Aston on Trent Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a warm and welcoming environment where children feel safe and secure. Children express joy and excitement as they enter the pre-school and are delighted to greet staff and their friends. They settle quickly as they are instantly absorbed in their self-chosen activities. Staff plan a broad and stimulating curriculum that is carefully sequenced and builds on what children already know and can do. Staff know the children well and skilfully adapt activities to ensure that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are fully supported to reach their potential and achieve good outcomes. Children thrive in this inclusive and stimulating environment.

Staff are very good role models and help children to develop positive relationships with one another. Children show kindness and respect and willingly offer a helping hand to a friend. For example, when getting ready to go outside, children help each other to locate their wellington boots. Children are extremely well behaved and demonstrate good turn-taking skills. They listen carefully to instructions and consider the needs of other children when playing together. For example, they invite other children to join in their role-play games and share out the resources so that everyone can participate. Staff provide a wide range of activities for children to develop their awareness of the local community and the wider world. Staff support children effectively to develop the skills they will need for moving on to school.

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

• Leaders and managers are very committed and strive to continually improve and develop the provision. They work collaboratively with staff and other professionals to provide children with good support and engaging learning experiences. For example, improvements have been made to the outdoor area to enable children to develop their physical skills in a stimulating environment. Strong partnership working has helped to strengthen transition arrangements when children move on to school.
• Staff provide children with SEND with the best start in their educational journey. Staff use their understanding of children's individual needs to carefully plan next steps in learning and development. Early intervention and meaningful support help children to make good progress.
• Staff support children to develop a good awareness of the wider community. They plan regular trips and events to broaden children's experiences of the world around them. For example, children enjoy using the mobile library and have fun participating in craft activities with residents at a local retirement village. This helps children to develop their awareness of differences in society and build confidence when interacting with others.
• Staff plan an array of stimulating and relevant activities. Children are keen to design their own rockets, using different shapes. They talk about their design features, pointing to the lounge where the 'spaceman can relax'. Staff model mathematical language well but do not always present activities clearly to help children to make connections in their learning. This means that children do not always benefit fully from come of the learning experiences on offer.
• Staff foster children's love of books. They read engaging picture books to spark children's interest in imaginative tales. Children show their understanding of the text by recalling key events, such as a thrilling rocket journey to the moon. Children delight in using the props as they pretend to be the main character getting ready for their space adventure.
• Parents value the care and attention that staff provide for children. They comment that children have 'come on in leaps and bounds' since attending the pre-school. Parents receive regular information about what their children have been doing each day and how they are progressing. Parents are supported to extend children's learning at home.
• Staff gather relevant information from parents and carers when children start at the pre-school. This helps them to plan around children's interests and their individual learning and development needs. However, important information is not always shared effectively with the staff team to enable each key person to develop a thorough understanding of children's family backgrounds.
• Children develop positive relationships with one another and staff. Snack and mealtimes promote children's social skills as staff sit with children and initiate lively conversations. Children are encouraged to carry out a range of tasks by themselves, such as pouring drinks and putting on their outdoor clothing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen information-sharing to help staff fully understand children's individual backgrounds
• support staff to make a clear link between the learning intent and delivery of planned activities.