Chatburn Pre-School and Out of School Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happily learning through play. They engage well in their activities and show a positive attitude towards their learning. Children have access to a wide range of inviting resources that match their interests and stages of development. Babies confidently explore paint and make marks with large dabbing brushes. They beam widely at staff, who sensitively follow their lead in play. Older children eagerly share what they know about healthy foods. They remember what they have learned about good oral hygiene and tell staff that chocolate is not healthy and will rot their teeth. Babies move about freely and safely. They roll cars through the pipe and down the slope. They giggle as they catch the car at the bottom.

Staff are kind and reassuring. Children form secure attachments and demonstrate that they are happy and safe. Children are confident to leave their parents at the door. Staff have a high expectation and a good understanding of each child's learning needs. They adapt activities to support children to make good progress. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, toddlers use spoons to move sand from one pot to another, and older children use chopsticks to pick up dried noodles. This promotes their fine motor skills in preparation for emerging writing. Furthermore, babies have good opportunities to spend time on their tummies. Staff skilfully place toys out of babies' reach. This encourages babies to move their bodies and travel along the floor. This helps to support their large-muscle development.

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

• Staff know what leaders intend for children to learn and achieve at the nursery. The education programmes are clearly sequenced to help children to build on what they already know and can do. This helps children to be ready for the next stage in their learning.
• Leaders ensure that staff receive regular coaching, training and support to enable them to develop their practice. Staff state that they feel well supported.
• Staff take time to get to know babies and their home routines well. They organise carefully planned settling-in sessions that reflect each child's individual needs. They observe children as they play and plan how to develop and support emerging interests to extend children's learning and enjoyment.
• Children are beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviours and are starting to understand how these have an impact on others. When children struggle with regulating their behaviour, staff support them. For example, staff encourage children to share and to be kind to their friends. As a result, children are developing a sense of right and wrong.
• Parents are positive about the nursery and staff. They state that they are well informed about their child's progress and what they need to learn next. The well-established, key-person system promotes partnerships with parents. Parents comment that they can speak to their child's key person, who knows their child very well.
• Staff place a strong focus on helping children to develop their confidence and well-being in preparation for their next stage in learning. They have a good working relationship with the primary school. The pre-school room leader places a great deal of importance on children's transitions to primary school. The Reception-class teacher comments on how she finds this invaluable.
• Staff gather detailed information about children's backgrounds and developmental starting points. They use this information to help children to settle quickly. Where children struggle to settle, staff work closely with families to support them. For example, they encourage parents to stay on site with their children and organise extra visits. This promotes a strong and supportive link between the nursery and the families.
• Staff working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are knowledgeable, and they work closely with parents and other professionals. They provide targeted support to meet children's specific needs and help them to make progress in their learning.
• Staff are kind, caring and attentive. They notice when children are hungry, upset or tired and respond sensitively to their individual needs. Staff ensure that children follow good hygiene routines. For example, even young children are encouraged to wash their own hands and use sanitiser when they enter the nursery. This helps to promote children's self-care skills.
• Staff support children to develop good levels of independence. Children serve their own lunch and put on their own coats and wellies. Staff have established good routines that children readily follow.
• Staff talk to children as they play. They understand the importance of singing songs and rhymes to support babies' communication and language skills. Staff ask questions and narrate children's actions. However, staff are not always ambitious in the language that they use when talking with children to extend their vocabulary more widely.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's understanding and practice of how to help children to develop a wide and varied vocabulary.