Almonds Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this friendly, welcoming pre-school. They benefit from warm interactions from nurturing, familiar staff and they demonstrate close attachments. Children demonstrate that they feel safe at pre-school. Staff use children's interests to build a curriculum that stimulates their curiosity. For example, children use their imagination as they take part in role play activities using 'vet' resources and a selection of animals.

Children demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning as they become fully engrossed in activities. For example, young children show high levels of engagement as they take part in a music session. They listen carefully and follow instructions accurately. They learn about the different sounds that a range of instruments can make and sing a selection of nursery rhymes. This helps children develop their speech and language skills.

Children behave very well. They learn to listen and follow instructions accurately, from a young age. Staff encourage children to resolve any minor conflicts independently as they observe and monitor. This helps children to develop their social skills and build friendships. Children develop their independence and self-care skills. For example, they learn to put on their coats and shoes and pour their own drinks using jugs.

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

• Children benefit from group circle times where they listen and have opportunities to learn new concepts. For example, children share their learning experiences from home as they discuss autumn treasures in a bag provided by staff. This helps to develop children's listening and attention skills, and children learn to speak confidently within a group.
• Staff expose children to a language-rich environment. Children develop their vocabulary by learning new words, such as 'hibernation' linked to their current topic of autumn. Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the natural world around them. For example, they take a walk in the local field and children use their senses to observe changes in their natural environment.
• Staff support children to learn about religious festivals and cultural celebrations. Children see positive images of people in books and on posters. However, staff do not teach children about the similarities and differences that make them unique. This means that children do not have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of equality and diversity.
• Parents are complimentary about the service the pre-school provides. They state that their children enjoy attending the pre-school. Parents feel that staff keep them well informed about what their children are learning. They appreciate the journals that staff keep for their children, demonstrating their learning.
• Staff share the same book with children throughout the week. This repetition helps young children learn the language of stories and supports them to be able to retell them. It also helps to develop children's speech and language skills. Children have opportunities to look at a range of other books throughout the session.
• Staff offer children a range of opportunities to develop their physical skills. For instance, young children learn to climb steps and travel down a slide, while older children learn how to pedal and steer a tricycle. Staff focus on promoting children's development of fine motor control. They provide opportunities for children to practise these skills, for example by providing scissors with dough to enable them to strengthen control of the muscles in their hands.
• Managers offer staff regular supervision sessions and opportunities to discuss their roles and key children. However, this requires further evaluation to provide opportunities to extend staff's professional development, to help raise the quality of teaching and learning in the pre-school.
• Staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive appropriate support. They set individual targets to ensure children make progress that is achievable and relevant to them. Staff make effective use of additional funding by purchasing resources that meet children's specific needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more opportunities for children to learn about equality and diversity and prepare them for life in modern Britain
• seek training opportunities to develop staff's skills and knowledge, to raise the quality of teaching to the highest levels.