Always Growing Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly greeted by friendly and kind staff when they first arrive, which helps them to settle at nursery. Staff know their key children well and this enables them to consider children's interests as they plan for their learning. As such, children readily engage with their environment, with gentle support from staff. For instance, children show high levels of engagement as they mix mud and water together and focus their attention on building houses. Staff support children with their chosen activities and use these opportunities to extend their learning. This includes linking their activity to familiar stories they have read. This helps children to recall what they have previously learned.

Staff set clear expectations for children's behaviour. For instance, they remind children to wait on the carpet until it is their turn to wash their hands before lunch. Children listen to staff instructions and wait patiently for their turn. This helps children to understand what is expected of them.

Children are given a variety of opportunities to learn about risks around them. For example, staff teach children road safety when they go on outings to the nearby sports field. Staff also support children to engage in risky play as they explore the climbing equipment. This helps children to learn how to manage risks for themselves.

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

• Leaders create a broad and ambitious curriculum that aims to give children the skills and knowledge they need to prepare them for their future learning. They support staff to deliver the curriculum, such as through regular meetings and giving them feedback on their practice. This helps staff to know how to best support children to reach the next stage in their learning.
• Leaders are reflective and listen to feedback from parents and staff. They use feedback to make changes to the nursery, such as strengthening their communication with parents. This has helped with sharing appropriate information and enables leaders, staff and parents to work together in order to meet children's needs.
• Staff arrange the learning environment well, which enables children to freely explore their surroundings and show a good attitude to their learning. For example, children relish in the bountiful opportunities to move their bodies in different ways, such as climbing, swinging and digging. Children also learn to work collaboratively with each other, such as collecting water together and pouring it down a ramp. Staff support them with these activities, which enables children to develop their physical skills.
• Overall, staff plan engaging adult-led activities. For example, children enjoy opportunities to build their own structures with shaving foam, sand and wooden pieces. However, on occasion, staff are not clear about the intended learning outcomes during their planned activities. At these times, children do not benefit from teaching that precisely targets their next steps in learning.
• Staff support children to develop their communication skills. This includes encouraging children to join in with familiar stories and songs, and role modelling the spoken language to them. This enables children to hear a variety of words, which helps to build on their language skills.
• Generally, children are supported to manage their own self-care skills, such as washing their hands before they eat. However, staff do not consistently promote hygiene routines. For example, there are times when staff do not encourage children to wash their hands, such as after they have wiped their own noses. This means children are not receiving consistent messages about how to take care of their own bodies.
• Children are encouraged to be involved in the daily routines. For instance, they eagerly help staff to set up the tables for mealtimes. Staff give children clear instructions and support them to think about what else they need to do to make sure the table is set up correctly. They give children time to respond, which provides children with opportunities to practise solving problems.
• Parent partnerships are strong. Parents say that they are very happy with the setting and their children thrive in their development. Staff keep parents informed of their child's progress and give them ideas for home learning so that children receive consistent support in their progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to plan activities that focus more precisely on what children need to learn next
• strengthen routines that support children's independence in managing their self-care skills.