Poppets Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Although there is a breach of requirements, this does not have a significant impact on children's safety and welfare. Staff warmly welcome children on arrival.

This contributes to all children feeling valued and secure at the pre-school. They soon become engaged in the activities on offer. Children eagerly scoop up cereal with spoons and tweezers to fill containers.

These activities help them develop their small hand muscles in preparation for early writing. Children listen carefully to instructions and readily help to tidy up when asked. They practise useful mathematical skills when, for example, they sort the resources ...back into the correct baskets.

Staff encourage older children to work things out for themselves. For instance, they show them a wind-up torch and ask, 'What do you think will happen when I turn the handle?'Children approach staff with a book and ask them to read the story. This demonstrates children's emerging delight in reading for pleasure.

They sit and snuggle on staff member's laps and are excited to turn pages and lift the flaps to find out what happens next. Older children are confident communicators. They are excited to introduce themselves to the inspector and proudly describe what they have made.

Children develop a range of physical skills when they play outdoors. They safely take risks and happily roll down a hill or carefully navigate their way through 'busy traffic' on bicycles.

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

As the registered provider, the management committee does not have a secure knowledge of the requirements to ensure all committee members are deemed suitable by Ofsted.

Therefore, some committee members have not submitted appropriate forms to allow all the required suitability checks to be carried out. However, the impact on children's safety is minimised as checks have been completed for those committee members who are also employed as staff at the setting. In addition, the manager takes appropriate steps to monitor their ongoing suitability.

Other committee members have no unsupervised contact with children.The small, well-established team meets regularly to share information and review changes in the early years sector. The manager organises regular supervision sessions to monitor practice and identify training opportunities.

Staff recognise the possible impact of COVID-19 on children's learning and development. As a result, they sharply focus on providing many opportunities for children to learn to share and take turns.Staff support children's speech and language development effectively.

They make eye contact and repeat back to the children what they have said, using the correct pronunciation.All children make good progress in their learning and development. Staff gather information from parents at the start to identify children's existing skills and knowledge and get to know them very well.

They plan and provide engaging activities based on children's interests and what they want them to learn next.Children show clear progression as they master skills, such as using a knife to cut up fruit. They develop an understanding of keeping themselves safe and tell the inspector, 'The knife is sharp, so I have to be careful when I'm cutting'.

Staff adapt the provision to attract children who would otherwise not engage in activities. For example, the staff have noticed that boys are now being more creative. However, on occasions, staff make assumptions about the intent and impact of an activity and, therefore, do not accurately assess what children have learned.

Children are beginning to learn to manage their own emotions. Staff respect children's wishes to sit quietly to calm themselves down. They are sensitive to children's feelings and thoughtfully ask them if they want a cuddle.

All staff have recently completed a behaviour management course. They say this has made a positive difference and has given them more confidence in their approach.Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities extremely well.

Wherever possible, they strive to ensure all children are fully involved with the activities. Parents say their children have flourished and are now more confident and independent. Additional funding is used effectively to address gaps in children's development.

The team works effectively in partnership with staff from other settings that children attend. They support children's transitions through the pre-school and on to their next stage of education. However, staff have not considered how they can better support children to develop their sense of the local community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff are aware of possible local safeguarding issues. They are able to identify children who may be more at risk of neglect and/or abuse.

Staff know the actions to take to protect children, including in the event of an allegation against an adult working with children. The manager and the designated safeguarding lead monitor registers to identify patterns of non-attendance that may cause concern. All staff regularly attend the local authority safeguarding forums to contribute to keeping their knowledge up to date.

Those who work in the setting have undergone suitability checks.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date improve knowledge about the registered person's role and responsibilities, including the processes required to complete suitability checks for new committee members 09/06/2023 ensure that all committee members complete the required documentation so that the necessary suitability checks can be completed by Ofsted.09/06/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to consistently understand the learning intentions of activities, to enable them to fully assess the skills and knowledge children have learned plan a range of experiences that broaden children's understanding of their local community.

Also at this postcode