Escrick Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and ready to learn. They confidently settle into the routine of the day. The morning starts with registration. Staff use this time well to incorporate early mathematical skills. Children and staff count the number of children present and what number comes next if another child arrives. They try to guess what is in a child's birthday gift based on its shape. They accurately determine that it is not a ball as it is not round or a book because it is not flat.

Children are eager to get involved in creative experiences. They use their fine motor skills to create objects of interest with magnetic shapes. Meaningful conversations are held on the constructions that children have made. Children develop the muscles in their hands and fingers as they make birthday cakes for their friends out of play dough. They finish their cakes with decorations and candles before bursting into a chorus of 'Happy Birthday'.

Rules and expectations are encouraged in age-appropriate ways. For example, a sand timer is used to help children to understand when an activity is going to end. Children watch the sand go down then start to return resources to where they belong. This promotes children's understanding of how to take care of their play environment.

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

• Leaders have clear learning intentions for their well-sequenced curriculum, overall. This emphasises supporting children to become excited and ready to learn through igniting their curiosity. The committed team does this by offering a wide range of experiences that builds on what children already know and can do. Knowledgeable staff understand how to plan 'in the moment' to support children's developing ideas and learning.
• Children have a positive attitude to learning. They eagerly explore the daily activities that have been provided, based on their current interests. For example, children have shown an interest in magnets. They use magnetic wands to try and pick up objects. Staff introduce new words and ideas to identify metal objects. They talk about metals being 'magnetic' and how metal objects feel 'cold'. This helps to expand children's knowledge of different materials.
• There is a strong focus on children's physical and emotional well-being. Opportunities are provided for children to engage in energetic physical activities and more relaxing physical activities, such as stretching and breathing exercises. Each day children are encouraged to express how they feel. They link the feelings to different colours to help them to remember the different feelings. This helps children to understand that there are a range of different emotions.
• Interactions between staff and children are plentiful. Staff support children's language development well. They engage children in meaningful conversations and offer lots of opportunities for children to express their opinions. This is particularly clear in one-to-one and small-group activities. Children enjoy taking part in large-group activities, such as choosing which songs to sing. However, at times, too many staff offer variations of the same question at the same time. This means, on occasion, children do not know who to respond to or have time to interpret the question.
• Staff are attentive to the needs of individual children. They tailor their support to help all children and their families. This is built on information that is gathered during home visits and settling-in sessions. Staff use a range of assessment methods to ensure that children's progress is monitored effectively. This assists staff to identify what skills and knowledge children need to learn next. A good key-person system ensures that parents are fully informed about their child's progress, including through secure online platforms. Parents comment that the setting is 'amazing' and that staff understand and support children's 'uniqueness'.
• Staff speak positively about their roles. They say they feel valued and supported and receive regular supervisions from the approachable leadership team. Well-being is fully considered and supported by the management team. This enables staff to fulfil their role with confidence in a calm and harmonious atmosphere.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the planning of large-group activities so that staff implement the key learning intentions and extend children's learning in the most effective way.