Woodford Community Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children arrive happily at the pre-school. Staff welcome children warmly and help them to settle into their day.

Children enjoy familiar activities, such as playing with coloured water with staff. Some older children excitedly run around with their friends or snuggle in to each other in a cosy area to read a book. Children take pleasure in singing and dancing with staff at regular points through the day.

Staff recognise the need to give children opportunities to practise learning across all areas of the early years foundation stage. However, the curriculum is not ambitious enough for all children. Leaders do not always ef...fectively convey to staff what and how they want children to learn over time.

Staff are experienced and suitably qualified, but the quality of their interactions with children is inconsistent. At times, they talk loudly over their colleagues when they are working with large groups of children. Children find it difficult to hear and concentrate, for instance when they are listening to stories.

Their individual learning and development needs are not always met.

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

The curriculum is not challenging enough for all children. Leaders place an emphasis on providing activities they know children will enjoy rather than considering the skills and knowledge they want children to learn.

The lack of clear communication between leaders and staff means they do not always share the same intent for the curriculum and individual activities.The quality of interactions between staff and children is inconsistent. There are strengths, such as the teaching of vocabulary development in the toddler room.

However, at times in the pre-school room, staff are unclear on what they want children to learn. Group sizes sometimes become too large and activities become less meaningful as there is no clear focus on learning. For instance, during painting activities, staff are unclear how to teach children to develop their skills.

Key persons know their children well. They talk confidently about children's starting points, progress and next steps. However, staff do not always work in the same room as their key children.

While they share information about their children at staff meetings, this is not easily recalled by other members of staff. Consequently, there is not always enough support for children, especially those who are not confident, throughout the day.There is an inconsistent approach to developing children's independence.

Some staff encourage children to persevere with tasks, such as putting on or taking off their wellington boots. Other staff do things for children without being asked for help. Children are confused at the expectations of staff, and many are overly reliant on them.

Behaviour is generally good. Children usually listen well and are kind to each other. However, activities are not always at the correct level for children's level of development, and they struggle to join in.

For example, staff read stories which are too difficult for the youngest children to understand, and they are left to wander around the room on their own.Leaders undertake regular staff supervisions. They have recently introduced an online system for staff training which they use well for some areas, such as safeguarding training.

However, leaders do not always accurately assess the quality of staff's interactions with children. Coaching and mentoring are not tailored enough to the needs of individual staff to help them to improve the quality of their interactions with children.Children feel safe and secure in the setting.

Relationships between staff and children are nurturing and kind. Children frequently come to staff for reassurance and cuddles. Staff regularly praise the children for their efforts, for instance offering 'high fives'.

Parent partnerships are effective. Staff ensure they obtain essential information, such as children's medical information, on entry. They communicate well with parents about children's development through daily discussions in person and online learning journals.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff ensure the premises are safe and secure and that children are adequately supervised at all times. They teach children how to keep themselves safe, for instance by using the handrail when they walk down the stairs.

Staff are quick to recognise potential hazards. For example, they swiftly step in to cut up food which poses a potential choking hazard in children's lunchboxes. Staff are able to quickly recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse.

They know how to report any concerns about a child and understand the setting's whistle-blowing policy.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date develop the planning of the curriculum to ensure it is challenging and ambitious for all children 03/01/2024 ensure staff's delivery of the curriculum effectively builds on what children already know 03/01/2024 improve support and coaching for staff to develop how they interact with children and to meet children's learning needs more consistently.03/01/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide a consistent approach to helping children to become more independent and do more things for themselves.

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