Good Shepherd Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to enter the setting in the morning and settle in swiftly. They are self-motivated and excited to explore. Children play cooperatively with others, such as on the swing outdoors and when hunting for imaginary monkeys in the trees. They laugh with sheer delight when staff play along with them, using cardboard tubes to look through and to search the branches. Children show they enjoy spending time with staff and feel safe in their care. Staff encourage children to play and learn. They build strong bonds with children and support their emotional well-being effectively.

Leaders and managers have clear aims and aspirations for children through a well-balanced curriculum. For example, they want children to be able to communicate their needs and to be confident and independent. Staff ensure children have plenty of choices to make, such as where to play and what to play with. Staff help children to self-serve their own snacks and to tidy away when they have finished eating. Children show they understand the expectations that staff have for them. They listen to what staff say and behave positively.

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

• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified. Staff provide excellent help through 'special time' to find out exactly what gaps children have in their learning. This helps them to deliver targeted support for children. For instance, highly engaging, daily interventions by staff help to close gaps in children's learning. This is a real strength, and children with SEND make superb progress.
• Staff know the children they care for well, and children know who their 'special key adult' is. Staff understand how children like to learn and what their interests are. For example, staff ensure children with SEND can engage in the sensory den when they first enter the setting. This helps them to regulate their emotions. Staff ensure favourite resources are easily accessible when children are ready to learn. They support children's individual needs very well.
• Children benefit from good support for their communication. Staff greet children warmly as they arrive, using signs and words. They repeat what children say and teach them new words and signs. For instance, when chatting to children about different fruit, staff introduce words such as juicy. Staff help children to hear the different sounds in words as they clap out the rhythm of words, such as banana. Children are interested in all that staff say and do. They join in readily with conversations and develop into confident communicators.
• Staff are positive role models for children. For example, they show children how to play and interact with others. Children can see how to have conversations and take turns to speak. Staff plan activities for children to support their learning. For instance, they freeze toy sea creatures in ice for children to learn about melting. Occasionally, however, although activities are enjoyable, staff do not fully consider children's individual learning needs. Some children do not benefit from precise teaching to help them build on what they already know and can do.
• Staff introduce children to new ideas and concepts. For example, they help children to construct kites. Children excitedly plan their ideas and staff encourage them to run outdoors to test them out. Children are delighted and say with great enthusiasm, 'It worked.' However, staff do not consider how to use conversations effectively to encourage children to think further. At times, staff do not wait for children to think of answers and solutions before adding in suggestions and answers for them.
• Children learn to manage their feelings and behaviour. Staff help children to recognise their emotions, such as when sharing stories. They support children to consider what others may be feeling. Staff offer children plenty of warm praise and encouragement. They help children to develop positive self-esteem. However, staff do not ensure that children understand what they have done well. Staff do not consistently make sure their praise is meaningful to children to help them learn what they have achieved or what needs to be tried again.
• Leaders and managers offer good support for staff to develop their professional knowledge. For instance, staff access regular training. Leaders and managers make effective use of additional funding for children. This helps them to provide an inclusive setting and opportunities for all. Staff develop effective partnerships with parents and others who work with children. This helps to develop continuity for children's care and learning. Parents report very favourably about the good communication, support and advice that staff offer, particularly for children with SEND. Overall, leaders and managers are effective in their roles to provide a good-quality setting for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff interactions further to focus teaching more precisely to build on what children know and can do
• support staff to develop their questioning techniques to give children more time to think, understand, problem solve and respond to questions
• encourage staff to help children understand what they have done well in their learning.