Jack & Jill Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children learn about topics that help to develop their knowledge of the world. They are exposed to real-life experiences.

They enjoy caring for caterpillars and watching them emerge from cocoons. Staff provide further activities to build on children's new knowledge. For example, staff provide tasting activities so children can sample new flavours, such as fresh fruits and berries.

This helps them to make connections with a favourite story, 'The Hungry Caterpillar'. Children carefully create butterfly prints using coloured paints. Older children learn about symmetry.

They fold butterfly-shaped paper and see wha...t patterns have formed when they peel back the 'butterfly wings'. This helps to support children's early mathematical development. Older children are encouraged to write their names on their artwork.

Younger children delight in mark making as they splodge paint onto paper. Children develop many skills in readiness for learning in school.Relationships are strong and children are happy.

They thoroughly enjoy their time at this welcoming pre-school. Their smiling faces and motivation to have a go show that they feel fully at ease and part of the 'Jack and Jill family'. Enthusiastic staff are active partners in children's play.

Children demonstrate friendly behaviours as they chatter and play cooperatively together. They construct a train track, taking turns to add another piece. Their imagination is immediately captured as staff ask them what they can use to make a bridge.

They use trial and error, demonstrating good problem-solving skills, and decide to use their bodies as the bridge. Children and staff arch themselves over the train track, as others eagerly join in. Children 'drive' the trains along the track, up and over the bridge and back to the track to finish the journey.

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

The new manager has devised a curriculum that overall, helps children to make progress. Staff plan some activities to enthuse children and base activities on current themes. However, staff do not build consistently on children's prior skills and knowledge.

Staff sometimes plan activities for the group without taking account of what children know and can do. Some activities are successful for some children, but miss the mark for others. Therefore, children do not make the very best progress possible.

Self-evaluation is clear and the manager has a good overview of the strengths of the pre-school. She has prioritised areas that she wants to focus on, using feedback from staff, committee members and the local authority adviser. The views of parents are also taken into account.

Parents' suggestions are acted on. They recently requested more outdoor experiences for children and for the pre-school staff to share additional information. Regular outings have been introduced and a board with key information has been displayed, which keeps parents updated on upcoming events.

Children know and follow the pre-school rules. For example, they stop and listen when they hear the 'magic bells', anticipating what will happen next. Children benefit from consistent methods adopted by staff.

These include colour-coded signs to indicate stop, wait and go. Children work together to keep a large parachute up in the air. They cheer everyone on as they coordinate their movements and raise the parachute higher or lower it to the ground.

Parents praise the staff and feel well informed about their children's learning and development. For example, parents are kept updated about their children's day via daily discussions with staff and through the pre-school's app. Parents say that they trust the friendly staff.

They value the ways that staff help children to develop new skills and make progress in their learning. However, some parents do not receive suggestions on how to continue with children's learning at home. This does not promote consistency in supporting children's development.

Staff thoroughly enjoy their work and say they feel valued. For example, they receive praise and awards such as staff member of the month. The manager works alongside staff and has a good overview of the pre-school.

Staff receive supervision meetings and attend mandatory training. However, staff do not always receive feedback to help develop their own practice to help raise the quality of education to the highest level.Staff work in partnership with external professionals.

This helps to ensure that consistent support is implemented for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The manager uses funding well to ensure that children receive the help they are entitled to. For example, funding has paid for writing equipment and role-play toys to strengthen children's literacy and social skills.

Children who need a little more help are supported to make the progress they are capable of.Overall, children benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. They have positive attitudes to learning and are imaginative and creative.

Children draw from their past experiences and engage in animated imaginary play. They prented to be expecting a baby and use props to act out the role of an expectant mother. Children enjoy looking at books and are starting to recognise phonetic sounds.

Staff provide fun activities to promote these aspects of learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and committee ensure that all staff access child protection training.

This helps to keep their knowledge of what to do if they concerned about a child up to date. Staff assess the environment for potential risks. The setting is a pack-away pre-school.

Therefore, staff arrive early to ensure that the premises has been left in a suitable condition. The recruitment processes are rigorous. This helps to ensure that staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children.

Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, children know that use of the interactive screen must be supervised by staff. They carefully avoid running in areas where sleeping children are resting.

Children's packed lunches are checked to ensure the contents are safe. For example, grapes are cut into small pieces to minimise the choking risk.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen processes for staff's professional development to enhance practice to a consistently high level help staff to build on what children know and can do help all parents to support and extend their children's learning at home.