discuss practice. As a result, staff are passionate and work well together as a team.

They communicate effectively during the session to support children's needs.Staff understand what children know and can do. They play alongside children and are nurturing while encouraging their learning and development.

Staff provide children with activities to explore new ideas, such as discovering why objects are frozen in water from the previous day. However, not all staff are as consistent as others at identifying when to allow children enough time to respond, which means that children are not able to explain their ideas and build on their current skills as successfully as possible.Children behave well.

They are engaged in play and enjoy playing alongside familiar friends. Children explore with coloured foam in large trays. They marvel as they discover the different textures and shapes in the foam and share with enthusiasm their discoveries with friends.

As a result, children develop new language and use words such as 'sticky'.The key-person system is effective. Staff work closely with parents to support the needs of children.

They create close bonds and know next stages in learning. Staff recognise when to seek additional support. For instance, they work effectively with the special educational needs coordinator and leaders to action timely support for children.

As a result, children are supported and start to make progress.Partnerships with parents are positive. Parents receive regular updates, with information about their children's learning.

They value knowing they can talk to their child's key person when needed. Leaders and staff support parents highly. They provide ideas for healthy lunches and offer support to families.

Children are happy and display a strong sense of self. They persevere and feel proud of their efforts, such as when they decorate the Christmas tree and write cards. Children safely climb a ladder to hang tinsel.

They wrap gifts and make marks in cards to post in their letter box for family and friends.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff understand their responsibilities to ensure children are kept safe during the sessions.

Leaders provide regular staff meetings to share safeguarding practice and provide regular training for staff. There are secure procedures in place in the event that there are concerns about the suitability of a staff member. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the actions they would take if they had concerns about a child's welfare.

Children are kept safe on outings through risk assessments. Leaders follow safe recruitment procedures for new staff and have systems in place to assess the ongoing suitability of staff.

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 recognise when to give children enough time to think and respond, to build on their ideas and current skills.