Arden Grove Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children with a smile, as they welcome them into the pre-school. Children separate from their parents/carers with ease and settle quickly into the calm, learning environment. Children form warm, trusting relationships with their key person and all other staff. Children feel a sense of belonging and some close friendships with the other children are evident.

Leaders and staff provide a well-planned curriculum that supports children's development across all areas of learning. Staff know the children very well. They use regular observations and assessments to identify children's next steps in learning. Staff use their knowledge of the children to ensure that children's interests are reflected in what is on offer. Children have opportunities to make their own choices, as most resources are accessible. In addition, staff encourage children to take part in planned creative activities, exploring with paint, gloop, water, and other natural materials. Children are motivated, curious and enjoy learning through play. They have equally good opportunities to spend time outdoors in the fresh air or under the all-weather canopy, as well as in the indoor area.

Staff support children's emotional well-being very well. Children learn to manage their own feeling and emotions and respect others through routines, stories, and discussions. Children learn to respect each other and their environment because staff act as very good role models. Behaviour is consistently good.

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

• The action raised at the last inspection has been addressed. Ofsted has been supplied with all necessary information to enable them to carry out suitability checks on all current members of the governing body. The pre-school is well led. Staff's wellbeing is valued. They receive effective supervision and peer to peer support. They are encouraged to undertake further training and professional development and to use new knowledge gained to further improve their practice.
• Children benefit from a language-rich environment. All staff provide commentary about what they are doing. They hold interesting conversations and pose questions to extend knowledge. Staff give children time to think and respond. Staff play with word sounds, using rhyme and alliteration. They consistently look for opportunities to introduce new words to the children. For example, naming the different types of melon and explaining the differences between a 'cantaloupe' and 'honeydew'.
• Staff are swift to identify and support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The staff welcome support from other professionals and have some strategies in place to close gaps in children's speech and communication development. However, these are not yet securely embedded, to ensure that those children who are slower to speak make as much progress as possible.
• Children enjoy varied and nutritious snacks, such a fresh fruit and crumpets. Children are eager to join the snack bar, as this is a lovely social occasion. They learn how to safely cut up fruit, using child-friendly knives. They competently butter their crumpets, taking great care when placing them on their real china plate and joining their friends at the table.
• All children are supported to be independent. They learn and practise the key skills needed for when they transition to nursery or on to school. Children learn how to wash and dry their hands. They choose the correct recycling bin for the paper towel. Children learn to take off their shoes and how to place their socks in them, so they do not get lost. Children confidently select and handle scissors safely. They learn to follow instructions and put toys away, once they have finished playing with them.
• Parents are highly complimentary of the care and education their children receive. Staff ensure parents are well informed about their children's learning and development. They make effective use of an online application and provide parents with regular updates. This includes how parents can support their children's learning at home. They describe the staff as 'nurturing' and 'fantastic'.
• Overall staff demonstrate effective teaching techniques. Staff use recall effectively to embed previous learning, as they explore number, shape, pattern, and colour. Staff extend children's learning as they skilfully weave in mathematical language and counting into children's play. Children snuggle up to staff as they read story books with animation. However, routine group story and singing times are not so well planned and delivered, in order that children receive consistently rich learning opportunities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to deliver well-planned, rich learning experiences, particularly for children who are slower to speak, so that they have good opportunities to practise their listening and speaking skills
• review and enhance the planning and delivery of adult-led group sessions, such as story and singing, in order to ensure that these best meet the needs of the children attending.