St Andrew’s Preschool Ashton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children develop secure attachments with staff.

They behave well and are happy and emotionally secure. Indoors and outdoors, they choose what to play with from an interesting range of toys and activities set out. However, in some areas, leaders have not identified clearly what that they want children to learn or the order in which they need to learn it.

Therefore, during children's freely chosen activities, staff are less able to promote and extend learning and to build up children's knowledge securely. On the other hand, some activities are planned and led very well by staff. During these activities, staff are clear what... they want children to learn, and the quality of teaching and learning is good.

For example, children engage well and are focused on learning during music time and when manipulating dough to music.Outdoors, children demonstrate increasing balance and coordination as they walk along planks. They roll tyres to each other, which helps to develop their coordination.

They grow vegetables including lettuce, tomatoes and celery, which supports their understanding of nature and provides opportunities for them to care for living things. Children develop good speaking, listening and literacy skills. They are learning new language to help them to express their feelings.

They play games such as dominoes, which helps them learn how to take turns and also helps them to develop mathematical skills.

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

Since the last inspection, the staff team has become more stable. This has enabled leaders to step back from working directly with children and evaluate all aspects of the provision.

They have implemented new procedures, which are beginning to have a positive impact on the quality of education. For example, managers have started to observe staff practice and meet with them to discuss their strengths and areas to develop. They are providing support to staff who are new to their roles, so practice continues to improve.

Leaders have a clear vision and appropriate plans for development. They include the views of staff in their evaluations and have recently sent questionnaires to help to gather the views of parents.Each child has a member of staff identified as a key person.

This key-person role is developing steadily to build stronger partnerships with parents to help promote continuity of children's learning. Parents receive some information about what their child has been doing during the session. As required, they also receive a written summary of their child's progress when aged between two and three years.

However, ongoing information exchanged with parents is not sufficiently detailed to keep everyone well informed about children's abilities.Children engage enthusiastically in group music time and develop a range of useful skills, which support their language development. They listen carefully to the patterns within the music and clap to the slow and fast beat.

This helps to improve their attention and listening skills. They are introduced to different genres of music, such as opera, which enable them to hear and distinguish new sounds.Children develop a keen interest in literacy.

They listen attentively to stories read well by staff and enjoyed a recent visit from a local author. They know that books contain facts and stories and that an author writes them. Children enjoy a wide range of activities, which help to strengthen their hands and fingers ready for writing.

For example, children skilfully use their finger and thumb and tweezers to pick up and move pom-poms. They squeeze, pinch, pull and roll dough while listening to disco music. They design and decorate book covers and bookmarks, which also helps to develop their creativity.

Children enjoy some stories and craft activities linked to calendar events. However, there are few opportunities for children to learn about other people, families and communities to help to prepare them for life in modern Britain.Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding is steadily developing.

The special educational needs coordinator works increasingly with parents, staff and external professionals to help identify and close any gaps in children's learning. The spending of additional funding is being monitored to check that it benefits the children that it is allocated to.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Since the last inspection, a new heating system has been installed and staff monitor that the rooms are maintained at an appropriate temperature. Staff follow risk assessment procedures to keep the premises and resources safe. They understand how to identify and report child protection concerns.

The manager ensures staff receive regular training to keep their knowledge of safeguarding up to date.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date identify more clearly what children are to learn, so all staff can help children to gain the most from the self-chosen activities 08/09/2023 exchange more detailed information with parents, so all parties have a clear understanding of what children know and can do and are able to build on prior learning with success 08/09/2023 embed the recently improved ways that are in place to monitor staff's practice and support their professional development.08/09/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make greater use of opportunities for children to learn about people, families and communities beyond their own.

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