Hinchingbrooke Park Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children move freely indoors and outside and are very well behaved. The atmosphere is engaging and exciting, and the play space is safe. Staff interact skillfully to ensure that no child is left out.

All children remain engaged in purposeful play and exploration. They are encouraged to use their words to talk about what they are doing. Children listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions.

They enjoy filling containers with water, using sponges, pipettes and spoons. Children focus well as they wash plastic animals, commenting on how 'shiny' and 'clean' these are. Children use their imaginati...on and draw on what they know to extend their games and share ideas and resources.

For example, they have fun as they select construction bricks and pretend that these are laptops. tapping their fingers on the imaginary keys and smiling broadly. Children work well together as they extend their game.

They place more bricks in front of cuddly toys, then confidently explain that they are all working in the office. Children enjoy being physically active. They balance on benches, enjoy scoring goals and discuss and plan how to build dens using a variety of materials.

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

Staff work as a team. They take time to listen to parents to help them establish each child's starting point and ongoing next steps for learning. The curriculum is designed to give all children the opportunity to practise their previous learning.

This enables them to use and refine new and existing skills in a variety of play situations.A well-established key-person system helps children to form secure attachments and promotes their well-being and independence. Children demonstrate their growing problem-solving skills.

For example, they talk about what the best thing is that they can use to fix a broken wand. The children finally decide that blue tac will successfully hold it together.Staff give clear and consistent messages to children to help support their understanding of healthy choices around food, rest, exercise and the importance of staying safe in the sun.

Children can confidently explain why they wear hats and need to drink plenty of water in hot weather.Children develop good independence. They manage their personal hygiene and understand the importance of regularly washing their hands.

Children learn about simple rules, such as lining up at the door, ready to walk in pairs to the main school hall. They show consideration to others as they walk quietly so they do not disturb the older school children in their classrooms.Staff sit at the tables with children and help them to open their lunch boxes.

Children learn about eating sandwiches first and moving on to fruit or yoghurt.These social opportunities enable children to learn about making choices, within a safe and supportive environment.Parents talk about the online and other communication systems used by staff.

They explain that this helps to keep them informed about what their children are learning, enabling them to extend this at home. Parents say that staff are easy to talk to and very friendly, and that they are supportive and kind to them and their children.The robust arrangements for the safe recruitment and ongoing support of staff help to ensure they are, and remain, suitable to work with children.

Staff complete paediatric first-aid training to help them manage accidents. They carry out regular checks of the premises and equipment to keep children safe.All children are valued.

When those who speak English as an additional language first attend, they are provided with rich opportunities that promote their home language. However, there is room for staff to ensure this practice remains consistent.Staff have well considered opportunities to develop their professional skills and knowledge.

For example, all staff have have received specialist special educational needs and/or disabilities training and the vast majority have completed speech and language training, to support children's language skills. However, the programme of professional development is not sharply focused on driving the quality of teaching to the highest level.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff's knowledge of safeguarding is secure, up to date and implemented effectively in practice. Ongoing training and staff quizzes help to ensure that staff understand their responsibilities to protect children. Staff know how to identify children who may be at risk, and understand what to do if they are worried about their welfare.

As a result, they are able to recognise and swiftly manage any concerns. The manager and her staff also have a very good understanding of wider child protection concerns, such as those posed by radicalisation.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff to develop consistency in their practice for providing richer opportunities for children to see and use their home language in the pre-school build on the already good practice and seek further ways to help all staff develop first-rate teaching skills.

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