Emmanuel Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop very positive attitudes towards learning in this friendly, welcoming and well-run pre-school. Staff make sure children develop the important skills they need for starting school. For example, children gain the confidence to try new things. They form friendships easily, as staff encourage children to be kind, respectful and caring towards one another. Children behave well. They listen attentively and enjoy sharing their news and achievements from home with their friends and staff.

Leaders plan an exciting and ambitious range of activities they know children will enjoy. They make good use of the garden area to extend children's learning. For example, children enjoy growing their own vegetables in their allotment area and watching them develop from seed. Children learn about the role of others in the community and how to keep themselves safe. For instance, as part of activities around the theme of 'People Who Help Us', children enjoyed visits from the police and lifeboat crew.

Children demonstrate how happy and safe they feel. They approach staff happily and confidently and actively involve them in their play. This leads to a very relaxed, homely and nurturing environment, where children play and explore their own ideas easily.

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

• The leadership team is strong and highly effective in ensuring good-quality provision. The management committee works alongside the manager and deputy manager and shares the same high expectations. Leaders work tirelessly to prioritise the care and learning needs of all children, including those who need additional support. Funding is used wisely. Staff are appropriately trained, and resources reflect the learning needs and interests of all children.
• The quality of teaching is good. Staff are skilled in responding effectively to what children need and want. They play alongside children and gently support their learning through effective questioning. For example, as a group of children played with large building blocks, staff helped them work out how they could steady the tower to prevent it from falling down. This encouraged children to think in detail and work together to rebuild the tower in a different way.
• Children's language skills are supported well. Older children speak clearly and engage in lengthy discussions. Staff use books and stories well to capture children's interests and imaginations. For instance, children are currently exploring many activities focused on the story of 'The Smartest Giant in Town'. They recreate the story through role play and delight in using large rolls of paper to make life-sized pictures of themselves and staff.
• Staff encourage children to develop a real love for learning. They use imaginative strategies to explore children's interests and work closely with parents to involve them in their learning. Children delight in taking home 'Georgie Bear' and sharing their experiences together when they return to pre-school. Parents confirm how happy and settled their children are and note the good levels of progress their children make.
• Children are particularly well prepared for starting school. The weekly 'Explorers group' for older children means staff can introduce children to routines they may follow at school. For example, older children practise getting dressed and undressed as they prepare for outside play. They become increasingly confident in managing toileting and handwashing routines. Children pour their own drinks and prepare their snacks confidently, and they excitedly choose a library book to take home and share with their family. These routines help to build children's confidence in a homely and safe environment.
• Staff use the setting's curriculum to teach children a wide range of skills. They explore different concepts and teach children how to manage possible dangers, such as knowing how to be safe at the beach. Staff talk to children about the importance of staying healthy, and there is a good promotion of physical activities and outside play. Although children begin to understand the importance of nutrition, some routines are not maximised to help support children's learning. For example, at lunchtime, oral health is not always explored in detail to reinforce children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further ways for children to improve their understanding of how to stay healthy, particularly around the promotion of oral health at lunchtime.