Harthill Pre-School

Inspection of Harthill Pre-School Harthill Junior and Infant School, Pre-School Unit, Union Street, Harthill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S26 7YH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children and parents are enthusiastically welcomed by the manager and staff when they first arrive. Children are happy and engaged. They show that they feel safe and secure. Children form close bonds with staff, who supervise them well and are attentive to their needs. All staff provide children with a good foundation in their learning. Mixed ages of children enjoy their time together as they learn and play. Staff provide a calm environment and have clear expectations for children's behaviour. Children benefit from this consistent approach. For example, they follow instructions to sit for circle time and seek out staff when they need help or reassurance. Staff act as good role models for children. They are kind and approachable. Children build good levels of self-esteem and behave well. Staff give them lots of praise for their efforts and achievements.

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The provision is good

Children enjoy using their experiences and imaginations to create stories in their play. For example, they pretend to be doctors and bandage each other's arms. Staff encourage children to talk about special people who help them, as this is a recent interest which has been further extended by children. Children use play dough to create familiar faces and animals. Staff encourage them to independently access books to read which are familiar to them. Children delight in joining in with story time. Younger children fill and empty containers in the sandpit and develop their hand muscles, such as when scooping the sand into piles.

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need to do better?

n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve good outcomes. They build close relationships with their key person. Staff are nurturing and responsive to children's needs. For example, they accurately recognise children's verbal and non-verbal cues. Staff encourage speech and signing to support children's communication. They work closely with the local authority to support children with SEND. n Staff support children's health well. Children learn how to keep themselves healthy and the importance of adopting a good diet. They develop healthy lifestyles. For instance, children enjoy healthy snacks and drinks, access fresh air daily and take part in rigorous physical activity. They learn about good dental hygiene and brush their teeth enthusiastically after meals. The nursery has been awarded a 'Healthy Foundations' award through the local authority. n Staff are qualified, experienced and know all children well. They carry out

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need to do better?

regular observations and assessments to identify what children can do and their next steps for learning. Staff use the information from these to plan learning experiences that promote children's development. n Overall, staff have a good understanding of how to develop children's learning effectively through the implementation of the pre-school's curriculum. For

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need to do better?

23 June 2023 example, staff provide lots of opportunities for children to recognise different numbers, in readiness for their move on to school. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents and grandparents speak positively about the service the pre-school provides and the positive impact this has on their children and themselves. They comment on the kind and caring staff team and the wide range of activities that are offered to their children. n The manager recognises the importance of self-evaluation. She uses feedback to identify areas for improvement and works closely with the local authority to enhance the pre-school further. Staff take part in a variety of training to support their development. However, managers do not consistently use supervision sessions to monitor staff's practice and ensure that it continually improves and is of the highest standard. n The manager and staff provide children with extensive support to help them to

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need to do better?

develop their early language skills. Staff implement an intensive intervention programme to help children to make good progress. However, the curriculum and staff's planning are not as well developed for children who are already achieving well with their speaking skills, to help them to build even further on what they already know and can do. n Staff are good role models and demonstrate respect towards each other. Children learn from this and show respect and understanding for each other. Children are confident to speak to visitors and new parents visiting the pre- school. They talk about similarities and differences and people in their local community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a secure understanding of the policies and procedures to safeguard children. Staff carry out daily risk assessments to identify and remove any hazards. This helps to provide a safe environment for children. They understand about fire evacuation procedures and implement effective policies, such as when managing accidents and administering medication. The manager and staff recognise a range of signs and symptoms that may indicate that a child is at risk of harm or abuse. They understand the local safeguarding partnership's reporting procedures. Managers and staff receive regular safeguarding training to help them to recognise the signs and symptoms of when a child may be at risk of harm. Staff support children to understand the importance of wearing hats and applying sun cream in hot weather. They encourage children to keep hydrated by drinking water.

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should:

23 June 2023 n support staff to enhance their teaching skills to the highest level n extend the curriculum for children who are already progressing well in their communication and language to challenge them even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 303235 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 10276503 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person Harthill Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01909 774 708 Date of previous inspection 19 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Harthill Pre-School registered in 1998 and is located in Sheffield. It employs five members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The manager holds early years professional status. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am to 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the pre-school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n The manager and the inspector had a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a literacy activity with the manager. n Parents and carers shared their views of the pre-school with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school. n The manager and the special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

23 June 2023 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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