Sunshine Pre-school Puriton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Staff have designed a curriculum that considers children's interests and what they need to learn next.

However, this is yet to be fully implemented to engage and challenge all children, in particular the youngest children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).The initial group time welcomes children and supports their emotional well-being as they settle into the pre-school day. Children listen and respond well to their names.

They relish the opportunity to be the 'special helper' and keenly count how many children and adults are present. Children recite days of the week and months of the year..., beginning to understand the sequence of time.Children excitedly explore the musical instruments.

They decide which to play and how to make a sound. Staff introduce familiar songs and children confidently accompany them. They move in time to the music, such as marching up the hill and down again.

Children learn new vocabulary as staff provide specific names for the instruments, such as maracas.Children show curiosity in the range of sea creatures in the blue spaghetti. They ask questions about the octopus' 'suckers' and listen well to staff's responses and show interest in the new vocabulary they have learned.

Children are keen to explore the items in the 'attention bucket' independently and explore how they work. However, staff do not always implement the purpose of the activity as well as they could to encourage children's focus and sustained interest.

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

Staff use their training well to develop an exciting learning environment, which invites children to explore a wide range of resources.

On the whole, the curriculum meets most children's needs. However, staff do not always ensure the youngest children and those children with SEND are fully engaged in their learning. For example, they do not use the resources available to them, such as visual reminders and communication books, to help children in their choices and to understand what is happening next.

Staff use their recent training to support some children to manage their feelings and to share. For example, staff remind children not to 'snatch' the spaghetti and they model how best to ask a friend to share. However, when these strategies do not work, staff are less confident to adapt and find what best works for individual children.

This leads to some children becoming difficult to engage, which impacts on other children's learning. For example, when children lose interest in the story their behaviour deteriorates, and they lose focus. This results in staff leaving the group story to manage behaviour, which interrupts the story for those who are listening well.

Most children understand the daily routines and behavioural expectations. However, staff do not always consider the best ways to support less knowledgeable children as they move between activities. For example, a younger child becomes upset as they wanted to continue playing outside rather than having snack.

Staff do not consider the best ways to help children understand what is happening next to allow for a smooth transition. On occasion, daily routines, such as snack time, leave the children waiting for a long time without adult interaction.Staff encourage good hygiene throughout the pre-school.

Children know they need to wash their hands before they prepare their snack. Children gain good independence, for example using knives safely to prepare their fruit. Children understand they place their cups and plates in the washing up bowl when they have finished.

Children are constantly praised and benefit greatly from strong bonds with familiar adults.In general, the new management team understand what needs to improve and have made some progress since the previous inspection. They work closely with staff, parents and other professionals to raise the quality of the provision.

This is particularly evident in the improvements to staff knowledge and understanding of all aspects of safeguarding and the development of an effective key-person system to meet children's individual needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There are appropriate recruitment and induction arrangements to ensure staff are suitable for their role.

All staff, including the designated safeguarding lead (DSL), have attended relevant safeguarding training for their role in protecting children from harm. Staff have good knowledge of the indicators that a child is at risk of harm. The DSL understands her responsibility to refer concerns about a child or a member of staff to relevant agencies, and to inform Ofsted of any referrals about a member of staff.

All staff understand and implement the policies and procedures that keep children safe, such as the safe collection of children from the pre-school and maintaining an accurate daily register.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure the curriculum is fully embedded into practice, in particular to support the youngest children and those with SEND to reach their full potential 14/07/2023 increase staff's confidence to use training more effectively to help them adapt behaviour management strategies to meet children's individual needs and engage them in their learning.14/07/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: norganise transition between activities better, so that children are prepared for what is happening next and do not wait too long without adult interaction make better use of all available resources to engage those children with SEND in their learning.