Charis Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and separate well from their parents and carers to begin playing. They imaginatively create their own role-play situations together. Overall, the adults use these moments well to build children's speaking skills. They consistently narrate children's actions and introduce new words clearly for children to master. Children explore keenly across the entire indoor and outdoor environment. The manager has ensured children have plenty of engaging activities that promote exploration. For example, children enjoy scooping oats into different containers, dressing up, playing with wet sand and water play. Children readily share their experiences, likes and dislikes during their conversations with adults. They have close warm bonds with their key persons and each other.

Children behave very well throughout the day. They play cooperatively and are sensitive towards the needs of others. They willingly share their space and the toys and seek each other out for collaborative activities. For example, they excitedly join their friends in using scissors to cut out their various choices of designs and ask friends to join them on the see-saw and the tool station. Children are curious and inquisitive learners. They spend extended amounts of time engrossed in their play.

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

• The manager has ensured the recommendations made at the previous inspection have been fully embedded in practice. Staff make good use of specific moments in children's free play to practise counting, recognise numbers and recall simple addition. As a result, children know what four add four makes and understand the total is the same number as an octopus's tentacles. Children now enjoy a broad range of activities, including dance, pedalling trikes and riding cars. They travel through tunnels, jump in tyres, climb and have regular trips to the local park.
• Staff ensure children successfully acquire the skills they need for starting school. Children can dress and undress independently. They confidently recognise shapes, such as a rhombus, heptagon, pyramid, trapezium and semi-circle. They recognise their names and can hold writing tools with the correct grasp. Staff make good use of supporting visuals to aid children's early reading and children are able to use the letter sounds they have learned to recognise the days of the week.
• Older children, including those who join the nursery with language delay, make good progress in their speaking skills. This is because staff consistently label objects and describe what children are doing. As children understand and acquire more vocabulary, staff use open-ended questions. This encourages children to respond in short sentences and phrases. Younger children, who speak English as an additional language, do not have sufficient opportunities to play and learn using their home language. Hence, these children do not make the best possible progress in their communication and language development.
• Overall, children are inquisitive and curious learners. As children freely explore, staff intuitively allow children opportunities to solve problems. Staff give children time to investigate whether a cotton reel can roll faster than a pom-pom.
• Children learn about other cultures and festivals as they make Diya lamps for Diwali and cards for Eid. They learn about other communities' traditions. For example, they learn why the Year of the Tiger is an important part of Chinese celebrations.
• The manager ensures her staff benefit from routine supervision. She uses these sessions to discuss and prioritise her staff's well-being, roles and responsibilities. Staff say they are happy at work. They feel they are listened to and their suggestions and ideas are welcomed.
• Parents are happy with the progress their children make at nursery. They told the inspector that the staff and manager are very friendly and supportive.
• The manager knows the strengths and areas for improvement of the setting. She knows that her overall aim for children to become confident, independent learners is being achieved. Hence, children make successful transitions to school. The manager has plans to improve on the existing opportunities children have to use and learn from technology within her setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide sufficient opportunities for younger children, who speak English as an additional language, to use their home language in their learning and play
• provide children with further opportunities to engage with technology.