Sandcastle Nursery & Preschool Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children develop close attachments to the enthusiastic and caring staff. They behave well and receive regular praise from staff, which helps to boost their confidence and self-esteem.

Staff provide a warm and relaxed environment. They are polite and courteous when talking to children, to help children learn about positive behaviour.Staff know children well and use information gathered about their prior learning to plan stimulating activities, both inside and out.

All children, including those in receipt of additional funding and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from th...eir individual starting points. Staff follow children's interests in painting, trains and different concepts such as rotation. For instance, babies investigate the wheels on toy trains enthusiastically and learn how to push them along a wooden track.

Older children are keen to find out what happens when they mix paint to make different colours. Children demonstrate positive attitudes towards their play and learning. Staff work closely with parents and keep them well informed about their child's time in the setting.

They plan and review targets for all children and encourage parents to work on the same steps at home.

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

The manager and staff provide a varied curriculum for children to help them gain the skills they need for the future. Staff observe and develop the children's general interests.

However, their ongoing assessments are not as sharply focused to target teaching at even higher levels of practice to help ensure that children make the best possible progress.Staff understand the differing needs of children, including those who speak English as an additional language, children in receipt of additional funding and those with SEND. The SEND coordinator liaises regularly with other professionals to review children's progress and provide continuity of care.

Staff give children regular opportunities to strengthen their early literacy skills. For instance, staff use the 'book of the month' to teach children about listening attentively and recalling key phrases. This contributes to children's good language skills and helps them to gain skills in readiness for reading, when the times comes.

However, staff occasionally do not recognise opportunities during group activities to engage and challenge older children.Staff work with parents effectively and involve them in their children's education. For example, staff support children who are learning to speak English as an additional language effectively, and encourage parents to share familiar words they use at home to help children to express themselves in the nursery environment.

Parents are complimentary about the information they receive and the progress children make.Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their physical skills in the outdoor area. Children confidently negotiate the outdoor space as they run and older children climb and balance on large tyres.

Additionally, external visitors run weekly sessions, such as music and movement, yoga and baby ballet. Staff enrich children's experiences and build on children's confidence skills.The hard-working and dedicated manager is committed to providing good-quality care for children.

She seeks the views of children, parents and staff regularly to help to identify strengths and target areas for improvement. The manager is aware that some children need extra support in developing their communication skills. She has plans to provide targeted support to help these children catch up in their learning.

The manager supports staff to feel valued and manage their workload. She uses some effective systems to highlight good practice, for instance staff observe each other regularly and give feedback to develop their skills further.The manager organises training to ensure staff meet the children's individual needs.

For example, following on from specific baby training, staff introduced an interesting range of natural objects and resources. This was to help babies focus their attention and develop higher levels of concentration.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager has effective systems for recruitment, induction and ensuring the ongoing suitability of the professional staff team. Staff know the signs that indicate a child may be at risk of abuse, neglect or being exposed to extreme behaviours or ideas. They talk about local safeguarding procedures confidently and know the steps to take if they have a concern about a child's welfare.

Staff carry out daily checks to identify and remove potential hazards. They supervise children well at all times as they move around the setting's building and outdoor area.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance teaching during group activities for older children, so that they can participate fully and engage in the learning experiences provided strengthen the use of assessments to plan more precisely for children's learning to help ensure they make the best possible progress.