Ashby And Leire Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children love attending this home-from-home setting. They say goodbye to their parents and carers confidently and say 'good morning' to staff. They know the routines very well.

Children put their lunchboxes and water bottles in trays and go inside to hang their coats up. At snack time, three-year-old children pour milk from a jug into a cup. When they have finished, they place their plate and cup ready to wash in a bowl.

This supports children's independence skills.Children enjoy many opportunities to be active and develop their physical skills. They proudly tell visitors to the setting about a certificate they have ac...hieved from a football coach who visits each week.

Children strengthen their large physical skills when making skilful movements during a Pilates session.Children's behaviour is good. They are supported sensitively by staff to resolve minor conflicts.

For example, staff suggest to children that another child could sit in the middle when using a see-saw. Children show respect for each other. They politely say to their friends 'it is your turn now' when rolling a ball to each other.

Children feel safe and secure. They are comforted by staff putting their arm around them when they fall over.

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

Staff are skilled at finding out about the experiences children have at home and plan to broaden these.

For example, children use their imaginative skills to pretend to be firefighters, using hoses and helmets. Their knowledge is extended when a real fire engine and firefighters visit the setting. Children have the opportunity to use a real fire hose and hear the siren on the fire engine.

Children have opportunities to develop their early number skills. At snack time, staff encourage children to count how many pieces of banana they have. They compare how many pieces of fruit they have with their friends.

Staff introduce new mathematical language to children, such as 'one more'. Later, staff ask children to count to five when balancing on one leg during a Pilates session.Many high-quality interactions take place between staff and children.

Children tell staff about what they have found out and what they are learning. For example, they tell staff that a flower needs water to live and find a container to collect water in. Staff ask thoughtful questions to extend their learning.

However, some staff do not always give children enough time to respond to questions before moving on. This means children do not have time to develop their thinking skills and ideas.Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their love of reading.

Children independently access a wide range of books throughout the day. Staff support children to consolidate their knowledge of the story of 'The Three Little Pigs' by building three houses made of sticks, straw and bricks. Children squeal in excitement as a member of staff pretends to be the wolf and chases them.

They repeat phrases such as 'no, no wolf, you can't come in'.There is a good balance of adult-directed and independent tasks to support children to develop their knowledge and skills. For example, during an adult-directed task, children talk about their feelings and consider how other children may feel.

Children explore independently how to use a toothbrush and toothpaste to brush away marks from pretend teeth. This promotes their oral health. However, at times, activities are not planned precisely enough to consider children's individual next steps.

This means that, for some children, activities can be occasionally too easy or too difficult. Consequently, children do not always make the best possible progress.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively.

Staff monitor children well and put intervention plans in place quickly to provide additional support to children. For example, they provide speech and language groups to help children to be more confident to speak as part of a group.The manager demonstrates a strong commitment to the setting.

She continually reflects on what the setting is doing well and what she would like to improve. Staff have access to a wide range of training. They reflect on how training has impacted on their practice.

For example, they talk to children about how they are feeling and how to calm down. This has had a positive impact on behaviour across the setting.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a robust understanding of how to keep children safe from harm. They know who to report their concerns to. Staff have a secure knowledge of the 'Prevent' duty and are aware of signs that children may be at risk of being radicalised.

Staff complete safeguarding training and attend fortnightly staff meetings where the manager shares any updates. This means their knowledge is always kept updated. During the session, staff are deployed effectively to ensure children are supervised well.

Staff are skilled at completing visual risk assessments, minimising hazards and risks. The manager follows effective safer recruitment procedures when employing new members of staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to give children more time to consider their responses to questions before moving on, to enable them to develop their thinking skills and express ideas nimprove staff assessment of children's development so they identify more precisely what children need to learn next, to enable children to make the best possible progress.