Cygnets Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in the care of the dedicated and attentive staff team. They have formed close attachments with staff, who provide warm and nurturing care. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure. Staff have carefully sequenced the curriculum to support children to build on their knowledge and skills. They consider the interests and needs of each child so that they all make good progress.

Staff plan imaginative activities and experiences For example, as they create fake snow, children quickly become engrossed, listen to instructions and watch attentively. They use pipettes carefully to suck up water as they mix the 'snow'. Children express astonishment as the mixture expands. They excitedly touch the snow and discuss what it feels like, using words such as 'squishy' and 'soft'.

Children understand the routines of the day and respond positively to the high expectations of staff. Staff are good role models for children, demonstrating how to be kind and to respect others. They give clear guidance to support children's good behaviour. As a result, children listen and respond attentively when they speak to them. Staff provide children with plenty of praise and encouragement. This supports their behaviour, self-esteem and confidence effectively.

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

• The passionate and dedicated leadership team have a clear focus on what they want children to learn. The curriculum provides rich and varied activities and experiences to stimulate and motivate children. Staff carefully assess children's individual needs to identify next steps and raise the quality of children's learning and development.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. The pre-school works closely with parents and professionals involved in the children's care. As a result, they make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Parents speak incredibly highly of the pre-school. Staff work closely with parents, and children benefit from this strong continuity of care. Parents appreciate the regular communication regarding their children's learning and development. They feel that their views are valued and give considerable praise to the 'impressive' staff team.
• The leadership team are extremely effective at reflecting on the setting and supporting the committed team. They recognise the importance of valuing the well-being of staff. Staff say they love working at the pre-school and feel very well supported. Professional development opportunities are regularly encouraged to help staff to develop their skills. For example, training on high quality interactions has helped staff to listen and respond to children more effectively. The leadership team follow robust vetting and recruitment procedures to check that all staff are suitable to work with children.
• Staff encourage all children to develop a love of books and stories. Children freely choose books to read and show an interest in stories. They become engrossed as they sit next to staff and listen attentively. Children eagerly point to illustrations and predict what might happen next. For example, children re-enact 'We're going on a Bear Hunt' with staff. They exuberantly recreate the journey, screaming with delight when they reach the bear cave.
• Staff support children effectively to recognise and name shapes. Children learn to use mathematical vocabulary such as 'more' and 'less'. They are encouraged to count pieces of fruit during snack time. However, staff do not always make the most of opportunities to promote children's early number and mathematical skills.
• Communication and language are well-supported. Staff build on children's speech and language skills by, for instance, using simple sentences and maintaining a narrative as they play. They use songs and rhymes to develop children's understanding of common words and language patterns However, on occasion, staff do not correct children's mispronunciation or model vocabulary accurately.
• Children are physically active. They enjoy daily outdoor play. Staff encourage children to take age-appropriate risks, such as balancing on tyres and walking on planks as they negotiate the obstacle course. Children relish the sense of achievement when they complete tricky tasks. This builds children's confidence and teaches them about their capabilities.
• The transition process for new children joining or moving to school is designed to support children to feel safe and secure. Links with staff at the host school are very strong. This helps to promote a smooth transition for children when they are ready to move on to the next stage of their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen teaching strategies to more consistently promote children's early number and mathematical skills
• ensure the correct language and pronunciation are modelled accurately, to fully support children's developing language skills.