Aveton Gifford Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff build positive relationships with children. They provide a warm welcome and are highly attentive to children throughout the day. Children benefit from these positive interactions that develop their confidence and self-esteem. Children learn to take risks and try things for themselves. Staff promote and support this through encouragement and their calm reactions. For instance, when toddlers try to pour their milk using jugs, they learn that a spill is just a 'whoopsie' and staff praise them for having a 'go'. Children are happy to try again and succeed in building their physical skills and perseverance.

Children benefit from a well-planned curriculum that supports their next steps in learning and development. Staff use their knowledge of children to effectively adapt and extend learning. They build children's understanding by recapping on previous learning and making links to what children know. Children are motivated learners. They are focused in their play and develop good attention skills. They show excitement and engagement during activities. For instance, they laugh and enthusiastically act out scenes from books they have been reading, such as 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', with staff in the forest school area. They are pro-active and confident in selecting what they want to play with.

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

• Staff monitor children's learning and development. They quickly recognise where children may require additional support and put interventions in place. For example, they use information from parents and previous settings children have attended to identify gaps. They seek advice from relevant professionals and continue to work closely with them to ensure all children achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Children learn to respect the similarities and differences between themselves and others. For instance, they talk about and compare things they like to do and foods they like and dislike. However, staff do not always support children to understand the consequences of their actions on others. Although children learn to use 'kind hands and feet' and show kindness, on occasions they do not think how their words and actions make other children feel.
• The pre-school have developed effective relationships with the local school and other pre-schools. For instance, they go into the local school for weekly lunches and fortnightly stay and plays sessions. Staff join in training at the school and have observed expert practice in other pre-schools. Children benefit from these experiences that develop staff practice and builds children's readiness for starting school.
• Children build positive habits and an understanding of how they can keep themselves healthy. For instance, they learn how to brush their teeth and take home packs that encourage regular brushing. They learn which foods are healthy and which foods are 'treats' and discuss this at mealtimes. Staff provide daily outdoor play in the fresh air which supports children's strength and balance.
• Staff promote children's language development. They model how to have conversations and demonstrate pronunciation of words. They introduce new vocabulary through books and activities which children bring into their own play. For example, children play 'cars' outside using new words they have learnt, such as, 'amber' and 'traffic lights'. Staff use questions to prompt children to talk and children respond confidently as they answer and recall information.
• Staff support children's independence. They build children's ability to do things for themselves. For example, they teach children to put on shoes and coats and wash their own hands. However, staff do not always encourage children to solve problems and develop their critical thinking skills. For instance, they tell children how many less pieces of fruit they will have if they eat one more instead of encouraging them to try and work this out themselves. As a result, children do not always try to find solutions when faced with a problem and ask an adult for help before trying.
• Leaders monitor staff practice and support their professional development. They regularly observe staff and feedback on strengths and areas to develop. They work with staff to select training that positively impacts children's development and meets their needs. For example, staff are using sign language training to further support children's speech and language development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to think of the effects of their actions and words on others to further promote their understanding of kindness
• promote children's critical thinking skills and ability to think of solutions to problems for themselves.