Ducklings Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The pre-school is a special place where children arrive with big smiles on their faces. Children are greeted warmly by all who care for them, and they leave their parents with ease. Children develop strong trusting relationships with staff who provide reassurance, comfort and cuddles when needed. Across the pre-school, staff have high expectations for children's communication and behaviour. Staff competently model positive interactions for children. They listen and value what children have to say. Children behave exceptionally well for their young age, showing confidence and respect for others. They are highly motivated and are very eager to join in, share and cooperate with each other. Children have consistently positive attitudes to their play and learning.

Staff provide a stimulating environment for children to learn in. They deliver a curriculum that is centred on children's interests and discovery through play. Staff focus heavily on encouraging children to be kind and confident, while placing a high importance on developing children's personal and social skills. Staff use children's likes and interests to plan engaging and exciting activities. For example, children eagerly run towards an activity involving jumping in and out of different hoops.

Young children develop a love of stories and rhymes. Staff read books with excitement, for example they change their voices and skilfully use handknitted props to fully engage children as they turn every page. Children join in joyfully with nursery rhymes, which helps them learn new vocabulary, such as 'baker' and 'currant', as well as developing their early mathematical skills. For example, children give a penny in exchange for a 'currant bun', helping them to understand about the concept of numbers.

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

• Children are highly engaged in the variety of engaging activities that are available to them. They learn how colours change through mixing paints on large pieces of paper to make a different colour.
• The curriculum is carefully thought out and well designed. Staff have a good understanding of what they are teaching and why. The curriculum emphasises the importance of children developing positive relationships and friendships, which is demonstrated through the children's high level of respect for each other.
• Staff provide good opportunities outdoors to promote children's gross and fine motor skills. For example, they encourage young children to have a go and support them to ride tricycles or bicycles. Staff provide clear instructions to help children get onto the bicycle safely, breaking it down into smaller steps. They tell children to, 'Hold the handle bars, lift one leg up and put it over the middle bar.'
• Staff gather information about each child from their parents before they join the pre-school. Parents and staff exchange information about children's interests, experiences and development through written communication as well as verbally at drop-off and collection times. This keeps parents regularly updated.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff are quick to identify emerging needs in children. They are good at working alongside parents and professionals to seek and implement strategies to close the gaps in children's learning. Staff are sensitive to children's needs.
• Staff feel valued and involved in the day-to-day running of the pre-school, such as the curriculum planning and implementation, and they feel valued and proud to be a part of a team. This helps to foster a positive culture among all staff.
• Children are very independent for their age. They show high levels of confidence in their attitudes to learning and competently manage their self-care needs. Children carefully scrape their plates after meals and skilfully pour their own drinks. From a young age, staff show all children how to complete simple tasks, and this helps children to quickly master new skills.
• Early writing is encouraged in a playful manner. Staff make sure children have access to a range of writing resources, and children are encouraged to make marks and give meaning to them, which greatly interests the children. Children delight in taking home and sharing their pictures with their parents.
• The pre-school is very much part of the community. Children have the opportunity to go on local walks and trails, visit the local church and immerse themselves in the surrounding nature. However, staff have not considered how to ensure that children gain a deeper understanding of traditions, backgrounds and cultures outside of their own experiences.
• Staff encourage children to lead healthy and active lives. Staff are passionate about good nutrition and promote healthy foods. Children have the choice of a range of nutritious foods that are provided by parents. Staff talk to children about food and encourage them to think about where it comes from.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to enhance children's understanding of the world to help them gain an understanding of traditions, backgrounds and cultures outside of their own experiences.