Docking Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff give children a warm welcome as they arrive at this nurturing pre-school. Children happily come in and show positive attitudes, curiosity and interest as they busily play and learn together. Staff know the children well and demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of the intent of their curriculum. They know exactly what progress children have made and what they will be working on next to prepare children for the next stage. Children behave well in response to the expectations of staff. Staff use visual aids to support children to begin to understand their emotions.

The pre-school places emphasis on supporting the development of children's communication skills. Children are introduced to new vocabulary as part of their activities. Staff incorporate these words during play to provide context for children. For instance, when discussing the life cycle of butterflies, staff use the word 'cocoon' to explain that particular stage of the cycle to the children.

Staff make sure that reading books is an important part of the daily routine. Children listen to stories enthusiastically and recognise the familiar lines when staff read with them. Children act out actions to a favourite story and build on prior knowledge. For example, when reading a book about a dog, children talk about their pet dogs at home. This promotes children's love of books and literacy development, as well as an understanding of the world.

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

• The management team ensures staff have regular supervisions, and support for their well-being. Staff have access to training opportunities to support their continued professional development. The manager uses additional funding that children are entitled to effectively. For example, resources have been purchased to support children's communication and language development.
• Children's independence is fostered and they follow instructions and routines well. They know what is coming next and transitions throughout the day are smooth and positive. Older children have lunch at the school as part of their preparation for starting school, which helps facilitate transitions. Additionally, children participate in settling-in sessions at the school to support smoother transitions. The pre-school maintains effective links with the school.
• Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to their roles and the impact they have within the local community. For instance, in response to identified needs, they have established a 'Tots group' at the church to support community members. Leaders also emphasise the value of their close-knit community.
• Staff interact skilfully with children to build and extend their language and learning. For example, they talk to children about their interests and support them to develop their ideas. However, at times, staff do not fully involve younger children most in need of these quality interactions. This has an impact on the engagement and progress of these children at these times.
• Children engage with outdoor learning opportunities and move between indoor and outdoor environments. Staff offer a range of activities outdoors to support engagement. For example, children may find ladybirds, handle them and count their spots. However, staff demonstrate less confidence in providing consistent communication support for younger children. As a result, while children participate in outdoor activities, they do not always have access to consistent interactions that further develop their skills.
• Relationships with families are a key aspect of the pre-school's approach to inclusion and support. Staff focus on open, two-way communication and develop partnerships with parents and carers. Families describe the environment as welcoming and express trust in staff to address their children's individual needs in a professional manner, noting that staff often exceed standard expectations.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that staff include all children in their interactions to fully support children's learning and development
• develop staff confidence to provide younger children with consistently high-quality opportunities to develop their communication skills further.