Happy Days Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff help children to feel safe and happy at this warm and inclusive pre-school. They spend time with children and get to know them when they first start. Leaders ensure that there is a robust key-person system is in place. This helps children to settle quickly and form positive bonds with staff. Children behave well. Staff are calm and friendly. They are clear in their expectations of children and act as positive role models. For example, staff consistently model good manners when talking to children. They offer gentle reminders of how to share and take turns. Children gain a good understanding of how to be kind and considerate.

Leaders and the long-serving staff team are committed to their roles and responsibilities. They have high expectations for all children and have designed a broad curriculum that is based on children's interests and what they need to learn next. Staff help children to be curious learners. Children show high levels of motivation, such as when taking part in activities they have chosen. For example, children pretend to go on a train and enthusiastically name different countries they would like to visit. They use their imaginations and think together of best ways of transport to use when travelling to faraway places. Children make good progress from their starting points in development.

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

• Leaders ensure that they offer staff effective training and continuous development. Staff feel well supported and know that there is a strong focus on their well-being. This results in a dedicated team that works very well together.
• Staff support the youngest children to babble. They get down to their level as they play and make good eye contact. Older children learn words, such as 'under' and 'above,' as they are immersed in role play with a garage. However, staff do not always consistently use effective strategies to support children's language. For example, on occasion, staff do not use narratives to describe what children do. Staff are yet to provide children with consistent experiences to hear and use their home languages during their play to further support their communication and language skills.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced, and overall, staff implement it well, when indoors. However, when outdoors, the curriculum is less effective. Some activities lack a clear focus and challenge, which means that children lose interest quickly. This means that children's learning experiences are not always maximised, particularly for those children who prefer to learn outdoors.
• Staff promote children's independence. They support children to learn how to do things for themselves. For example, children learn to dress up independently and manage their personal care. Staff give them lots of praise to build their self-esteem and confidence as they manage these tasks.
• Staff help children to get to know routines that support their good health. Children wash their hands before meals and after messy activities. Leaders and staff work with parents to ensure that children bring meals that are healthy and balanced.
• Staff are skilled at supporting children to develop their gross motor skills and gain control of their bodies. Children listen well and follow instructions from staff as they dance and move their bodies to the familiar music and action songs.
• Staff support children's fine motor skills well. For example, children have plenty of opportunities to strengthen their hand muscles through messy play. Children practise using one-handed tools, such as pencils and paintbrushes. This helps them to develop the strength and coordination necessary for early writing.
• The support in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Leaders act swiftly and work well with external professionals and parents to get children the support they rightfully deserve. This helps children with SEND to make good progress.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents value the information that is shared daily. Leaders and staff work closely with parents to support and identify children's changing needs as early as possible. This involvement informs what to put in place to progress their children's development and prepare them for next steps in their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that staff consistently use effective strategies to support children's language and communication skills even further
• extend and enrich further learning opportunities outdoors to provide children with greater challenge.