Arc Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eagerly and benefit from the happy and caring atmosphere. They are greeted warmly by friendly staff as they enter. Children are proud to be a part of the pre-school and have a real sense of belonging. Children behave well and learn how to compromise. For instance, they demonstrate their understanding of whose turn it is next and how to share very popular wheeled toys. They happily play alongside their friends and staff. Overall, staff support children in conversation as they play, encouraging them to talk about what they are doing. This develops their communication and language skills. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff teach children how to use garden tools safely.

Children show a positive attitude to learning through their curiosity and concentration. They thoroughly enjoy exploring and playing outside. For example, young children smile and giggle as they enthusiastically splash in the water tray. Older children learn about the world around them as they talk about honeybees and take part in various gardening and planting activities. Children demonstrate their growing early self-care skills, as they put on their own wellington boots and aprons for water play; they independently wash their hands and make choices about their play. Children are supported to make good healthy food choices and try a variety of fruits at snack time.

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

• Since the last inspection, the manager has made significant improvements to the arrangements that promote children's learning, safety and well-being. The manager has sought support from the local authority to help improve and meet requirements.
• The manager is hands on in practice. She is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable role model for staff and children. The manager has a clear and ambitious vision for the pre-school and prioritises on putting children and their families at the heart of everything that they do. This helps to promote inclusive care and enriches the experiences for all the children.
• Overall, staff have established a broad curriculum. Staff show a good knowledge of children's individual learning needs. They assess children's progress accurately and ensure that the curriculum they offer builds securely on what children need to know next. However, at times when staff ask questions, they do not consider ways to further extend children's thinking and communication skills so that they raise the quality of education to an even higher level.
• Staff support children's emotional well-being effectively. For example, they teach children about feelings and emotions of others. They help children to share, to use their manners and follow the pre-school routines. This helps children to feel secure, settled and understand what will happen next.
• Staff benefit from a range of purposeful training to positively support their professional practice and to promote children's learning. For instance, they recently completed training focused on the curiosity approach. In addition, they take part in regular staff meetings and discussions within the team to support their development. Staff report that they feel well supported. However, the manager has not considered all ways to monitor the impact of staff training to build upon and sustain the quality of staff's wider knowledge and practice.
• Staff effectively support children's understanding of the wider world. They plan experiences to broaden children's understanding of their local community and extend opportunities for them to value their home backgrounds. Children learn to respect one another and are supported to understand what makes them unique.
• Staff encourage children to understand the importance and benefits of good oral hygiene. For example, children regularly brush their teeth and consider the benefits of healthy eating. This supports children's physical well-being and their understanding of leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Staff build good partnerships with parents. Parents speak highly of staff and comment positively about the support they receive and the information that is shared with them. This helps them to meet the needs of their children and know how they are doing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's modelling of language and questioning techniques, to further extend children's thinking and communication skills
• evaluate the effectiveness of training to assess the impact of improvements made, to build upon and sustain the quality of staff's knowledge and practice.