Brockholes Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and relaxed in this welcoming pre-school. They develop secure bonds with the caring staff. Children who are new to the pre-school settle quickly with support from their key person. Children are keen to talk about their experiences from home, such as when they carved their pumpkin and the fireworks they saw at the weekend. They talk about their home routines, their siblings and the things they like doing at home.

Children behave well. They are confident and inquisitive. They lead their own learning and initiate play with their peers. For instance, children engage in imaginative play with their friends. They make links to real-life experiences, such as going to the garage to fill their car with fuel.

Children learn about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. They understand why handwashing is important. They enjoy picking and eating fruit they have grown in the community garden. Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active. For example, outdoors, they use ride-on toys, such as scooters, and learn to catch and throw balls. Activities provided by outside agencies help children to listen, follow instructions and understand rules. They learn to work as a team and play cooperatively. Children make good progress in all areas of learning and are well prepared for their future learning in school.

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

• Staff discuss children's starting points with parents and observe children to find out what they know and can do. They plan an interesting curriculum, taking into account children's interests and next steps. Parents receive information about their children's progress and ideas for supporting children's learning at home. For instance, during the school holidays, staff encouraged parents to complete a nature walk with their children. Children brought in items they had found, such as conker shells and acorns. However, the setting does not always work in partnership with other settings that children attend to ensure that children enjoy continuity in their learning.
• Children enjoy a good balance of child-led play and adult-led activities. They sing action rhymes and practice different ways of moving, such as making large circles with their arms and stretching their arms high. These activities help children develop the core strength required for balance and stability, and support coordination skills. Staff understand the challenges that being left-handed can present and provide the equipment children need, such as left-handed scissors.
• Support for children's language development is strong. Staff model language constantly. As a result, children use a broad vocabulary. They competently share their ideas and knowledge. Staff share stories with children. They discuss how the daylight is changing and how it is often dark now when the children go home. Staff encourage children to use the pictures in the book to talk about what is happening and predict what might happen next. Overall, children have good attention skills. However, during these activities, other staff sometimes complete routine tasks, such as setting out tables for lunch. This distracts children and inhibits their ability to concentrate fully.
• Staff skilfully promote children's early writing and mathematical skills. They also help children make connections in their learning. For instance, staff help children to draw around star and moon shapes. This challenges children's skills when they have to hold the shape and draw around it. Staff discuss with children how many sides and points a star or a crescent moon has. They show children that stars can be different shapes.
• Staff work well as a team. They have access to training to extend their knowledge. For example, staff have recently introduced early phonics into the curriculum to prepare children for learning phonics in school. Staff identify when children are not meeting their expected targets and may need additional support. They seek advice from outside agencies and put strategies in place to help children catch up.
• Staff promote good manners. They sit with children at lunchtime and engage them in conversations. This promotes their understanding that mealtimes can be a social event. Staff remind children about the importance of having a balanced diet and that some foods should be eaten as treats.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• during focused activities, minimise distractions for children so that they continue to be deeply engaged in their play and learning and sustain high levels of concentration
• develop the partnerships with other settings children attend to share information about children's development and promote continuity for children.