Al-Islamia Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children in this setting are happy and well cared for. They smile as they arrive and eagerly begin to play with the wide range of activities on offer. Well-trained staff support children and are attentive to their needs. Children who struggle to settle receive lots of cuddles and reassurance. They are supported to make choices regarding what they want to play with. For example, children choose to play with the toy cars. As they roll them down pipes, staff help them to catch and count the cars.

Children develop secure relationships and attachments with staff. They refer to them as 'Apa', meaning 'sister', to help create a sense of family and belonging. Children happily join in routine activities based on Islamic and family traditions, such as daily prayer and singing sessions. Children learn to behave well. They are reminded to follow the 'golden rules' to keep themselves safe. Children learn to care for their environment and confidently help to tidy away. They put away the paints and stack the cars back into boxes after they have finished playing, so they do not trip or slip. Children are listened to and valued as they request to sing the 'turtle song' during group time, as it is their favourite. Children's individual needs are supported. They learn in small groups according to their ages and abilities. This enables them to focus and make consistently good progress in their learning. Children make friends quickly and are encouraged to play together respectfully.

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

• Staff support children to learn to play together safely. Children are shown how to take turns as they play together in the sand. Staff encourage children to move safely when using the climbing equipment in the garden. They remind children not to climb indoors, to keep them safe. Children show respect to each other and their toys.
• Children enjoy spending time outside. Staff ensure there are a variety of activities on offer. Children access the mud kitchen, and enjoy balancing and rolling balls. They enjoy playing alongside the staff and generally have their ideas supported. However, staff are sometimes too quick to move children's ideas on. They quickly suggest something different to do. Consequently, children do not always have the time to secure their ideas and extend their own learning.
• Staff know the children in their care very well. They take time to find out about children's interests and home traditions. Staff use this information to plan new experiences for children. For example, staff encourage children to mix different materials to make pretend cakes in the mud kitchen, after talking about cooking and baking at home.
• Children learn to become independent. They help to prepare their own snacks. They learn to cut up fruits safely and enjoy serving their friends at snack time.
• As children arrive each day, they are encouraged to select which snack they would like that day. Children take a coloured stick and place it in a jar to indicate their choice. Staff then support children to count the sticks to know how many portions they need to prepare.
• Leaders have a clear idea of what they want to achieve and how they intend to support children's care and well-being. Islamic and family traditions are combined with other areas of learning. Children are given opportunities to practise different languages. Daily routines and group activities are planned well. Children sing songs in English and pray in Arabic during these times. However, leaders are not always clear what they want children to learn during general activities. Therefore, staff do not always know what they need to teach children as they play alongside them.
• Parents speak highly of the setting and the values it promotes. They feel involved in their children's learning and development. Staff help parents to discover new ways of playing with their children. They regularly open the pre-school on weekends for family time together. Staff ensure that parents understand communications if English is not their first language.
• Leaders recognise when a child may need extra help. They act quickly to ensure additional support is provided to enable children to make good progress. Staff work well with the school on site and other local provisions to share information and ensure children are well prepared for their next stages in learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more time for children to lead their own learning and develop their own thoughts and ideas
• clarify the curriculum for general activities and improve the support staff provide to help children build on what they already know and can do.