Alphabets Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children come into the nursery happy and excited to see their friends. Staff spend time getting to know the children who they care for. This helps children to build relationships and settle quickly. Staff have high expectations for all children, who are making good progress. Staff follow children's interests and plan exciting activities, such as growing vegetables and planting flowers. Staff continue this learning inside and adapt the environment to develop learning further. For instance, children's imaginations are captured by the garden centre that has been set up in the role-play area. They pretend to buy flowers to take home for their families.

Overall, children behave well. They enjoy helping staff with tasks, such as setting the table for mealtimes and tidying up. Children have a positive attitude to learning. They enjoy exploring sensory activities, such as sand and water play. Staff hide objects in the sand and encourage children to find them. Staff are skilful at keeping children engaged in their play. They recognise the importance of supporting children's language development. Staff extend children's ideas and ask a range of questions. For instance, when children are digging in the mud, staff ask children to compare the size of worms. These opportunities contribute to building children's range of vocabulary.

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

• The manager and staff are passionate about the care and education they provide. Staff have a clear understanding of how to implement an effective curriculum. For instance, they assess children's development to plan for their next steps in learning. Staff prioritise using funding to provide children with one- to-one support when required. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress.
• Staff encourage children to practise their independence skills. For instance, children cut up their own fruit, pour their own drinks and put on their coats. Children develop their toileting skills, with consistent support from staff. Staff work closely with parents to offer support at home. Staff provide children with visual step-by-step instructions for using the toilet and washing their hands. This helps to support children to have the confidence to manage tasks by themselves.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that children with SEND receive the support they need. For example, she makes timely referrals to support children who need extra help. The SENCo works alongside parents, staff, and other professionals to make targeted plans. These are achievable to support children in intended areas of learning and development.
• Children have copious opportunities to enhance their physical development. For example, they have the space to run, climb, balance, and negotiate space. This develops children's core muscle skills. Children enjoy more-focused activities, such as mark making, threading string, and using scissors. This helps children to develop their coordination and muscle control for early writing.
• Staff are positive role models and encourage children to talk about their emotions. For example, they use 'The Colour Monster' story to support children's understanding of feelings. However, occasionally, staff do not consistently support children to understand the impact of their behaviour on others. This does not help children to learn to manage these situations by themselves and resolve conflict.
• The manager is passionate about her role and strives for continual improvement. For instance, she carries out regular supervision meetings to consider staff's professional development and well-being. Overall, staff deliver good-quality teaching. They interact well with children, helping them to learn new things. However, there are some minor inconsistencies in staff's confidence to fully support children. The manager recognises the need to monitor staff practice even more precisely to develop their teaching skills further.
• Partnership with parents is good. Staff regularly communicate with parents and keep them up to date with their children's care and progress. Staff signpost parents to further support should they need it, such as the local food bank. Parents say that they are happy with the information they receive about their children's learning, both verbally and through parent consultations.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently help children to understand the expectations for their behaviour and the impact of this on others
• sharpen arrangements for monitoring staff practice, to enable more-focused support on enhancing their teaching skills further.