Inspection of Rillington Pre-School Playgroup

Rillington Village Hall, Scarborough Road, Rillington, MALTON, North Yorkshire YO17 8LH

Inspection date: 27 February 2020
Overall effectiveness: Outstanding

The quality of education: Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes:  Outstanding
Personal development:  Outstanding
Leadership and management:  Outstanding
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection: Outstanding
27 February 2020

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding.

Children are extremely happy, safe and emotionally secure at this community- focused setting. Staff are very supportive of children, who they know exceptionally well. Children are encouraged to work at a natural pace and move seamlessly from one activity to another. This results in a calm and relaxed atmosphere.

A wide range of highly stimulating activities is provided. Activities and experiences are thoughtfully adapted to meet children’s current interests and needs. Extremely strong bonds have been formed between staff and the children in their care.

Staff are constantly mindful of children’s well-being. For example, they provide them with opportunities to be busy or quiet to meet their emotional needs.

Children are enthusiastic and eager to learn. They show great excitement as they search for dinosaurs that staff have hidden under blankets in the playroom and outside in the sandpit. Children are curious and experiment with ideas as they play with pipes and toy cars.

They anticipate whether cars will fit down the pipe and come up with ways to make them go faster. The dedicated staff team has very high expectations for children in their care.

There is a very strong focus on supporting children’s positive behaviour.

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

This is a welcoming and friendly pre-school that supports the local community extremely well. There are excellent partnerships with parents. The manager and staff work hard to involve parents in the life of the pre-school and their children’s learning. For example, they provide a home-loan service for toys, books and resources. Staff encourage parents to help out at the setting. They provide parents with helpful information, such as ideas for children’s healthy packed lunches. Staff suggest activities for parents to try at home. For instance, they give parents ideas about how to support their children’s listening skills through games, rhymes and action songs.
The pre-school’s curriculum is ambitious and thoughtfully considered. The extremely experienced and well-qualified staff team provides excellent support for learning. Children’s developing communication and language skills are promoted extremely well. Staff use gesture, singing and rhyme. They repeat back to children what they say to show that they are understood. Staff say children’s names first before giving instructions in order to gain their focus and attention. They introduce new and more complex vocabulary as they play with the children with toy animals and dinosaurs.
There is outstanding support for children’s personal, social and emotional development. A strong emphasis is given throughout the pre-school on children playing cooperatively, sharing and taking turns. Staff make activities exciting. For example, they encourage children to guess what might be in the tin they produce at circle time. Children take turns to open the tin to see what is inside. They are encouraged to express their feelings and emotions through the use of puppets. Staff talk to them about how faces change with emotions, as they play a game together with giant dice which they take turns to roll.
Children’s growing independence is fostered very well. They are encouraged to express themselves in group situations to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Children independently choose and access toys and resources. Support for children’s mathematical development is woven meaningfully through activities. Children describe in detail the colour of toy farm animals and clap the syllables in their names as part of the secure daily routine.
There are rich and highly stimulating opportunities for children to learn about the wider world outside the setting. Children enjoy visits from animal handlers and trips to see baby lambs and pigs on a local farm. This helps them to learn about animals and the natural world. Staff invite a local Italian restaurant owner into the setting to make dough balls with children. Children take part in baking competitions and movement and dance sessions to help widen their experiences still further.
There is excellent support for staff well-being. The manager meets with staff to support and extend their knowledge and skills. Staff are very reflective and work extremely well together. They are passionate about what they do and want the very best for the children in their care.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The setting is safe and secure. The manager has an excellent understanding of her responsibilities around safeguarding. All staff keep themselves up to date with procedures to keep children safe. They know very well how to identify any concerns with children or staff, what procedures to take and who to contact.

There are highly robust policies and routines in place to support safe practice. Staff have a high-level awareness of risk. They teach children very important safety messages through activities. For example, staff model how to handle scissors safely.

Children are encouraged to dispose of broken toys safely and straightaway.

Setting details Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number: 400252 Type of provision: North Yorkshire
Registers: 10117714
Day care type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Age range of children: 2 to 4
Total number of places: 21
Number of children on roll: 28
Name of registered person: Rillington Pre-School Playgroup Committee
Registered person unique reference number: RP907440
Telephone number: 07704289080

Information about this early years setting

Rillington Pre-School Playgroup registered in 1973. The setting employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, one is a qualified teacher and one holds early years professional status. Three staff are qualified at level 3. The setting opens during term time, Monday to Wednesday from 9am until midday, and on Thursday and Friday from 9am until 3pm. It provides funded early education for two, three and four year old children.

Information about this inspection
Inspector: Julie Foers

Inspection activities

The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact on children’s learning. The manager and inspector evaluated an activity together.
The manager and inspector toured the setting together. They discussed how the setting organises and plans the curriculum and experiences for children.
The inspector looked at a sample of the setting’s documents. This included evidence about the training and suitability of staff.
The inspector held discussions with the manager and chairperson of the pre- school committee. She spoke to a number of parents to gather their views on the setting.

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.