Hartsholme Academy Pre-School & Kids Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children show positive relationships with the staff and their peers. For example, toddlers lift up their arms for staff to pick them up, and pre-school children sit on staff's knee for comfort. Children learn to share with their friends.

They are reminded by staff to ask their friends for objects they want to play with them. This helps children to develop their confidence to voice their needs and wishes and to share. Children are encouraged to develop a sense of responsibility.

For example, when music is played, they work as a team to tidy up, using dustpans and brushes to sweep sand off the floor.Staff know children w...ell and follow their interests. For example, when children show an interest in pirates, they join activities to move around the pre-school, looking for clues to find treasure.

Staff read the clues and give them instructions to follow. Children listen well and are excited to take part. They are physically active and demonstrate good balance and coordination, for example when they safely climb over and along objects on an obstacle course.

Toddlers are creative when they use paint with sponges to make patterns on foil. Pre-school children explore light when they use torches. They shine torches on a wall and move their hands in front of it to create a shadow.

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

The manager and staff focus the curriculum on supporting children's communication and language skills. For example, they talk to children when they play alongside them. During group times, staff sing songs for children to join in.

Staff introduce new words for children to learn and understand, such as 'stride', and show them how to stride when they walk. Additional funding is used effectively to purchase resources to encourage children to say certain sounds at the beginning of words. This helps to close any gaps in their development.

The manager supports her staff through supervision meetings. However, professional development opportunities for staff are not targeted precisely at what they individually need to extend their teaching skills. This means that they do not fully support children to make the best possible progress in their learning.

Staff provide many opportunities for children to be independent. For example, they encourage children to wash their hands prior to eating, to promote good hand hygiene. Staff ask children to pour their own drinks and to use cutlery when they eat meals.

These skills help children to be prepared for the future.Staff find out about children's prior learning when they first start. They use this information to broaden the experiences children receive.

Staff are aware that some children do not have as many opportunities as others for daily fresh air and exercise. Because of this, staff ensure that children play outside regularly throughout the day. Recent improvements to the outside area offer children further opportunities to climb and develop their imaginative skills.

Staff encourage children to develop their literacy skills. Children use pens to make treasure maps and copy words that staff write, helping to develop their early writing skills. Children are encouraged to recognise the letter and sound at the beginning of their name.

Staff encourage children to share. For example, when children throw balls into a box, staff ask them to take turns. Staff praise children's achievements, often giving them a 'high five'.

This helps children to understand how to behave positively and to raise their self-esteem.The manager and staff help children to be emotionally ready for their move on to school. Teachers are invited to visit the children in the pre-school.

Staff take children for visits to the school they will attend. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps them to become familiar with the school environment and teachers who will be caring for them.

However, when early years children attend the holiday club, staff do not find out what they are learning at school. This means that they are not able to complement the learning children receive at school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager checks staff's knowledge of safeguarding to ensure they are able to identify the potential signs of abuse and where to report their concerns. For example, she asks them questions and gives them scenarios to answer. This helps to promote children's welfare and safety.

The staff maintain a safe environment for children to play. They complete risk assessments to ensure that the pre-school is secure. This stops children from leaving the building unaccompanied and other people from entering.

The cook and staff promote children's good health. They make sure that children are only provided with food and drink that meets their dietary requirements.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff through professional development opportunities to strengthen their existing good teaching skills and to help raise outcomes for children even further support staff to find out what children are learning at school, so they can complement the learning children receive.

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