Bramhall Methodist Church Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The setting's core values to be respectful, independent, responsible, challenged and kind are what makes this setting so special. Staff are good role models and show children genuine love and care. They greet children at the front door and embrace them with hugs. Children's laughter and excitement is truly palpable across the setting. They look at photographs of staff when they were children themselves and discuss how they look different. Children show great levels of participation in interactive games. Staff teach children how to skilfully blend letter sounds together to attempt to read. Children gain a good understanding that print carries meaning. Staff support children's independence well. They encourage children to take care of their belongings. Children put their own coats on and tend to their own physical needs. This helps children to develop good skills in readiness for their eventual move on to school.

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this vibrant setting. Staff provide children with a well-sequenced curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. They enjoy making models from dough and count wooden blocks. Children use props with staff to enact characters from stories. They learn rhymes and move their bodies while dancing. Children behave well and show positive attitudes towards their learning. Older children learn about living things. Younger children take care of fish and discuss how they can help wildlife outdoors. Children gain a good understanding of the world that they live in.

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

• The highly experienced and qualified manager leads the setting with determination. She has a clear and strategic vision for the future of the setting. The manager wants the absolute best for staff and children. Self-evaluation is effective. For example, the outdoor play area is currently being redeveloped to further enhance children's creativity and physical development.
• The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of a change in their health, which is a requirement of their registration. She is now aware of the requirement to keep Ofsted informed.
• Staff provide children with an ambitious curriculum. They know children well and use this information to plan exciting learning experiences. For example, children relish taking part in football lessons. They enjoy playing with board games and puzzles. Children show high levels of engagement during creative activities. They make good progress across the areas of learning.
• Leaders provide staff with a programme of professional development. Staff have supervision sessions and appraisal meetings. However, some staff do not consistently receive incisive feedback about their interactions with children, to help raise their practice even further.
• At the heart of the setting's success is the support in place for children's personal, social and emotional development. Staff are nurturing and caring towards children. They talk to children about how to manage their own feelings. Children discuss different emotions, such as feeling happy. They settle well and have high levels of self-esteem.
• Partnership working is exceptional. Parents praise the setting wholeheartedly. They receive regular updates about their children's care and learning. Links with the local authority and other childcare professionals are robust.
• The dedicated special educational needs coordinator plays a pivotal role in the setting. She leaves no stone unturned in her pursuit to removing barriers to learning. With parents and other professionals, she ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the support that they need. She keeps her knowledge up to date and attends network meetings. Children with SEND get the support that they need to flourish.
• Staff teach children incredibly well about their local community. Children visit a local care home for older people and engage in activities with them. They help to keep community areas clean and talk about recycling. Staff are skilled at teaching children about similarities and differences beyond their own experiences. Children confidently talk about what makes them unique, such as how some children speak different languages.
• The support in place for children who speak English as an additional language is good. Staff use children's home language during their play and teach them new words in English. They support parents to continue helping children to explore their communication and language skills at home. Children gain a good command of English and are confident communicators.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide staff with even more incisive feedback about their interactions with children, to help raise their practice further.