Essex Road Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled. They separate from their parents and carers with ease. Staff get to know children and their families well when they start to attend the setting. As a result, they form strong bonds with the children and are able to respond to children's needs promptly.

Children have ample opportunities for being active and enjoy fresh air daily. They show good gross motor skills during outdoor play. They run, balance and confidently climb on large apparatus. Staff provide a curriculum that follows children's interests. They interact with the children at key moments and scaffold their learning well. Children learn about the world around them. They are excited to look for snails and 'wriggly' worms after the rain. They use magnifying glasses to observe the trails they left and describe them as 'slimy'. Staff extend learning opportunities by talking about the size of the bugs and which animals might eat them.

Children behave well. They play cooperatively and help each other. For example, they show their friends how to use the see-saw safely, saying, 'You need to hold the handles like this!' Staff acknowledge and value children's differences and similarities. They make sure all children feel valued and represented, providing fairy-tale books showcasing characters with diverse features. In addition, children take part in cultural celebrations and traditions in the local community. For example, they attended an 'Eid lunch'. This helps them understand diversity and celebrate their uniqueness.

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

• Communication and language skills are supported effectively. Staff talk to children throughout the day, make good use of songs and ask questions that extend children's learning. Staff introduce words such as 'rustle' when children are listening to the wind outside. This helps children to widen their vocabulary.
• The manager and staff know the children in their care well. Staff confidently talk about what children can do, what they already know and what they enjoy doing. They use this information along with what they gather from parents to support children's next steps in learning. However, during some group times, such as story time, children are distracted by other things which are happening in the room. As a result, some of them lose interest and become disengaged.
• Staff provide children with a wide range of resources. However, a few areas in the nursery are cluttered with additional stored items and notices, which impacts on children's interaction with the environment. As a result, resources are not always used fully effectively to extend children's learning.
• Children develop healthy habits. They understand the routine to wash their hands before mealtimes and after playing outside. Staff sit with them at snack time and talk about what they are having, helping them to learn about healthy eating. For example, staff remind the children that milk is good for their bones and teeth.
• Staff foster children's independence. Children are encouraged to self-register and tidy up their things on arrival. They put their coats on independently to go and play outdoors. Younger children feed themselves with cutlery. Older children use knives safely to spread butter on their crackers.
• Staff have high expectations for all children. They work with parents and other professionals to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to achieve all that they can. The manager uses additional funding well to meet the needs of the intended children. For example, she acquired relevant sensory resources for a 'quiet room' where children can read and relax when needed.
• Parents are complimentary about the kind and caring staff. They are pleased that their children are happy coming to nursery and comment positively about the progress they have made since starting.
• Mathematical development and literacy are well promoted. Staff interweave mathematical language into the everyday play. A lending 'home library' has been implemented to further encourage children's love of books. This supports continuity of learning between the setting and home.
• Children demonstrate good manners. They routinely say 'thank you' and 'please'. Staff consistently reinforce and praise children's good behaviour and achievements. This contributes to building children's self-esteem.
• The manager and staff reflect on practice and can identify areas of strength and areas for improvements. The low staff turnover and staff's length of service demonstrate their commitment to the nursery. This leads to consistency for the families and children attending the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of the setting environment to ensure that play areas are welcoming and free of clutter to enable children to make the most of the available resources
• review the organisation of some group activities, such as story time, to ensure that children remain fully engaged and disruptions to their learning are minimised.