Jack in the Box Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this setting with smiling faces. Friendly staff greet children and parents as they enter the building. Independently, children locate their coat peg and name badge before they begin to explore the wide range of activities. During morning registration, children learn the days of the week and discuss the weather. Cheerful and talkative staff demonstrate a genuine interest in children's likes, dislikes and experiences.

Children enjoy lots of exercise and fresh air. They use their developing muscles to push, pull and roll heavy tyres. They practise their balancing skills as they walk along wooden beams. Large chalk boards encourage children to strengthen their hand-eye coordination and to develop their writing skills in preparation for school. Children enjoy helping each other and work well as a team. When they choose from a range of healthy snacks, they are keen to hand out extra fruit and vegetables to their friends. Children's behaviour is excellent. Rules and boundaries are clear to help children's understanding of respect and kindness towards each other. Children are supported by staff to find solutions for themselves on the rare times that conflict occurs. Children demonstrate kindness to living things. For example, they rescue a spider from the bathroom and tell the spider to 'have a good day' as it is released.

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

• The manager has a clear intent for what children should be learning. The curriculum covers all areas of learning, and these are incorporated into activities throughout the session. Effective observations, done by staff, help to assess what children already know and what they are developing. Children's next steps are then skilfully identified and shared between the whole staff team. This helps all staff to provide activities that support children's next steps.
• The manager prioritises the mental health of her staff team. She understands the importance of avoiding unnecessary burdens for staff. During supervisions, staff speak freely about their strengths and weaknesses. Training is allocated to staff so their knowledge is deepened and the standard of care is raised. For example, staff who provide one-to-one care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) attend specific training in this area. As a result, children with SEND receive excellent care and support to help them make the best possible progress. However, the manager does not always ensure that staff fully understand how to support children to lead their own play. For example, staff halt children's ideas, curiosities and concepts when they prevent children from moving resources from one activity to another.
• Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Display boards reinforce children's sense of achievement, as their accomplishments are on view for everyone to see. Children take turns to celebrate their good behaviour when they become 'star of the week'. They are beginning to understand and manage their own feelings. With support from staff, children find solutions to problems, such as using sand timers to indicate when they can have a turn. However, staff do not consistently provide challenge for children during adult-led activities. For example, children who can count further than five are not given the opportunity to do so. As a result, learning is not being fully extended so that children make the best possible progress.
• Children learn about different cultures, beliefs and backgrounds. They taste food from different parts of the world and experiment with traditional clothing during role play. The manager understands the need for children to become aware of difference in people in order to help them develop respect in a diverse society. Children play with role-play equipment in the doll's house, which is thoughtfully designed by staff to intrigue children's curiosity about diverse families, such as same-sex families.
• Parents speak very positively about the setting. They comment on how approachable and supportive staff are. Parents receive daily feedback about their child's development and achievements. They feel involved in their child's learning, as they are invited to share their child's achievements and receive invitations to stay-and-play sessions.
• The manager has secured strong links with the local school. Children become familiar with the school environment in preparation for their transition due to weekly visits to the school playground and story time with teachers. Children's development is shared with the school to give children the best chance of receiving purposeful learning opportunities in line with their next steps.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when to extend children's learning during activities and to understand the importance of enabling children to lead their own play.