East the Water Stepping Stones Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly into the pre-school on arrival. They enjoy choosing from the wide range of resources available. Parents comment on how welcoming the staff are. The warm relationships formed between staff and children help children to feel secure. Parents value the way that staff communicate with them about their children's learning. Together, they share information at drop-off and collection times.

Children are able to choose to play freely inside and outside. Younger children play in their own outdoor space, learning to balance as they explore spinning toys. They play alongside their friends and enjoy taking turns as they pair up on a rocking boat. Older children are curious about using magnifying glasses outside to search for insects. They play games together on a large pirate ship in the garden and practise climbing, sliding and making up imaginative games together.

Staff encourage younger children to have creative ideas as they use play dough. They join in with the children, introducing new ideas, such as rolling and stretching the dough. Children become interested in colours as they paint and experiment with different tools such as sponge rollers. Older children show persistence as they learn to use scissors safely and practise their cutting skills to decorate shapes. Staff praise children and encourage their ideas, for example as children describe adding 'googly eyes' to their pictures.

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

• Staff work very well together as a team. Communication between staff is effective and they are clear about their roles. Staff routinely discuss children's progress together in order to plan effectively. The manager provides access to online professional development training so that staff can keep their knowledge updated. Information is shared with parents via electronic systems. The manager invites teachers from the schools that children will be moving on to into the pre-school to get to know the children. Staff also communicate with other settings that the children attend.
• Staff work together with parents and other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They assess children's learning and have a clear understanding of what children need to learn next. They support parents with children's learning at home, for example using strategies to help children begin to use a potty. Staff ensure all children can learn in a group by providing some children with a 'fidget toy' to support their concentration. Staff interact with children, but managers do not always ensure that all staff are confident with strategies to support children's communication development further. For example, while some staff make use of signing and visual resources, these are not used consistently by all staff.
• Children understand the routines of the setting. They sing a 'tidy-up' song together and learn about the importance of being safe in the sun by applying sun cream before going outside. Staff provide healthy fruit snacks, which children choose. At times,however, staff do not plan effectively for children to develop their independence further. For example, staff do not always enable children to help prepare snacks, pour their own drinks or water the plants in the garden to aid their self-help skills.
• Staff praise children for persevering as they count and throw beanbags into baskets outside, supporting their mathematical development. Younger children develop mathematical ideas and coordination as they pour and fill containers with bubbly water. Staff encourage children to notice changes that happen as they grow plants in the outdoor area. This helps them to understand about growing fresh foods to eat and what plants need to grow. Staff introduce the children to the names of vegetables, such as 'radish' and 'spring onions'. Children show delight as they see these growing.
• Younger children learn to join in with action songs as staff sing with them in a small group. Older children join in with enthusiasm with their favourite rhymes, such as 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'. Children learn to listen carefully to the books that staff regularly read to them. They join in as they become familiar with the story. Younger children practise handling chalks to make marks. Staff help older children to learn about the initial sounds of words, in preparation for early reading and writing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• use effective strategies consistently to support all children's communication skills even further
• provide more opportunities for children to develop their independence.