Betts Park Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff welcome children as they enter the pre-school. Children settle quickly and greet their friends as they arrive. They understand the morning routine and are eager to independently hang coats on their pegs, place their lunch boxes on the trolley, and find their name cards to sign in. Children enthusiastically explore the environment and easily select the toys they want to play with. They are confident to approach staff for help, if needed. Staff offer praise for their accomplishments, which raises children's self-esteem. The curriculum offers challenge and stimulates children's interest. Children are keen to get involved in the activities on offer and staff support their positive attitudes to learning well.

All children behave well. They learn to take turns and share the resources. Children learn to identify and manage their feelings with sensitive support from staff. Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they eagerly join in activities to develop their large muscles as they ride on bicycles to race around the track in the garden and navigate balancing on crates. Children are confident and are motivated to learn. For example, during carpet time they eagerly explain the rules to visitors, discuss which day it is and chose their favourite book, talking about the author, the illustrator and the 'blurb' on the back cover.

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

• The manager and staff have designed a well-sequenced curriculum with a particular focus on children's communication and language and their personal, social and emotional development. Staff know children and what they are working towards well. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language, make good progress from their starting points. Additional funding is used to enhance children's learning experiences as staff understand children's individual needs well.
• Children confidently use mathematical language in their play. They accurately count how many children join them at an activity and identify which number space they park their bicycles in when they finish riding. Staff talk to the children about the shape and size of different vegetables in the mud kitchen. This supports children's understanding of early mathematical concepts and prepares them for the next stage in their learning.
• There is a focus on developing children's language and communication skills. For example, various areas of the pre-school are set up to create opportunities for communication and to develop children's social skills. Staff focus on children's speech and language through songs and stories at group times. Children regularly join in with conversations and show good listening and attention skills. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well, as staff find out key words in children's home languages and use visual cues to help children understand what is happening next.
• Staff have created an environment where children can explore a variety of exciting activities. Children are becoming curious and inquisitive learners. Staff know what they want children to learn, and support children's development well through spontaneous learning opportunities. Occasionally, however, staff do not consistently use a wide range of questioning techniques during their interactions with children to enhance their thinking skills and support their learning further.
• The special educational needs coordinator has a good knowledge of children and supports staff well to provide targeted plans for children. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children with SEND are well supported.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents speak highly of the pre-school and comment that the staff team are nurturing and compassionate and that their children thrive in a safe environment. Good communication ensures that parents know what their children can do, what they will be learning next and how to support their learning at home.
• The owner and manager work well together and are strong, motivational leaders. As a management team they have a sound understanding of how to make improvements in the pre-school. They identify areas to improve further and celebrate the staff's strengths to improve practice to benefit children. Staff speak very highly of how leaders support their professional development. They receive regular supervision and training. They feel supported in their role.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to use questioning techniques to enhance children's thinking skills to support their learning further.