St Joseph’s Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children have wonderful relationships with staff, through which they feel extremely secure.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop high levels of confidence and their true personalities shine through. Children demonstrate this when they share that they must have superpowers because they are so good at drawing. The hugely committed staff use their extensive understanding of every child to provide precisely personalised learning experiences that help children to meet the high expectations they have for them.

When children jump in puddles, staff join in too ...and everyone laughs together. Staff cleverly use this fun-filled activity to extend children's learning. Children eagerly tackle the physical challenges they are set, including trying hard to jump higher or moving through the puddles in different ways.

They demonstrate their excellent problem-solving skills as they work as a team to build stepping stones across the puddle. Children develop a fantastic sense of who they are and what makes them unique. They frequently share their opinions and make choices.

For example, children choose from a variety of nutritious snacks, including food they have not tried before. They record and discuss their feelings about this new food. Children know that their views are highly valued.

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

The manager's ethos of teaching children to care for themselves and each other is embedded deeply in practice. Staff skilfully support children to think about the effects of their behaviour on others. They enforce rules in a highly positive manner that children follow with ease to help everyone play together harmoniously.

For example, children show great patience as they use timers to indicate when their turn will be.Staff consistently use exemplary teaching skills. These include questioning children in a manner which encourages them to develop and vocalise their own thoughts.

For example, children discuss why they knew puzzle pieces fitted together. Staff ensure children benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. They challenge children to develop their fine motor skills and to use tools with increasing control.

Children carefully pick up rice with tongs or roll play dough into tiny balls.Children concentrate immensely on their play and demonstrate fantastic attitudes towards their learning. For example, when children play with building bricks, some meticulously work out how to make bridges for cars to travel through, while others push towers along with remote cars.

All children show perseverance and determination as they test out their own ideas.Children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language receive extremely high levels of support to help them meet their full potential. The hugely dedicated staff who work with them form extremely close partnerships with other professionals and carry out training to ensure they know how to meet children's needs precisely.

For example, they implement systems that allow non-verbal children to communicate effectively.Staff strongly support children's developing speech. They share stories with children in a highly engaging manner where children eagerly complete the sentences that they know well.

They bring songs and rhymes into play at every opportunity. This leads to children singing merrily as they explore activities. Those children who need more support in their language development benefit from highly targeted interventions and make great progress from their starting points.

The manager and her staff team have brilliant relationships with every family. They develop a firm understanding of children's home lives and experiences before they even start in the setting. They use this incisively to widen children's knowledge.

Where additional funding is provided to support children, the manager pinpoints children's developmental needs precisely and uses the money wisely to close gaps in progress where they are most needed.Parents understand precisely the progress their children have made and how they can contribute to their continued development. They form highly consistent strategies with staff to ensure they are all supporting children in the same way.

For example, they share visual guides for helping children know what is going to happen next in their routines.The manager leads a team of highly motivated staff who are completely dedicated to ensuring high outcomes for every child. She provides staff with excellent opportunities to enhance their practice even further.

This includes increasing their confidence in their own abilities and helping them to extend their knowledge and skills even further. The staff work solidly together to raise standards even higher. They are currently implementing changes to planning that will help them to focus even more attentively on children's individual interests.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager acts as a huge support to families to ensure their well-being and that of the children, for example by listening to them and helping with anything she can. She ensures that staff always remain vigilant and understand fully how to notice if a child's welfare is at risk.

All staff show great confidence in this and in their knowledge of how to protect a child if a concern arises. Staff strongly empower children to learn how to stay safe and involve them actively in the robust risk assessments they make. For example, when playing outside, children contemplate where it is safe to stand while others are swinging near them.