The Garden Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children enjoy the time they spend at the pre-school.

Staff are caring and nurturing towards the children. Relationships between the staff and children are positive, and children feel safe and secure in staff's care. Children show kindness towards others and, with support from staff, they are developing an understanding of sharing and turn taking.

Children gain some knowledge and skills that prepare them for school and the next stage of their learning. However, there are some inconsistencies in the quality of education that the children receive, which hinders their progress. The curriculum for children's communication and... language development is not good enough, especially for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff celebrate children's achievements well. For example, when children count how many animals they have, they receive a clap from staff, alongside verbal praise for their efforts. This promotes children's self-esteem and positively contributes towards their happiness.

Children engage in a variety of activities. However, staff do not ensure that the experiences for children to develop their physical skills are consistently available. For example, when a relevant weather warning is in place, children are unable to access the outside areas until safe to do so.

Some staff do not consider providing experiences inside to support the development of children's physical skills. This has a negative impact on their behaviour and attitudes.

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

Weak curriculum planning and inconsistent interactions from staff mean that children do not always engage in purposeful play.

They sometimes lose interest in the activities available, and staff do not always know how to support the children with their learning. For example, when the older children cannot participate in outdoor learning, they chase each other, and staff do not respond quickly enough to their needs. However, in the toddler room, staff explore other ways to promote children's physical development.

For example, they engage in soft-play activities, where they practise moving their bodies in a variety of ways. This helps to strengthen their muscles in preparation for the next stage of their development.Leaders and staff ensure that they assess the needs of the children on a regular basis so that they can monitor the progress of individual children and identify gaps.

However, they are not quick to implement robust strategies to support those children who need extra help with their learning. This means that children with SEND do not always get the tailored support to help them catch up with their peers.The manager provides staff with supervision and training.

She identifies that staff need to be consistent in their quality of interactions and questioning skills when engaging with children. However, due to a lack of targeted support, staff do not receive the help they need to improve their planning and interactions with children. This hinders the progress that children can make, particularly in their communication and language development.

Staff encourage children to attend to their care needs. For instance, children use the toilet and wash their hands independently. They make choices about their play and are confident to ask for what they want and need.

For example, children ask for help with the buttons on their clothes, and staff skilfully support children to do them up.Staff support children to be healthy and independent. They teach children how to safely cut fruit using a knife and encourage them to count how many pieces of apple they now have.

Staff help children to learn good manners, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Children listen to staff's instructions as they line up to go outside, and staff remind children about 'switching their listening ears on'.The manager and staff promote children's early reading skills.

For example, children access books independently and find a quiet space to enjoy these with staff. Staff read with great enthusiasm and help children to develop their attention and listening skills. The manager has recently introduced a 'lending library'.

Parents comment that this has allowed them to borrow books to share with their children at home.Parents praise the staff at the pre-school. Children and parents are welcomed when children begin to attend, and this makes settling in a smooth process.

Parents receive detailed feedback from the staff about the care provided. Parents feel reassured by the regular updates given to them.Leaders are mindful of staff's well-being.

They have created an area where staff have a comfortable place to relax during their breaks. Positive comments are displayed to raise feelings of self-esteem. The manager keeps in regular contact with the team, and staff comment that they feel supported and valued.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff have a clear understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They can reliably identify what might indicate that children are at risk of harm and know what action they must take to report any concerns.

The provider has robust procedures in place for the recruitment of staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. The provider has taken action to ensure that there are risk assessments in place to minimise any potential risks for children.

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 that the curriculum for children with SEND is ambitious and meets their individual needs 13/10/2023 improve the physical development curriculum for the older children 13/10/2023 improve the support for staff to ensure that they consistently implement the curriculum, with a particular focus on the development of children's communication and language.

13/10/2023