Capel Pre-school and Out of School Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children at the pre-school are engaged and happy as they excitedly learn and play with their friends. While children arrive, friendly staff greet them and begin to draw them into the different, exciting activities that have been arranged for them. Children feel safe and secure. They build strong and meaningful relationships with staff, who understand their individual needs. For example, children who are sad about leaving their parents are given affectionate cuddles, and they look at the visual timetable with staff. Children excitedly explain this to the inspector, demonstrating their knowledge of the morning routine.

Children behave well. They understand the clear expectations set out for them by staff, such as walking inside and using 'kind hands'. Children play kindly with one another, remembering to take turns and share resources fairly.

Leaders and staff implement an ambitious curriculum, which interests and inspires children. When children are learning about growth and change they clearly explain that plants, such as dandelions, need water and sunlight to help them grow. Staff provide them with an array of resources to build on this interest. Children paint pictures of flowers and play with soil and pots in the garden. Children's attitudes to learning are highly positive.

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

• Enthusiastic staff engage children in exciting activities, such as 'bucket time', to support their listening and attention skills. Children are absorbed and interested as they carefully watch and listen. They understand the instructions given to them and participate with delight.
• Children enjoy a range of thought-provoking learning experiences. They try hard as they play in a group and make up stories together with animal puppets. Children listen closely to staff as they add exciting events to their narrative. Children benefit from purposeful interactions with staff to broaden their vocabulary and communication skills.
• Leaders implement a literacy curriculum that aims to build children's love of reading. Children each have a book bag and get to select a book to take home with them to read with their parents and carers. Furthermore, staff excitedly read stories such as 'The Gruffalo' as they sit in small groups in the outside area. Children become familiar with the meaning of text and confidently select books independently.
• Staff promote children's independence skills fully at the pre-school. As children arrive, they know to wash their hands, put away their belongings and self-register by finding their name. They do this with the greatest confidence. Staff understand the importance of this and offer children plenty of praise as they try hard to put their coats on themselves. Children are determined and capable, preparing for their next stage of learning.
• Children learn about nature through exploring the local woods and engaging in exciting bug hunts. Children also have the opportunity to grow plants and vegetables. However, staff do not always engage effectively with children at mealtimes. This does not follow the intended curriculum that leaders have created. As a result, children do not regularly receive consistent messages about how fruits and vegetables can contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
• Leaders ensure that paperwork is not overly burdensome for staff. They work together as a team to plan what they want children to know and learn. Staff explain that they feel their well-being is fully supported by leaders. They know they are valued and feel appreciated as part of the pre-school team.
• Parents tell the inspector how happy they are with the communication they receive from staff at the nursery. They also explain how supportive staff are with any additional queries they might have. However, leaders and staff do not actively communicate with other childcare provisions that children attend to find out what children are working towards. Through this, children's progress is not always supported as much as possible.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to continue implementing the curriculum during meal times
• strengthen partnership working with other settings that children attend to promote children's progress even further.