Buttercups Community Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive confidently, eager to start the day. They are greeted warmly by friendly staff who help them settle to their chosen activity. Staff know the children very well and provide a calm and inviting environment that inspires children to join in. Children benefit from the consistent routine and know what is expected of them. They develop strong bonds with staff and demonstrate through their body language that they feel safe and secure. Children behave well and respond positively to staff's enthusiasm to help them learn and develop.

Leaders have established a curriculum that aims to help all children build secure foundations to support their future education. Some parts of the curriculum are not yet precisely sequenced to help staff plan effectively so that children make the most from the learning opportunities offered. Children do make good progress and gain the skills they need to support the move to school, such as independence in self-care and toileting routines. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the pre-school. They show good attention skills as they participate in focused small-group activities. Staff naturally introduce mathematical language as they talk to children. They model number names and count in order, and name shapes as children play.

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

• Staff work incredibly well with parents and other professionals to provide children with consistency in their learning. Parents are very positive about the pre-school, the staff and their children's experience. Staff share ideas and learning resources with parents so that they can support children's ongoing learning at home. There is a true sense of community with children very much at the heart of all that staff do.
• The experienced and well-qualified manager leads the pre-school and staff with professionalism and a strong commitment to provide the best care and education for all children. She acts as a good role model for staff to provide an inclusive service and ensure that all children access their early education entitlement.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive very good support. The special educational needs coordinator is well trained in the role and is ably supported by the manager. Working closely with parents and other professionals, they establish precise targets that help children progress in their learning and development. Plans and strategies to support children are shared with all staff. This provides children with consistency and significantly contributes to the progress they make.
• Staff provide children with opportunities to take responsibility in the pre-school. Children take turns to act as the safety ranger and help to risk assess the outdoor environment with staff. They also have chance to be the 'captain' of the day and bring in a favourite toy or book from home. This helps children contribute to the pre-school and learn how to keep themselves and their friends safe. Staff notice that these opportunities support children's growing confidence, especially to speak in a group.
• Staff say that they feel well supported to fulfil their roles in the pre-school. The manager and her staff are reflective practitioners who continually strive to improve their practice. Although staff understand the pre-school curriculum, there is a tendency to focus on the end goal for all children. The curriculum is not yet sequenced to ensure that the steps towards achieving the end goal are securely embedded.
• Staff report that they have good opportunities to undertake training. However, training is not always precisely focused to raise the quality of teaching and deliver the curricula aims. Staff have not received training to deliver a phonics programme to children or to help children form letters accurately in early writing. This means that children are learning incorrect techniques which may cause delays in their progress when they move to school.
• Staff are very enthusiastic and focused to help children achieve the pre-school's curricula aims. Sometimes however, they tend to over-direct children during activities and interactions with children. This reduces opportunities for children to explore and follow their ideas, and potentially limits the vocabulary they acquire.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the curriculum so that is more precisely sequenced so that staff plan more effectively to help children build on what they know and can do
• focus staff's professional development more precisely to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning
• help staff understand how to encourage children to develop their ideas, thoughts and explorations further.