Langley Rangers Activity Club & Noah’s Ark Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children flourish at this friendly pre-school.

Their behaviour is impeccable and they are highly sociable towards visitors. The well-established staff are excellent role models. For example, they show respect for children and model the use of good manners.

Staff help children to start each day with a positive attitude. For example, they use group times to help children to think about ways they can be kind to each other. Children readily talk about sharing and the importance of tidying toys away so that nobody falls over them.

Staff are highly skilled at setting up an exciting learning environment. Once the bus...y breakfast club has ended, they quickly transform the room ready for the pre-school children. Staff spend time finding out from parents what early experiences children have had and what they can already do, when they start to attend.

They explain confidently how the environment supports the learning needs of children. Children are learning how to develop healthy lifestyles, for example the importance of exercise. The especially enjoy using the climbing wall outside.

Children understand the importance of good handwashing routines. For example, they talk about needing to wash germs and dirt off their hands before eating.

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

Children demonstrate strong communication and language skills.

For example, they are confident to join in with discussions and ask questions as they participate in group times. High-quality conversations are consistently heard between children staff as they talk about what they are doing.Staff plan wonderful learning opportunities which entice children to engage in high-quality learning, most of the time.

For example, a role-play post office provides children with opportunities to practise their early writing skills. Staff also use these opportunities to help children learn about mathematics, such as value and weight.Children are kind and considerate to others.

Their sharing of resources and cooperative play are a credit to the motivated staff, who model and instil these values in children.Staff make good use of the outdoor area. Their recent development of extending the area means that children have opportunities for more activities, such as growing vegetables.

The provider works closely with the community centre staff, who are supportive to the staff and of children's needs.Children show their developing understanding of the importance of eating healthy food. For instance, as they play in the mud kitchen, children pretend to make soup.

They list the range of vegetables they are using and talk about how these are healthy and will make them grow strong.The staff are very aware of each other's strengths and use these to great advantage. For example, staff who are more dramatic lead singing times.

This results in highly engaged children who are joining in, having fun and laughing together.Parents speak positively about the pre-school and staff. They have a good knowledge of children's development and know how to support their learning at home.

Parents talk about how older children gained strong educational skills which supported them well for moving on to school.The managers and staff regularly reflect on their practice and look for ways to continually improve. They think carefully of how their ongoing plans will be of benefit to children.

Most staff build on children's previous learning and achievements very well. They set challenging yet achievable next steps in learning and have a good knowledge of how children like to learn. However, some staff do not use opportunities during activities to extend and challenge children's learning to the highest levels.

This does not fully support children to make exceptional progress.Staff turnover is low. Despite this, the provider has rigorous recruitment procedures in place to help ensure staff are suitable to work with children.

The managers monitor staff's practice through supervision meetings. However, the levels of coaching and training are not fully established to help raise the quality of teaching of all staff to the highest of standards.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a robust knowledge and understanding of the signs and symptoms that may indicate children are at risk of harm. They know how to report these concerns to relevant safeguarding agencies. Staff regularly complete safeguarding training and give high priority to ensuring children are safe.

New knowledge that staff gain from training is shared at staff meetings to help them all to enhance their knowledge and skills. Managers continually reflect on their policies and procedures in line with local area intelligence.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support all staff to understand ways they can consistently challenge and extend children's learning to the highest levels nenhance supervision arrangements in order to coach and mentor staff practice more precisely, to raise the quality of teaching even further.