Fish and Bricks PreSchool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children excel in this pre-school. Staff expertly develop children's speech, language and listening skills through routines and interactions. Children with delayed language are skilfully supported with sign language to enable them to make choices and express themselves. This has a positive effect on their language and their listening and attention skills. Staff are skilled at supporting children in a warm and nurturing way. They encourage children to learn to regulate their own emotions in a 'calm corner' with ideas for mindful activities. This has a positive effect on all children's personal, social and emotional development. Children love singing and dancing as they practise for their end of year show. They happily share stories about their own lives that link to the activities in the song. For example, they describe how they like sleeping and sleep well at home. Children's physical skills are expertly supported via gymnastic-style activities in a large hall on site. They joyfully explore the obstacle course that staff have set up and learn to jump, roll, skip, balance and crawl. Staff also use the experience to help children to practise their listening and attention skills.

Managers and staff design and implement an inspiring, broad and balanced curriculum that supports children's learning and development across all areas. As a result, children make good progress. Staff observe and respond to children's interests, encouraging child-led play while ensuring that key milestones are met. Staff have consistently high expectations of children, and children show that they know the rules and expectations of the setting. Children are encouraged to tidy up for stories and snack time during the morning, and they happily do this without prompting. Staff have very warm relationships with the children, and this contributes to a joyful, happy learning environment for all.

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

• Leadership and management are a real strength of the nursery. Managers train and support their staff very well. Staff describe feeling knowledgeable about fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of their role confidently. Leaders have clear aims about providing excellent care, and they are focused on the priorities of supporting children's language and social and emotional development.
• Managers and staff are purposeful and reflective about the ambitious curriculum they offer, which is effective and adapted regularly. All staff know the children exceptionally well. They get to know children's interests through conversations with parents and children. They also observe what children are enjoying learning. Staff use this information to adapt experiences and interactions with children, which promotes all areas of their development.
• Children, including children who speak English as an additional language, learn to become confident communicators. Staff expertly support children with their listening and attention skills, and those who need extra support are provided with interventions to help them catch up. This has an extremely positive effect on their progress with communication and language and their self-esteem.
• Children show very good attitudes to learning. They delight in talking to each other and to the adults. Staff are calmly attuned to children's emotional needs, ask questions and give children time to think and respond. This has a positive impact on children's behaviour and attitudes. Children's views are clearly listened to and respected. However, staff are not fully consistent in supporting children to make choices and decisions about their learning. This does not fully reflect the curriculum aim to encourage children to become independent learners.
• Staff develop good relationships with parents. Staff share ideas for home learning with parents regularly. There is a book loaning library available for parents to borrow from. Managers go above and beyond to make sure that parents have what they need for their family, including linking them up with local services, such as dentists. Parents speak highly about the nursery and the impact it has had on their children. They describe how their child's language, attention and emotional development have significantly improved.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have consistent support to help them gain independence and access activities that are adapted to meet their needs. Staff responsible for supporting children with SEND work closely with parents and other professionals to create and implement highly effective support plans. The impact of the support is clearly evident, and children with SEND thrive as they calmly and confidently learn and explore.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more consistent support for children to make choices and decisions in their learning.