Harleston Preschool Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from interesting resources that promote their natural instinct to discover and explore. Resources are tailored to meet children's individual learning needs. Children enjoy taking part in dance sessions. Children learn to move their bodies in different ways and join in enthusiastically with action songs and rhymes. Younger children are supported skilfully by staff to participate at their own level. Children behave well, are happy and settled.

Children have a lovely relationship with staff. They often go to staff for a hug, before going back off to join their friends. Children develop a positive attitude to learning and make good progress. They confidently choose what they want to play with and readily lead their own learning. Children particularly enjoy staff's interactions with them. For example, they readily ask adults to read to them. Children enjoy stories in small groups and also sitting together as a large group. Staff encourage children to take part in stories, using props, such as three bears, beds, chairs and cups. Children readily recall familiar stories and remember key words and events. Even very young children listen with interest.

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

• Children come into the nursery readily and develop secure emotional bonds with staff. Staff know about children's home lives and talk to them about their families, significantly enhancing their sense of belonging.
• Staff know where children are in their learning and development. They are confident to provide activities that build on what children already know and can do. However, staff do not make the most of opportunities to help children understand why they do things to keep healthy. For example, staff do not educate children on the reasons why they need to keep hydrated, especially after physical activities.
• Staff support children in purposeful play. However, staff sometimes interrupt children's play and learning. For instance, they do not give children opportunity to complete activities of their own choosing before moving on with the routines of the day.
• Staff consider the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to ensure that they receive their full entitlement to early education. They are aware of the individual needs of children with SEND and provide one-to-one support, where appropriate.
• Children respond positively to the high expectations of staff. Staff use consistent ground rules, to help children understand what is expected of them. Children are gently encouraged to share resources and take turns. They thoroughly enjoy the 'high five' from staff for their individual efforts and good behaviour.
• Staff support children's speech and language development effectively. They use signing and pictorial prompts to support children's developing vocabulary. Staff engage children in conversation, ask questions to challenge their thinking and actively listen to what they have to say.
• Staff keep parents informed about their children's day and learning. Each child is allocated a key person, who builds friendly and trusting relationships with them and their parents. Parents speak highly of the staff, describing them as 'approachable and friendly'. They appreciate that staff 'really care' about the children and that they support families in times of crisis.
• The provider manages the performance of staff well. There is a programme of regular supervision. Staff practice is monitored, and professional development opportunities are supported to bring about improvements in teaching. Staff use their training for the benefit of children. For example, they have completed training in communicating with children, to help them fully support children's developing communication and language skills.
• The provider and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to continuous improvement and working towards excellence in all areas. Good progress has been made since the last inspection to ensure that safeguarding procedures have been tightened. Staff are enthusiastic and motivated. They work very well as a team to meet children's individual care and learning needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children's growing awareness of the importance of self-care, such as keeping hydrated
• give children time to complete their chosen activities.