Amaryllis Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed by staff. As a result, they enter the pre-school with confidence and quickly settle to play. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents no longer enter the setting. Despite this, children separate from their parents well.

Children have warm relationships with staff. They encourage children to take part in their favourite activities, such as playing with the role-play or small-world toys. Children are eager learners. For example, they join in with planned activities or play independently. Children have freedom to explore the well-resourced environments, both indoors and outdoors, as they follow their own interests. This helps to keep them engaged and busy as they navigate around the setting. Children benefit from lots of opportunities to develop large-muscle skills as they run around outside.

Children behave well, demonstrating they understand the high expectations of them. Children know the routines of the day, such as, washing their hands or sitting down for a snack. At snack time, children have a choice of healthy fruit, which helps them learn about good food choices. Their independence is also encouraged as they use tongs to select their own fruit. Staff support children to develop their small muscles, for example, by using dough. This helps to prepare children for later skills, such as writing.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well and make good progress. They are supported by staff who ensure that every child's need is advocated for. Staff seek advice from professionals when needed. This ensures that children with SEND receive the best possible start.

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

• Leaders design a curriculum that is informed by understanding the complex needs of the children in their care. In turn, the learning environment has been carefully considered and has well-defined areas.
• Children are provided with items from home that are familiar to them. For example, in the home corner, there are packets of food from different cultures and dressing-up clothes include girls' headscarves. This means that children's diversity and individual needs are celebrated and respected.
• Children take part in planned learning experiences. However, during circle time, there are too many interruptions which result in the children missing valuable learning opportunities. Sometimes, the learning intentions during group-time activities are not carefully considered. As a result, children do not benefit fully from these learning opportunities.
• Children are well behaved because staff are good role models. They treat children with respect and set clear expectations for their behaviour. For example, children are rewarded with stickers for their good behaviour and they are reminded of the setting's rules when necessary. Staff give children the tools to manage conflict, such as assisting them to learn how to share. This means that the children know what is expected of them and they are learning about being patient and sharing resources.
• The leaders are reflective and continually assess the pre-school for ongoing improvements. They regularly reflect on the quality of education to ensure that the children are accessing the full provision on offer. For example, they moved the outside reading area to a more suitable location. As a result, more children access the books, which supports their early literacy.
• Support for children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language (EAL) is a particular strength of the setting. Children who need extra support are swiftly identified, and interventions are quickly put in place.
• Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to target any gaps in children's learning. The tracking process of observing and assessing children identifies personal next steps and group targets for the children.
• Staff share information with schools and there is a focus on helping children to learn important skills, such as independence. This helps to prepare children well for their next stage of learning.
• Parents speak highly about the staff and comment on how supportive and approachable they are. They are kept very well informed of children's development and what staff want their children to learn. Parents receive regular updates about their children's development. This means that parents are equipped with the information they need to support their children's learning at home.
• Staff support children who speak EAL well and children benefit from staff who speak different languages. They use the children's home languages alongside English as they play. This means that children are able to learn English words at their own pace. This greatly helps to support children's language development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• organise group-time activities so that children benefit fully from these learning opportunities.