Blundeston Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This is a very happy community pre-school. Staff take time to get to know the families well and use this knowledge to build close and comforting relationships with children. Right from the start, children seek and receive the comfort of a kind word or a warm hug from affectionate staff who are consistently calm, friendly and encouraging. Staff model cooperative behaviours effectively and gently support children when they are learning how to play with their friends. Children's good behaviour is evident and they clearly feel safe and secure.

Leaders and managers have thought about how children learn and have developed a curriculum that uses this knowledge to help every child progress. Staff plan for children to learn essential skills that underpin their next steps. For instance, children learn how to use scissors by practising cutting play dough as they build the strength and technique necessary to cut paper carefully. Staff assess children and pay close attention to what each child needs to learn in order to progress. They build effective working relationships with families and partner agencies to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the support that they need to make progress in their learning.

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

• Leaders and managers work closely with staff to develop their practice and provide a happy and stimulating learning environment. They have focused successfully on staff well-being and have built a strong and motivated team. Leaders and managers highly value professional development, and staff undertake training that has resulted in them becoming more reflective practitioners. Through meetings and discussion, all staff are engaged in leaders and managers' ambitious plans to further develop the pre-school.
• Children's physical development is very well supported. Staff understand that opportunities for children to develop their confidence and self-belief in their physical capabilities support their confidence in other areas of development. Staff plan challenging and stimulating obstacle courses outdoors, where they sensitively encourage children to be brave and try to do things that they find tricky. Children learn to be persistent as they practise their physical skills and are proud of what they achieve, cheered on by staff and their friends.
• Staff set out a well-organised environment where children confidently select from the range of stimulating activities on offer. Children become deeply involved when playing games with their friends, happily developing their pretend play as they move around the pre-school. Books are readily available and shared regularly. Staff support children's speaking and listening skills well through conversations, and sharing stories and rhymes. They consistently implement simple rules and routines, such as a short tidy-up time before lunch. Children happily join in as they begin to learn how to care for their environment.
• Parents and carers speak very highly of the staff and how they provide their children with a happy place where they can play and learn. They observe that the staff are exceptionally kind and supportive through difficult times. Leaders and managers have developed a range of opportunities and information to help parents support their children's learning and development at home. Children benefit from this joined-up approach to their learning and development.
• Staff teach children the importance of managing their own self-care, such as being independent in their toileting and handwashing. However, support for children to develop their independence is not consistent. Sometimes staff do things for children that they could do for themselves, such as opening packets and boxes at mealtimes. This does not best help children to develop self-care skills in preparation for later learning, including school.
• Although staff provide plentiful art and craft supplies, planning focuses too heavily on teaching children to replicate something an adult has produced for them to copy. This does not encourage children to fully explore their own creativity. Additionally, there are not enough opportunities for children to celebrate their artwork, remember what they have done, and decide what they might do next time.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve teaching skills further so staff consistently recognise and use opportunities to develop children's independence
• provide more opportunities for children to develop their own artistic expression and to see their independent work celebrated.