Birley Community Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The passionate and dedicated staff strive to improve outcomes for all children. They provide a welcoming, calm and exceptionally nurturing environment for children. Staff form close bonds with children. Children show high levels of energy, excitement, and are happy and well settled. Children behave very well, and staff are positive role models. Staff have high expectations of all children. They teach children to share toys and resources. Children play harmoniously together. For example, they take turns to be on the front and back of the bicycles when playing outside.

Children follow strong routines, which support their positive behaviour. Children listen to staff and follow instructions without hesitation. They are kind to their friends and enjoy playing in collaboration with each other. Staff ensure that children's dietary requirements and allergies are fully catered for, and information is displayed for staff to see. Staff support children's oral health well. They talk to children about looking after their teeth and provide activities to promote teeth cleaning. Children are active and benefit from lots of fresh air and exercise. They confidently use the wide range of outdoor equipment. Children enjoy running around in the outdoor area. This helps to keep them fit and healthy.

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

• The manager and staff know children exceptionally well. Staff's interactions with children are warm, caring and nurturing. They are enthusiastic and praise children for their efforts, achievements and positive behaviour.
• Children make good progress over time. They participate in their learning with enjoyment. For example, when children explore play dough, they talk about what is feels like. They use vocabulary such as 'dry', 'squidgy', sticky and 'soft' and describe their actions, commenting that they are 'patting', 'squeezing' and 'rolling'.
• While learning and playing together, children enjoy lots of challenging and stimulating activities that allow them to think and work through the process to achieve a result. For example, while learning about animals that live in the Arctic, children explore the changes of frost and ice melting in water. They enjoy splashing in the melted ice and frost.
• Children access a broad and balanced curriculum that follows their interests and builds on what they already know and can do. Staff plan appropriate next steps in learning for children and share them regularly with parents.
• Children learn about those who help them in the community. For example, children have enjoyed visits from the emergency services. These help children to develop respectful attitudes of those who help them. However, staff do not provide consistent opportunities for children to learn about the culture and heritage of children attending the pre-school. This means that children's understanding of diversity in modern Britain is less well developed.
• Children have lots of opportunities to practise and develop their early writing skills. For example, they use chalks to make marks on blackboards. They squeeze, flatten and roll out play dough independently. This helps to strengthen children's small-muscle movements in preparation for early writing.
• Parents are extremely happy with the care and education their children receive. They feel well informed about their children's progress. Staff work in partnership with parents to suggest ways they can support their children's learning at home.
• Staff are valued and appreciated by the manager. They are supported in their role and are able to complete training to help them further develop their knowledge and skills. The manager is hands on and is a good role model for staff, offering them help and guidance. She regularly completes observations of staff and has meetings to discuss how they can improve their practice.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported incredibly well. Staff are experienced and work in partnership with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists and the inclusion support team.
• Staff support children's communication and language development well. They play alongside babies and children. Staff repeat the correct pronunciation of words, such as 'ball', blow to babies and introduce new vocabulary.
• There are many opportunities for children to develop their independence. Children put on their own coats and outdoor shoes when going outside, and they collect their own lunch boxes and open them. However, particularly at mealtimes, children miss out on opportunities to develop further independence.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the curriculum to help children consistently understand differences and similarities between people, cultures and communities different to their own
• provide opportunities to further promote children's independence at mealtimes.