Farnsfield Pre-school Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed in to the enabling and engaging setting by warm and knowledgeable staff. They quickly settle and find their favourite activities. Children are supported to develop their small-muscle skills as they use scissors to cut and thread spaghetti into cones. They develop this skill further as they manipulate and squash play dough. Children place candles into the dough, saying, 'It's your birthday' and confidently sing a happy birthday song to their friends.

Children play harmoniously together. They hold hands as they explore the inviting outdoor area and giggle with their friends as they find their favourite activities. Children are supported to build their large muscles as they sit and pedal trikes. They practise their balancing as they hop onto stepping stones and expertly scramble up climbing apparatus, jumping confidently onto mats below.

Children sit together for stories and songs. They are supported to listen carefully to stories and point out features in the stories and the characters. Children build their imaginations as they create homes for small figurines. They are supported to recall past events as they talk about their homes and families as they play. Children make ice creams out of role play items and talk about their favourite flavours with engaging staff.

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

• The manager and staff have constructed a programme of learning that is relevant and supports children's interests. Staff sequence children's learning effectively and prepare them for school. However, the programme for mathematics is not as incorporated as well as it could be. For example, staff do not always build on children's interest of mathematics during spontaneous play. The manager has identified that this is an area for further development.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents comment that the 'child focused and caring' staff team ensures that the daily contact updates parents on their children's progress. They feel that the pre-school is inclusive and supports children's interests well. The manager and the staff support parents to learn at home with their children. For example, families are encouraged to borrow books from the pre-school lending library to take home and enjoy.
• The dedicated and knowledgeable manager ensures that her staff receive regular training to update their knowledge of early years. She has appointed a member of staff to be the 'language lead'. This helps support the staff when they talk to the children during day-to-day activities. However, occasionally, staff use closed questions when talking to children. This limits children's responses and does not always support emerging language.
• The special educational needs coordinator and the manager ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive a good level of support. The manager ensures that additional funding is spent appropriately, for example to provide children with one-to-one support, should they need this. The support offered to the children enables them to make good progress.
• The manager and staff provide children with a simple set of behaviour expectations, so that children of all ages are able to understand. Children listen and respond well to instruction and behaviour is good at the pre-school.
• The manager and staff ensure that children gain experiences and visit places of local interest in the community. For example children visit a local friendship group with older members of the community. They write to another setting in a different area and visit the post office to send the letter. These experiences enable children to have a wide range of opportunities to support their cultural capital.
• Children are supported to gain experiences that enable them to learn about nature and sustainability. For example, they plant seeds, experimenting and finding out what the seeds need to make them grow. Children visit local nature trails and farms to find out about the natural world, and they recycle and compost any unused materials at the pre-school.
• The manager and staff support children's independence well. For example, children are encouraged to put their coats on themselves. They independently choose and serve their own snack and pour their own drinks.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the curriculum so that children gain further mathematical learning in their play
• strengthen communication and language strategies with staff so that questioning techniques promote the emerging communication skills of all children.