Jackanory Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, calm and confident in the environment. They demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning and enjoy taking part in the daily routine. For example, they all sit down together for snack and lunchtimes. Staff create a social atmosphere where the children enjoy each other's company and show respect for one another.

Children have developed good relationships with staff members and feel valued when sharing their thoughts and ideas. They have built trust in the staff members so feel comfortable taking appropriate risks, such as climbing over the A-frame climbing wall. Staff members use praise and encouragement to promote determination and challenge. Children show excitement and pride when they achieve new skills. This helps children make good progress.

Children's previous experiences are given careful consideration. Staff members use this information to effectively plan provision and activities that support each child's needs. For example, they used stacking cups and kinetic sand to develop children's dexterity skills. Children enjoy the outdoor space and have lots of opportunities to explore the garden. This helps develop their gross-motor skills and keeps them physically active. For example, children were happy building balancing courses and scooting up and down the tarmac.

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

• The manager is aware of the local community and how she can support families in the setting. She works closely with local schools to understand school readiness and how the staffing team can help children develop the key skills required for later learning.
• The manager has a clear vision of the skills she'd like children to learn during their time at setting. These skills promote emotional development, communication and language and independence. However, the overall curriculum is not always clear or well sequenced, which means at times staff have not considered ways to deepen children's knowledge and understanding.
• The setting's key-person approach is effective. Staff members build close relationships with their children and families. They show a good understanding of children's previous and current learning and use this information to inform future practice. Staff members know their children's interests and use these to engage them in learning experiences. For example, while playing with the farm they used singing to support a child's individual needs. This had a positive impact on the child's emotional well-being and engagement.
• Staff respond positively to children and have a nurturing presence. Staff model positive and kind behaviour which creates a respectful culture. Children are confident to ask staff members for help and will freely express themselves. At times, however, staff have not considered ways to extend these interactions and challenge children's thinking further.
• The manager and staff have identified the impact the pandemic has had on children's communication and social development. They have focused on these skills in their provision, especially with those aged two- to three-years-old. Staff comment on children's play and role model turn taking to support them in developing these skills.
• Parents speak very highly of the setting. They praise the staff for their communication and enjoy receiving regular updates via the online journal system. The manager supports families in finding out what funding they are entitled to and provides regular reminders so families can access this.
• The setting promotes healthy eating and works closely with parents to plan healthy snacks and lunch. For example, they provide families with a weekly menu idea to support their understanding of healthy eating. Parents provide snacks and lunches. Allergies are taken into consideration and parents updated so they can reflect this in the food they provide.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff further in developing communication and language skills so that children develop a wider vocabulary and have meaningful interactions
• review and develop the curriculum so that all staff feel confident to put it into practice and fully understand how activities build on children's learning and development.