Holiplay Pre School At St Marks

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children leave their parents without hesitation and quickly settle to activities they enjoy. They have a positive sense of belonging and identity within this welcoming pre-school. This is demonstrated when children keenly find pictures to register their attendance and see pictures on a rotating picture frame. They enthusiastically say 'this is me'. Children develop strong attachments with a key person. Before children start, staff visit them at home to help to get to know them and their family members. Staff find out key words in the languages children speak at home and what they know and can do, to help settle them from the start.

Overall, the youngest children are supported well by caring and attentive staff team. They develop skills from an early age, such as social skills, independence and confidence. All children behave well. They thoroughly enjoy each other's company as they play and learn together. This also shows that they feel safe and emotionally secure. Children benefit fully from plenty of time outdoors to help to support their good health and physical skills. They have many opportunities to challenge their physical abilities as they ride tricycles, balance on stepping stones and skilfully balance on balancing beams.

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

• As a result of the national pandemic and lockdown, leaders have recognised that some children return to the pre-school with gaps in their learning and development. They now place a key focus on developing children's physical abilities, communication and language skills and personal, social and emotional development, to help them catch up.
• Leaders have established strong links with teaching staff and the designated safeguarding lead from St Marks Primary School to help to promote a very constant approach. The deputy manager attends regular meetings with teaching staff and other professionals to successfully work in partnership with them for a seamless approach and to help to keep children safe and from harm.
• Self-evaluation is effective. Leaders arrange very regular staff meetings to help to identify strengths and where areas can be improved. Following a notification to Ofsted regarding a significant event, the deputy manager took immediate action to help minimise any accidents from reoccurring.
• Staff implement the curriculum intent well. Overall, staff interact positively with children and help to extend their learning to a good level. For example, they keenly ask children 'what's in the box?'. Children eagerly rummage through a box and correctly recognise and name animals. They excitedly roar like a lion. However, not all staff consistently recognise and respond quickly to help support the youngest children.
• The well-sequenced curriculum is based around children's interests, and staff place a sharp focus on mathematical development. For instance, staff support children to successfully count, recognise shapes and colours as they play.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The pre-school special educational needs coordinator successfully engages with key staff to ensure early interventions. Key staff implement strategies effectively to enable children to reach their full potential. All children make good progress from when they first start.
• Children successfully show their independence. This is demonstrated when they independently wash their hands after going to the toilet. Furthermore, children enthusiastically self-select a wide range of opportunities and experiences, indoors and outdoors. However, at times, some staff do not demonstrate close consideration and supervision during some daily routines, such as snack time.
• Staff enhance children's experiences effectively to help to extend opportunities available to them. Children benefit from weekly planned outings. For example, they regularly visit local shops, the library and parks. This also helps to promote children's sense of self within their local community.
• Parents are kept well informed about the progress their children make over time, for a constant approach and effective partnership. Parents comment positively on their children's care and learning. They welcome daily conversations and newsletters to keep them well informed. Parents say they notice an increase in children's social skills, vocabulary and love of books.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• identify professional development opportunities to help to raise the good teaching skills, particularly to help support the youngest children
• review routines to ensure children are consistently supervised and good hygiene practices are promoted, particularly during snack time.