Churchill Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted warmly by staff and eagerly enter the pre-school. They are excited to explore the interesting areas that the staff thoughtfully set out in the hall. Children enjoy trying different experiences. Staff are very reassuring and join in readily, inspiring children to have a go. For instance, children develop their motor skills effectively as they use utensils to explore play dough and cut up real fruit. Staff act as effective role models and offer children useful explanations of new concepts and terms. Younger children develop their speech and understanding, learning new words such as lemon, pancake and yellow. Older children share their knowledge and experience as they discuss what they like on their pancakes, taking turns in conversation with the staff and the other children very well. Children relish the opportunity to have extended periods of uninterrupted play, and the ongoing flexible snack times promote this well. They develop positive attitudes to learning and develop their skills well.

Staff are very kind and patient. Children build strong bonds with them and flourish on the individual attention they receive. Staff use distraction, discussion and negotiation to help children to manage their emotions, channel their energy and share toys and resources. Children who need particularly perceptive intervention and additional assistance are closely supported to follow safety boundaries and learn to respect the space and needs of others.

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

• The staff team works well together. The manager and staff have daily discussions and regular meetings to share ideas and plans. Staff morale is high. The manager joined the setting last year, and staff and parents are very positive about the work she does to lead the pre-school. Staff are closely supported in their role. They attend training, which is targeted at the changing needs of the children who attend. They all show dedication to facilitating good outcomes for the children, which supports their individual needs effectively.
• Children make good progress. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who require additional help are closely supported. The manager and key staff, such as the special educational needs coordinator, give high priority to working with other professionals to get children the support they need. They lead staff in the identification and implementation of interventions to enable children to achieve their potential and be well prepared for their move on to school.
• Staff offer beneficial group activities to promote children's listening and attention and to build their confidence and expressive language. Sometimes, staff are very successful in their approach, and children's growing confidence and speech is a pleasure to see. However, during some adult-led activities, staff are not as successful. Staff also do not fully think through the location of small-group activities, and children are distracted by noise from the other group. Consequently, children's involvement and learning are not as high as they could be.
• Managers are particularly mindful of children who prefer to learn and explore outside. Good use is made of all the areas. Children enjoy using the challenging bike obstacle course on the pre-school patio. They relish making sand and water mixes in the extended sandpit. They play imaginatively with the doll's house and accessories in the covered area. Staff regularly take children out to the adjacent fields and play park to build their physical skills further.
• Older children are well prepared for their move on to school, with designated focus days each week for their age group. Staff offer them more challenging activities on 'school prep Mondays'. 'Outdoor Fridays' provide the older children with rich opportunities to learn about nature, and they build their resilience during a session at an orchard on a nearby farm.
• Children confidently select resources and are keen to do things for themselves. At times, staff use skilful teaching to build children's independence skills, but this is not consistent. Children enjoy serving their own snack. Some children wash up their bowls, but others do not. Sometimes, staff encourage children to tidy up outside before lunch. However, on occasion, they do not offer such encouragement, and children leave many toys on the floor after playing and move on to other areas.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and enhance group activities to develop children's attention and involvement as much as possible
• make the most of opportunities to encourage children to do things for themselves and develop their independence skills and sense of responsibility to higher levels.