Apple Tree Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this pre-school. They eagerly run to greet their friends and staff as they say goodbye to their parents. Children are confident and secure. Staff build strong relationships with children. They recognise the positive impact this has on children's learning and development. The curriculum is effective and ambitious for all children. Children of all ages are motivated and curious. They are good communicators and enjoy explaining what they know and can do. For example, they eagerly explain they are making rainsticks out of various materials. They enjoy exploring the sounds they make. Children of all ages develop creative skills. They cut and glue colourful paper onto paper discs to decorate their rice-filled rainsticks. Young children develop sorting and matching skills as they complete wooden puzzles.

Staff support children to enjoy learning experiences in the local community. For example, they regularly visit the local park to play. Children extend their physical skills such as running and balancing. Children develop intergenerational relationships during visits to the nearby elderly care home. Staff understand the importance of effective interactions. They hold lovely conversations with children of all ages. They use calm and supportive voices to encourage children and regularly celebrate children's achievements. Staff support all children to be ready for the next stage of learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported and all children make good progress in their learning and development.

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

• Staff recognise children's interests and prior experiences. They use this information to influence their planning of activities. For example, children have an interest in insects. In response, staff guide them to learn about the life cycles and habitats of different insects. Staff include a rich vocabulary to support children's communication. They count minibeasts and discuss and name shapes on insect bodies to develop mathematical skills further. However, staff do not extend children's understanding of different cultures, religions and similarities and differences as well as they could.
• Managers have created a learning environment which offers a wide variety of learning opportunities. They have designated one room for quieter play and the other room for louder games, including ball games and jumping, to further develop children's physical skills. However, the level of noise from children's play and staff communications is very loud in both rooms. As a result, there are limited opportunities for children to enjoy quiet time to concentrate and engage more fully.
• Staff encourage children to enjoy the fresh air and play outdoors often. Younger children like to roll balls along a pipe, developing their hand-to-eye coordination. They develop their coordination as they pedal sit-on cars and bikes. Staff encourage children to try new activities and children develop confidence in their abilities. Older children develop a sense of responsibility. They help staff check the garden for risks before playing in the outdoor space. They use a 'checklist' to see if the garden is free of risks and safe to use.
• The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator is knowledgeable and experienced. She has good relationships with agencies that offer SEND support. She integrates effective strategies for children with SEND. Staff quickly recognise when children have additional needs and offer effective and timely support.
• Managers have strong relationships with parents. They provide home learning bags, for example containing cooking activities or mathematics activities, that help build the link between home and the pre-school. Parents feedback how children happily explain what they have been doing during the day. For example, after learning about orangutans, the rainforest and caring for our planet, children explain to parents about why we should not eat foods containing palm oil and how we can help the planet by recycling.
• Behaviour is positive and children are kind and helpful. They listen and respond eagerly to instructions. Children help each other. For example, older children cooperate, building a brick home together. Others enjoy a group game of role play, pretending to be animals and crawling to their den.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend opportunities to support children to understand and celebrate similarities and differences and to learn more about the different religions and cultures
• provide children with calm and quiet areas so they can engage in activities for longer to help them to develop their concentration even more.