Acton Bridge Pre School Association

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children at the pre-school are helped to feel safe. The key-person system is embedded and children settle quickly, forming secure attachments with staff.

The manager has strategies to identify and target any gaps that children have in their learning. When gaps arise, staff are quick to plan exciting activities using the children's interests to help close these. Mathematical skills are actively promoted and children enjoy taking turns to count how many children are present each day.

They identify shapes within the environment and practise forming numbers while making marks. Children demonstrate a love of reading from a ...young age. They are keen to choose their favourite books and listen attentively to stories.

This interest in books is extended by going to choose new books from the library bus every three weeks. Staff introduce new vocabulary to children as they play. For example, they introduce the words 'push' and 'pull' to children as they demonstrate how to move toy diggers up and down ramps in the sandpit.

However, on occasions, staff do not allow children enough time to answer questions and to process the information given.

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

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and conduct. They have embedded rules of the setting and children play well together, sharing resources and toys.

Children develop positive attitudes to their learning and enjoy making presents for their parents on the craft table.The manager adopts a carefully planned curriculum and promotes outdoor learning and experiences. Children benefit from meaningful learning experiences that are planned using their interests.

They enjoy learning about farmyards by reading books and building models of tractors. Their learning is extended by going on trips to a local farm to gain real-life experiences of the animals and farmyard vehicles.The well-established key-person system helps to ensure that children are happy and settled.

Children have good levels of concentration and form close friendships with their peers. They work as a team to set up the toy farmyard and pretend to cook food for their friends in the playhouse.Staff track the development of all children.

This ensures that they can plan for the next steps in children's learning. Effective partnerships with other professionals are improving staff's knowledge of how to support children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.The manager uses staff meetings to set group targets.

However, systems for assessing the quality of teaching have not been embedded. Staff are not fully encouraged to actively build on their professional development to further develop their practice. The manager does not keep herself and her staff up to date with new initiatives.

Parents are happy with the relaxed atmosphere that the staff create. They praise the staff for creating a 'family-feel learning environment for children to thrive in'. The pre-school has forged positive relationships with parents.

However, systems for sharing information with parents about their child's development and providing ideas for how learning can be extended at home have not been embedded.Children are becoming independent learners. They put on their wellies and coats to go outside, and pour their own drinks.

Robust hygiene procedures are in place and children wash their hands and explain why they need to do so. Children help to grow fruit and vegetables in the outdoor area and enjoy picking and eating them when they become ripe. They develop a positive attitude to leading a healthy lifestyle and enjoy eating nutritious food at lunch and snack time.

Children make good progress from their starting points. They are working at a level typical for their age and gain the key skills needed for the next stage in their development and eventual move to school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of what constitutes a safeguarding concern. They understand the procedures to follow to protect children from harm. When appointing new staff, the manager follows thorough recruitment processes.

This ensures staff are suitable and have the necessary skills to fulfil their roles in the pre-school. The manager plans to access further professional development opportunities to ensure staff are continuously up to date with new initiatives.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on arrangements for the professional development of staff, to even further enhance the standard of teaching nenhance systems for sharing information with parents about their child's development and providing ideas of how learning can be extended at home.