Chandlers Chatters Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide children with a very calm, homely and inviting environment in which to play. They take care to ensure this pack-away pre-school offers children a welcoming space and exciting opportunities to learn. Children are greeted with genuine warmth and kindness by staff, who are happy to see them. Children demonstrate they are enthusiastic and eager to learn and settle quickly. They leave their parents with ease and become engrossed in the activities offered.

Managers and staff plan an ambitious curriculum with a focus on encouraging children to become independent and confident communicators. They plan fun and exciting play opportunities to support this. For example, children enjoy following a recipe card when making play dough.

Children form strong, positive relationships with staff, which help them feel safe, secure and ready to learn. Staff share their expectations for positive behaviour with the children. Staff consistently praise children for their good behaviour and achievements. Children share and take turns, and they are respectful and kind towards others. Parents speak highly about the friendly, welcoming staff and the good progress their children make while attending pre-school. They say how excited their children are to attend.

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

• The experienced managers are committed to constantly improving, and providing good-quality care and education. Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions and guidance. The managers understand the importance of continuous professional development and encourage staff to access regular training to improve the quality of the pre-school provision further.
• Children are curious about insects and nature. Staff identified this and brought in tadpoles for the children to investigate. Staff remind children of the rules when feeding the tadpoles some algae. Children learn about the life cycle of a frog and new vocabulary such as 'frogspawn' and 'gills'. They point out that some of the tadpoles are growing legs. Children remember their past learning and comment that ''once they have legs they will climb out of the water onto the rock.'
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff share information with parents about their children's development. Managers share ideas with parents, such as information regarding toilet training, healthy eating and activities to support learning at home. These partnerships are helping children to thrive.
• Children have many chances to develop their independence. For example, they learn to use the toilet, wash their hands and put on their shoes and sun hats. Staff encourage children to build these skills from an early age. Behaviour is positive and children are kind and helpful. Staff support them to resolve any conflicts. Children enjoy regular yoga sessions that support their emotional well-being.
• Staff with responsibility for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are committed to collaborating with parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive targeted support. Staff work closely with local schools to support children's smooth transition on to school, sharing key information and helping children to become familiar with new routines and environments. Parents are actively involved in the process, with staff offering guidance. This helps families feel well prepared for the next stage of education.
• Children are supported to understand how to keep themselves healthy and safe. For instance, staff promote healthy eating at snack times and provide parents with information on providing healthy lunch boxes. There is a wealth of opportunities for children to be physically active. The outdoor area provides ample space and resources for children. However, on occasion, children have to wait for extended periods before going outside and this can lead to them becoming restless.
• On the whole, interactions are strong and staff implement the key-person system effectively. This ensures they know individual children well. Overall, children are supported to engage in a wide variety of fun and engaging experiences. However, on occasion, some of the younger children are not fully supported to take part in the activities on offer and this can sometimes lead to them not being fully involved in their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of daily routines to ensure waiting times are reduced for children
• help staff to extend opportunities for all children to develop greater levels of engagement in the exciting experiences on offer.