Clapham Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Management and staff warmly greet children on their arrival at the pre-school. Staff offer children daily opportunities to practise the skills and knowledge they have been learning and to recall previous experiences. For example, older children eagerly recall a visit from the emergency services. They talk about how the emergency services help them and when to call '999'. Children enthusiastically make the sound of the emergency vehicle's siren. They demonstrate that they are happy, display confidence and show a positive attitude to their learning. Children behave well and enjoy the company of their friends.

Staff provide a good range of opportunities for children to practise their small-muscle skills and hand-eye coordination. For example, children concentrate as they connect construction resources together and use their hands to manipulate dough. They are taught how to use rolling pins, cutters and glue spreaders during creative craft activities. Staff help children to develop their pretend play by modelling how to do things, sensitively joining in and helping to extend their play by introducing new vocabulary associated with children's play. Children copy and pretend to prepare food for their friends. Staff encourage children to count and recognise written numbers. Older children confidently demonstrate their knowledge and are praised for their achievements.

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

• Management and staff are committed to providing good-quality childcare. They demonstrate enthusiasm and strive to provide every opportunity for all children to thrive during their time at the pre-school. There is a strong team ethos and high emphasis is placed on supporting staff well-being. Furthermore, ongoing training opportunities are provided to develop staff's knowledge and skills.
• Children form close bonds with the staff, who know them well. They receive cuddles and reassurance if they are upset and naturally seek the support of staff if they need help. This supports children's emotional well-being well. Management and staff implement appropriate boundaries and support children to manage their emotions. Children are taught to share, take their turn and be kind to their friends.
• Management and staff proactively support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including children in receipt of early years pupil premium. They are alert to emerging difficulties, respond swiftly to concerns about a child's development and successfully work with other professionals. Staff use funding to provide one-to-one support and involve parents in discussions about their child. This ensures all children are included, make good progress and have fun alongside their peers.
• Staff place high priority on developing children's confidence and independence.
• For example, children learn to independently put on their outdoor clothing and manage their personal care needs well. Additionally, mealtimes are successfully used to develop children's social skills, the importance of good manners and their independence.
• Staff provide daily opportunities for children to be physically active in the fresh air. They encourage children to take managed risks in their play as they practise new skills, such as balancing on the beam, and climbing and swinging their bodies on the apparatus. Children learn to use their feet to manoeuvre wheeled toys, eagerly chase their friends and enjoy hide and seek games.
• Management and staff recognise the importance of sharing stories and singing songs to promotes children's communication and recall skills. Children use their developing language to answer questions and talk about the illustrations within story books. Older children enthusiastically sing rhymes, particularly enjoying those with actions. For example, 'head, shoulders, knees and toes'. They demonstrate that they understand the concept of slow and fast as they sing the rhyme at the different speeds.
• Staff plan a range of enjoyable experiences to support children's development. However, on occasions staff do not use every opportunity to stimulate children's interests and extend their learning as they play. Additionally, group activities involving a large number of children, and transitions ahead of meal and outdoor play times are not always effective. For example, children's attention is not always sustained during group activities due to the length of the activity. Furthermore, some children wander around with no purpose and noise levels rise during transition times.
• Management and staff develop positive relationships with parents. They spend time talking to parents and getting to know children's care needs and stage of development before they attend. This helps to ease the transition from home to the pre-school. Staff regularly share information regarding the children's care and development, and loan story books for children to share with their parents.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• use every opportunity to extend children's learning during planned and spontaneous activities
• review the organisation of group activities, including transitions, to better meet children's individual needs and learning outcomes.