Boomerang Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at the pre-school. They have warm and affectionate attachments with staff. Children show that they feel emotionally secure. Staff know children well and provide a stimulating learning environment for them. They take time to work with parents to find out about children's interests and what children can do on entry. This helps staff to plan effectively. They build on what children already know and can do. Children excitedly take part in stimulating activities. Staff design these around children's interests, cultures and learning styles. For example, staff teach them about their world as they look carefully at a bird's nest that is in the eaves of the building. They enjoy activities, such as making chocolate birds' nests, and they learn about how we live.

Children behave well. Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have reorganised the pre-school room to help manage children's behaviour. Staff have introduced areas with resources that children can explore with and use in their own way. This helps children to become engaged in their play and to use their imagination and stay focused. Staff join in with their play to challenge children's thinking and to develop their learning further.

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

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the setting closed during a period of national lockdown. When the children returned to pre-school, staff assessed children's learning to find out if there had been any delays in their development. Staff complete regular observations and assessments. They look at where the children are and what they need to learn next. The manager closely checks staff assessments and how they are used to ensure that all children make good progress.
• Children are confident and independent learners. Staff provide engaging opportunities for children to practise their mark making. This leads to them developing early writing skills. For example, children enjoy making marks with felt-tip pens on the whiteboard in the garden. They use paint to make shapes and take equal enjoyment in marking things with water and brushes. This develops into children starting to form the letters in their name.
• Communication and language are a strong focus in the pre-school. Staff talk to children during their activities. Children become confident speakers and are keen to share their past experiences. For example, children describe what ingredients they use to make perfume. Staff introduce new words to extend children's vocabulary. For instance, they name the drinks area the 'rehydration station'.
• Staff are not as skilful in supporting children to develop their thinking skills. For instance, when staff ask children questions, they do not always give children time to think and make a response.
• Staff help children to understand how things grow through practical experiences. Children plant seeds both indoors and outdoors. They observe how the carrots, spring onions and radishes grow through the clear sides of the planter to understand the changes. Children enjoy making paintings of flowers they have observed.
• Staff teach children about oral hygiene in fun and practical ways. For example, children learn how to clean their own teeth and they practise on large models of teeth. Staff talk to them about why they need to clean their teeth and what sugary drinks do to their teeth.
• The dedicated and passionate manager shows a good commitment to the professional development of her team. She carries out regular staff meetings and supervisions with staff. These play an integral part in the development of the setting and how staff promote children's progression.
• Parents praise the quality of care their children receive. They appreciate how the manager and staff have kept in touch during the pandemic. Staff use social media and private messaging to keep them informed about what is happening at the pre-school. Though parents do not enter the pre-school during the pandemic, staff discuss their children with them as they drop off and collect them. However, staff do not share what parents can do at home in order to extend children's learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve staff's skills in asking children questions to help them with their thinking and reasoning
• extend partnership working with parents by sharing ideas regarding what they can do with their child to continue their learning and development at home.