Christchurch Kindergarten @ Queensbury

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the pre-school happily, and most children separate easily from their parents. Children choose where they would like to play, and staff are readily available to extend their learning. Some children show an interest in mark making and numbers, and staff willingly assist them and praise their efforts. This demonstrates that staff understand how to build children's confidence.

The manager has a clear curriculum and designs it to meet children's individual needs. Staff work together well and show commitment to developing children's future learning. For example, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have worked hard to improve all children's communication and language skills.

There is strong support for children who speak English as an additional language. Staff understand the importance of children using their home languages, alongside English, as they play and learn. As children play, staff use basic gestures, single words and sentences. This helps them to learn more language and develop their understanding. Some staff speak several languages and are skilful in their interactions with children. As a result, children are enthusiastic and are eager to join in. This positivity influences the quality of education that they receive.

Staff teach and encourage children to share and take turns. For example, after some gentle encouragement, children gladly share their cars with each other as they play. This has a positive impact on children's behaviour and the respect which they show to each other.

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

• The manager has a good knowledge of staff's practice and is aware of their strengths and weaknesses. She monitors staff and offers them support and training. Staff comment that they feel well supported by the manager. This helps them to meet children's needs effectively.
• Key persons know their children well. They use the knowledge gained through their observations to see what children already know and can do. They plan next steps that build on and extend children's learning and development. For example, children spend time daily in focus groups with their key persons. This supports all children's next steps in education.
• The pre-school has familiar learning routines, which children enjoy. The daily circle-time session starts with a movement session. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive encouragement to participate and take part. In addition, the manager and staff follow advice from professionals to close any gaps in learning which a child may have. All children make good progress in their development and learning.
• Children enjoy nutritious snacks which are freshly prepared at the pre-school. However, they do not receive consistent messages about how foods contribute to healthy lifestyles. For instance, during lunchtime, there is a small discussion about healthy and unhealthy foods. However, staff do not place a sharp focus on teaching children how to make healthy food choices.
• Staff support children to build a love of stories and books. They build literacy into everyday routines. For instance, children enjoy looking at and sharing books independently with their friends. They listen to stories with staff throughout the day. This has a good impact on children's literacy development.
• Older children effortlessly carry out good hygiene procedures. For example, they cooperate with staff as they enter the pre-school and wash their hands and hang up their coats. This positively impacts on their health and independence.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. Children have opportunities to practise their early writing skills. For example, they enjoy using chalks outside and painting and drawing pictures. Some children describe and talk about what they are drawing. This has a positive impact on children's emerging writing skills.
• Staff have a good relationship with parents. They meet parents regularly to discuss children's individual learning needs and next steps. However, staff do not work with parents to ensure that packed lunches children bring meet their dietary needs.
• Parents say that the levels of progress their children have made since starting at the pre-school, particularly in their communication and language, are greatly appreciated.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on ways to extend children's understanding of healthy choices and the effects that food has on their bodies, to further support their good health
• work more closely with parents to provide further information on the importance of providing healthy and nutritional food for their child's lunch at the setting, to promote further children's healthy lifestyles.