Gunness and Burringham Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited for the day ahead. A phased arrival each day ensures that all children and their families are warmly greeted and made to feel welcome. Children know and trust staff, and interactions between them are kind and gentle. Children return to staff during the day to sit close and feel a sense of security and belonging.

Children are sociable, friendly and behave well. Staff and children start the day together, singing and performing the actions to 'Reach up, shake up, it's another day'. Throughout the day, the pre-school is calm and well organised and equipped. Children can move freely inside and outside and are able to choose from a wide array of interesting and engaging activities, resources and books. Children are motivated and eager learners, and this helps them to make good progress.

Staff promote a love of books and reading. Children choose from a wide range of books and staff read to them with joy and enthusiasm. Opportunities for children to develop their mark-making skills are also prominent throughout the pre-school. Children have lots of opportunities to draw, investigate and record information. For example, staff encourage children to recognise birds that visit the garden. Children use binoculars to watch the birds. They use a checklist to identify and keep note of which birds they have seen.

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

• When children join the pre-school, staff give children time to settle in. They make careful observations to find out what children already know and can do. This allows staff to carefully plan and adapt activities and experiences to meet individual children's needs and ensure that every child is included. The manager and staff swiftly identify any children that have additional needs. They work closely with parents and other professionals to provide effective, targeted support. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well supported and make good progress from their starting points.
• The curriculum is skilfully adapted to reflect the pre-school's rural setting. For example, there is a strong focus on developing children's knowledge and understanding of their local environment, including how to keep themselves safe within it. Children learn about the dangers of rivers and roads. Staff ensure that children are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Arrangements to prepare children for school are excellent. Children are familiar with the adjoining school and make regular visits. Pre-school and school staff collaborate effectively to find out what children need to know and learn before starting school.
• Staff use lots of effective techniques to engage children at group time. Children pour water from one container to another. They speculate how 'full' and 'empty' the containers will be. Staff model new vocabulary such as 'capacity' and ask questions to check children's understanding. However, on some occasions, staff move on to the next question before children have had time to process information or formulate a response. This means that opportunities for children to share their ideas and use new vocabulary are sometimes overlooked.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles and self-care. Children are encouraged to spend time outside each day. They have access to wellington boots and waterproofs so they can play outside even in wet weather or when playing with water. Staff sit with children as they eat. They encourage them to make healthy food choices and to pour their own drinks. Staff provide children with opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as helping to tidy up.
• Staff ensure that children attending the pre-school develop a strong sense of belonging. Children enjoy pointing out their families in a photograph album that staff have created. They learn about each other's similarities and differences. Staff promote inclusion and diversity, such as by learning about cultural festivals. This helps to prepare children for the wider world.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Staff work hard to involve parents in every step of their child's development. Staff share information through daily conversations, an online app and in a termly summary. Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They say that their children make good progress and they love attending. Parents particularly appreciate the kind and understanding approach of staff and acknowledge that their children are happy and settled.
• The manager knows the staff extremely well. Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings where they help to identify the pre-school's strengths and any areas to further improve. Staff work together well as a team. They have regular staff meetings, share information each day and ask each other for help when necessary. Staff feel very well supported as a result.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build further on teaching practice during group activities so that children have more time to process information, share their ideas and use new vocabulary.