All Saints Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this extremely welcoming, inviting and stimulating pre-school. They arrive happy and are incredibly eager to begin their day. The nurturing environment enables children to feel safe and secure. As a result, children are confident and settle quickly into the setting. The manager and staff are superb role models for children. They promote a wonderful child-led approach, which supports each child to learn and achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children demonstrate a sense of belonging and feel comfortable in their surroundings. They form exceptionally strong bonds with the adults that care for them. This helps them to have the confidence and desire to explore their environment independently. Children move very confidently between play areas and make their own play choices from the interesting variety of experiences on offer. Children are curious and excited to explore the resources and show high levels of engagement.

Children are extremely polite, show kindness and are respectful towards each other. They say please and thank you without being prompted when they ask for things, such as more fruit at snack time. Children enjoy each other's company as they sit together during mealtimes. They chat about their day and build friendships. Children beam and enjoy the praise they receive when they complete tasks independently. For example, children skilfully pour their own water or milk to drink.

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

• Managers and staff know the children they care for extremely well. They demonstrate a deep understanding of children's learning needs and consistently deliver high-quality interactions that effectively build on what children know. Children react very positively to staff during their play and show high levels of engagement and persistence.
• Staff are highly skilled at supporting children's communication and language development. They speak warmly and clearly to children as they play. Children develop their critical thinking skills and confidently ask questions. For example, as children bake bread, they describe what is happening to their dough. They understand that they might need to add more flour to their mixture if it is sticky and more water if it is dry. Children's vocabulary rapidly expands as they are introduced to new words, such as kneading the dough. Staff consistently repeat the words they use for reinforcement.
• Children benefit greatly from the outstanding focus placed on meeting and developing their personal, social, and emotional needs. The key-person system works exceptionally well to ensure that new children and their families receive tailored support to help them settle. Staff emphasise helping children to learn about their feelings and emotions. They use a range of strategies, including stories and books, to help children's understanding.
• Children with SEND receive extremely high levels of support to help them to meet their full potential. This means that children with SEND are extremely well included, feel safe, and make significant progress in their learning and development. For example, staff skilfully engage children in activities that build on their interests and follow their individual learning styles.
• Staff provide a rich curriculum, both in and away from the pre-school. For example, children engage in weekly forest school sessions, where they explore the community and natural environment. Children engage in exciting and challenging activities, such as den building, woodwork and cooking. Staff use this time to teach children how to be aware of their own safety when they are in the woods.
• Children's transitions into school are seamless. Managers and staff work incredibly hard to build excellent relationships with the local school. They work closely with teachers to aid children's move on to school. Teachers visit the pre-school to meet children on numerous occasions. The manager also organises for children to visit the school, in order for them to become familiar with the environment and different routines. For instance, children visit school at mealtimes, as the manager has identified this can be hard for children to navigate.
• Parents receive excellent communication from staff about their children's time in the pre-school. Staff give them constant support and ideas of how to complement their children's learning at home. Parents appreciate regular updates and photos, especially as they have not been spending time in the setting, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The manager is incredibly passionate about providing children and their families with the highest quality of care and learning. She has a very strong emphasis on enhancing staff skills and knowledge, to support children to achieve the best possible outcomes. Staff are motivated and enthusiastic in their quest to constantly improve.