Hart Plain Church Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly enter the pre-school and are warmly greeted by staff. They settle in swiftly, keen to explore the resources and activities that staff provide for them. Children benefit from being in the care of attentive staff who know them well. Staff plan activities and opportunities that engage children and support their learning. For instance, children are fascinated by music and benefit from hearing a visitor playing a clarinet. They are curious learners and ask many questions. Children are motivated to join in.

Children are busy and engaged as they play and learn. Staff offer good support to help children understand their emotions, and how to manage these. For example, a regulation zone is inviting and helps children understand their feelings if they become overwhelmed. Children behave well. They are confident to ask for help and reassurance when needed. Staff provide effective support for children's emotional well-being.

Across the pre-school, staff offer children the support and teaching they need to develop skills for later learning. Children learn to take turns, for instance, when playing games, and to listen to stories. They show a 'can-do' attitude towards everything staff offer at the pre-school.

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

• The manager and her staff team have a clear understanding of the skills they want children to learn. Their curriculum is finely tuned to meet the needs of children who attend the setting. It builds on what children already know and can do. This allows staff to focus on providing effective support for children's learning where they need it the most.
• Children benefit from high levels of support for their communication skills. Staff introduce children to new words as they play, adding in descriptive words such as 'grubby' fire trucks. Staff skilfully add in teaching for children, providing them with simple explanations. For instance, children learn the difference between mittens and gloves, and turtles and tortoises. They hear many words from staff, who are positive role models for children's developing speech.
• Staff provide effective support for children's developing social skills. For example, at circle time, staff help children to learn the names of their friends, and the staff. Younger children benefit from playing and eating alongside older children. This helps all children build relationships in the setting.
• Children take part in many planned and purposeful activities to help them develop their listening and attention skills. 'What's in the box?', for example, is a highly engaging session and children sit spellbound, paying close attention. This helps them to develop focus and attention in readiness to move on to the next stage in their education.
• Staff use children's interests to stimulate their learning. For instance, bug hunts outdoors provide staff with opportunities to add in counting, teaching children about early mathematical concepts. However, occasionally, staff do not fully support all children's learning effectively. At times, staff deployment does not take into account those quieter and self-contained children. This means they miss out on having the same number of good quality interactions from staff.
• Children show they feel safe in the staff's care. They are resilient and keep on trying, such as when constructing with shapes outdoors. Children demonstrate that they are proud of their achievements. At times, though, staff do not consider how to fully support children to solve problems and think of their own ideas. Occasionally, staff offer limited support for the development of children's imagination and thinking skills.
• The pre-school committee works closely with the manager to reflect on the quality of teaching and what staff offer to children. There are clear development plans in place to continue to develop and improve the setting. Staff benefit from regular professional development opportunities. These help staff to raise the quality of care and education that children receive.
• Parents comment favourably about the care that their children benefit from at the pre-school and the effective communication from staff. Additionally, staff build positive partnerships with other professionals involved with children's care. This supports good levels of continuity for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve deployment of staff to help them make the most of all opportunities to build on all children's learning
• support staff to give children sufficient time to think and explore problems before offering solutions.