Buttercross Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy when they arrive at the pre-school. They are confident to separate from their parents and are greeted by warm and friendly staff. Children follow the daily routine when they arrive. They wash their hands before they sit with their friends for a group time. This shows that children feel safe and secure.

Children work as part of a team. For instance, when staff ask them to find different-coloured toy animals, children take it in turns to find the correct colour, often passing one to their friends. Children are curious to explore the environment. When they pick herbs from the garden, staff encourage them to compare the leaves on the herbs with different shapes. Children show an understanding of shapes and tell staff that the leaves look like a 'triangle'.

Children learn the names of objects they use. For instance, staff tell children that they can use a 'pestle and mortar' to grind the herbs together. Children have a good imagination. For instance, when they hold a piece of paper, they pretend that it is a ticket to go on a train ride. They tell staff that they are going to 'dinosaur land' and 'unicorn land'. Children are very keen to tell other staff where they have been and show them their ticket. They show positive relationships with staff.

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

• The manager and staff support children to develop skills in preparation for their move on to school. For instance, they encourage children to be independent. Children put on their coats to play outdoors. They select a plate and cup before they sit to have snack.
• Staff give children plenty of praise and encouragement. This includes a 'high five' and 'well done'. This helps to raise children's self-esteem. Staff encourage children to use good manners. For instance, when children want to move past others, staff remind them to say 'excuse me'. This encourages children to be polite.
• Staff observe and assess children's learning. They plan the environment and spend time with children to help build on what they already know. An example of this is when they provide children with opportunities to develop their mathematical skills. When children 'hook a duck' during water play, they show staff the number that is written on a plastic duck when they turn it upside down. Staff encourage children to recognise the number. For example, they hold up five fingers and ask children to count them. Children point to each finger and count to five. This helps to extend their understanding of numbers and counting.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The manager uses additional funding to provide one-to-one time with staff. Children with SEND are given high levels of attention and the support they need.
• The manager works closely with other professionals and parents. Together, they put targeted plans in place to help children with SEND to progress in their development.
• Staff know children well. They use their good knowledge to help provide opportunities to enhance the experiences children receive at home. One example of this is to offer children opportunities to engage in messy activities. Children are keen to explore different textures, such as dough, which they manipulate in their hands. This helps children to develop strength in their fingers in preparation for using tools such as scissors.
• Occasionally, during children's play, some staff do not talk to children about what they are doing. For example, children tell staff that they are drawing a 'volcano'. Staff do not continue to communicate with them to encourage children to use a wider range of vocabulary.
• When staff read children stories, they show excitement and use different tones in their voice. Children join in with repeated phrases in favourite stories. This helps to engage children, and they sit and listen well.
• Staff plan activities to support children's balance and coordination. In the garden, children walk across wooden planks and hold out their arms to balance. Younger children hold on to a member of staff's hand for support when necessary. However, staff do not always provide older children with enough challenge and opportunities to take risks when they are being physically active.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's skills to help them to expand on children's vocabulary
• help staff to provide older children with appropriate challenge and opportunities to take risks while being physically active.