First Class Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and secure in this welcoming pre-school. They come in readily, leaving their parents at the door to go and access the interesting and inviting activities. Children excitedly meet up with their friends and initiate interactions and games with each other. They play harmoniously together, for example as they independently organise a game of hide and seek. Staff are good at recognising when children need support and when to step back and allow children to play without interruption. Children understand the consistent ground rules and learn to share and take turns. They enthusiastically monitor the sand timer and wait patiently for their turn to play on the swings.

Children are respectful to each other and to adults. They enjoy having visitors to the pre-school. Children confidently initiate conversations with the inspector and show her what they are doing. Staff support children's natural instincts to discover and explore. They create an environment that invites and encourages children to play and learn. Staff pay attention to planning for all areas of learning, both indoors and outside. This helps to ensure that those children who learn best from being outdoors can do so. Children develop the key skills needed to be ready for the next stage in their learning, such as starting school. They are confident and independent.

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

• Staff talk confidently about where children are in their learning and development. Children benefit from a sequenced curriculum that is designed to meet their individual needs. Staff check children's understanding and build on what they already know and can do.
• Staff are exceptionally caring towards the children. They ensure that inclusion is at the heart of everything that is done in this pre-school. Staff place a high importance on identifying and planning for children's individual needs, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to ensure that all children make good progress.
• Staff provide a good quality of teaching overall, and they support children well as they play and learn. However, children become restless and quickly lose interest in routine whole-group activities. Staff do not organise these well enough to support children to listen and concentrate.
• Children have a positive attitude to learning. They confidently choose what they want to play with and readily lead their own play. Staff are led by what children want to do. However, children are not always given notice of when activities need to change. They are not always able to complete activities to their satisfaction.
• Staff support children's speech and language development effectively, including children who speak English as an additional language. They engage children in conversation and use signing to help support children's developing vocabulary. Staff promote mathematical language, such as size and shape.
• Staff implement effective care practices. They promote children's confidence, resilience and independence. Children feel safe. Staff help them learn to take managed risks, for example when they are learning to use the climbing frame and slide. The premises are secure to prevent children from leaving unsupervised.
• Children learn about the importance of good hygiene routines. They are encouraged to manage their own personal hygiene needs. Children are incredibly independent, pouring their own drinks and cutting their own fruit at snack. They readily wash their own crockery when they have finished eating.
• Children are helped to learn about life in modern Britain. Staff teach children about their similarities and differences. They help children learn about their own customs and festivals as well as those of others. Children are developing an appreciation and understanding of diversity.
• Staff are committed to working together with parents and encourage them to remain involved in their children's learning. Parents and carers hold staff in very high regard, describing staff as 'amazing, kind, nurturing and fun'. They are particularly grateful for the unwavering support that they receive from staff in times of crisis.
• The provider works with staff to reflect on activities and their daily practice. They are committed to the continuous improvement of the setting. Staff are enthusiastic and motivated. They work very well as a team to meet children's individual care and learning needs.
• The provider implements an effective programme of supervision and appraisal for all staff to manage their performance and foster a culture of mutual support. She supports the emotional well-being of staff effectively. Staff are encouraged in their professional development, to bring about further improvements in practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of whole-group activities to ensure that children continue to enjoy a high standard of teaching and learning at all times
• support children in completing their self-chosen tasks, giving them timely reminders of when the activity needs to change.