Bizzy Bears Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the pre-school with a smile and separate from their parents with ease. Staff provide an inclusive, nurturing environment for all children. They get to know the children's whole family to help them understand the children's individual needs. This helps staff to support children's emotional well-being. Staff provide enticing activities that promote children's physical development. For example, children use large spoons to stir and their hands to squeeze as they mix flour and water to make play dough. This helps strengthen their hand muscles. Outside, staff support children to build stamina, strength and coordination. Children learn to climb, balance and slide in the well-planned outdoor area. They benefit from a curriculum that follows their interests and helps them build on their existing skills. Staff use spontaneous learning opportunities during daily routines and activities. For instance, staff support children as they learn to mix the colours blue and yellow to make green as they mix coloured water.

Children are motivated to try new things and have a go. Staff encourage children to persevere in learning how to use scissors and praise their achievements. Staff support children to be independent. Children learn to manage their personal care needs. Staff encourage them to develop new skills as they serve themselves at snack times and put on their own puddle suits. Staff help children to share toys fairly and role model how to show kindness to others. Children enjoy playing with each other and are developing friendships.

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

• The pre-school provides a focused curriculum that meets children's individual learning needs. A secure key-person system is in place to help children develop secure relationships and staff get to know the children well. Staff regularly assess children's progress to identify what they already know and can do. They use the information gathered to highlight emerging gaps in children's learning and then plan for their next steps. This ensures children make good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff communicate well with children and focus on their language development. For instance, they consistently model language and help children improve their vocabulary by talking to them as they play and adding new words. However, staff do not always support quieter children to join in conversations or provide further support for the quieter children to participate in activities.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Staff get to know children with SEND well. They understand children's individual targets and implement these throughout the day. Staff work closely with outside professionals and parents to ensure children receive the support they need.
• Staff embed mathematical learning into children's everyday experiences. Children learn to use mathematical language in their play, such as counting the number of legs on a spider and comparing the sizes of jugs in the water. Staff challenge children to find the longest worm as they hunt through the soil to dig out the pretend worms.
• Staff provide a welcoming and inclusive environment. They actively promote the diverse cultures and languages of the children who attend the pre-school. Children have good opportunities to explore their similarities and differences. For example, children listen to and learn simple songs in their friends' home languages. Staff and children celebrate a range of cultural festivals and events throughout the year. This helps children develop tolerance and respect for other people and different communities.
• Staff encourage children to be independent, which helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence in preparation for school. For example, staff teach the older children how to fasten a zip. All children help themselves to healthy, nutritious snacks and pour their drinks from a jug. Children learn how to keep themselves healthy as staff use stories and activities focused on topics, such as oral health.
• Staff promote positive working relationships with parents. Parents comment that they are well informed about targets set for their children and receive information that helps them continue their children's learning at home. They also comment on how staff offer advice and support on subjects, such as potty training.
• Overall, leaders support, monitor and coach staff to understand their roles and responsibilities. They ensure that staff receive regular supervision sessions and appraisals. However, although they have identified some inconsistencies in staff practice, they have not yet found ways to ensure all staff are working towards the same high standards expected.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide further support for the quieter children to help them participate in group activities and discussions
• strengthen support for staff to develop their knowledge and skills to ensure greater consistency in practice and fully support children's learning.