Peter Pan Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are busy and active learners. They move confidently around the pre-school building, which staff organise well to meet the individual children's needs. Children are very confident and guide their own learning throughout the session. Those who learn well outdoors are provided with excellent opportunities to explore and engage in learning in the exciting and interesting garden. Children enhance their balancing skills as they manoeuvre around the wooden poles of the pirate ship. They run through and splash in big muddy puddles, some of which are created naturally and some of which are enhanced by staff spraying water from a hose. Children explore a range of sensory and natural materials, both indoors and out. Staff recognise that some children struggle with placing their hands in unusual textures. As a result, they present some covered with plastic film, so that those children can enjoy the experience at their own pace.

Children understand the setting's routines, as staff are clear about their expectations of the children. They learn from a very young age to help to clear the resources away at specific times during the day, for example before lunch. Children choose whether to tidy up to music or to sing a favourite song. When they choose music, they are able to proficiently instruct the electronic device to play the required tune.

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

• The manager and trustees have worked hard since the last inspection to improve the weaknesses identified. They understand the need to inform Ofsted of all new trustees. They have all records and required documentation on site. The manager and trustees work closely together and are continuously developing their understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
• Parents spoken to during the inspection are very complimentary of the manager and staff. They comment on how well their children are progressing and the specialist help they each receive to enable them to achieve and learn. Parents state that they feel well supported and know that they can go to their child's key person or the manager with any concerns.
• Children are superbly supported by the high number of staff present. Those needing one-to-one support are proficiently helped to engage in all activities. Staff know the children very well. They are patient and supportive and take each aspect of the child's day at the child's pace, helping those who struggle with transitions to cope.
• The manager describes the curriculum as being based on the children's interests and flexible, so that staff can adapt activities with the children's changing needs. Staff are seen proficiently implementing this, moving resources around as and when required. They are confident to bring in new and exciting resources to capture children's interests.
• Children thoroughly enjoy exploring play with dried foods, such as oats and pasta, which they pour down a maze of guttering suspended at different levels on a clothes horse. They sieve the oats through a pizza tray and watch as it falls like snow. Staff are on hand to provide rich language to help the children to describe their experience.
• Staff and managers are very security conscious. They ensure that the inner door of the building is always locked behind anyone leaving the main room. This helps to prevent children from being able to leave the pre-school or any unwanted visitors entering. When parents, children or visitors arrive, one of the senior staff greets them and manages their entry.
• There are effective arrangements in place for the recruitment and induction of new staff to ensure that all adults working with children are suitable. The manager recognises that the addition of new staff brings new and fresh ideas, but also creates a workforce with variable teaching skills. She and the trustees are considering ways to coach and support all staff to improve the quality of teaching to a consistently high level.
• Staff converse with the children throughout the inspection. They introduce new words and encourage children to talk about their experiences. Some staff, however, are less confident about asking questions of the most able and knowledgeable children to challenge their thinking and help them to continue developing their understanding.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen arrangements for staff to learn from each other to create a consistently strong team
• develop staff's questioning skills, so the older and most-able children are effectively challenged in their thinking.