Jan Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy playing and learning in this small, calm nursery setting. Children and parents are greeted warmly when they arrive. They form strong attachments with the adults who care for them and behave well throughout the day. Children receive plenty of praise and encouragement, which builds their confidence. When children are upset or unhappy, they go to their key person for a warm hug or a cosy story time. The gentle and experienced staff team take time to listen to children. Staff ask children thoughtful questions. This helps children to improve their early language skills.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They use their knowledge and experience to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have access to experiences that support their individual learning journeys. When children do activities as a group, they learn about turn taking, sharing and being kind to their friends. This helps prepare children for the next stage in their learning, including starting school.

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

• Staff plan a wide range of activities across the day to support children's learning. Children can follow their interests during free play, both indoors and outside. Sometimes children go on outings to local parks and green spaces. The range of opportunities available helps extend children's learning and curiosity.
• Children enjoy their time outdoors, where they develop their physical skills. Leaders have plans to further develop the outdoor area to create more space for children to enhance their physical development. Staff plan carefully to ensure all areas of learning are promoted outside just as they are indoors. This encourages children to continue their play in the garden and supports those children who love to learn outside well. For example, children balance on equipment, play with sand, hide in the tent and dig.
• Children are very comfortable in the cosy corner, exploring books independently or listening to staff reading stories. Leaders place a strong emphasis on developing children's early communication skills through song, rhyme, story and ensuring staff have the training they need to support children's speaking skills.
• Children are encouraged by staff to use their good manners throughout the day. They use please and thank you and they help tidy up toys that they are finished playing with. This helps children understand how to behave and show respect for others.
• Children and staff in the nursery come from a wide range of cultures, which are celebrated positively. Children learn about 'people who help us', food and customs to develop their understanding of the communities around them. This helps children learn about their similarities and differences.
• Staff create opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to develop their confidence speaking English. Staff speak to parents to ensure any concerns about children's communication skills in their home language are identified. This ensures assessments of children's communication skills are accurate and support effective planning.
• Some children know the daily routine well. They line up when it is time to join their friends for story time or for lunch. At times, other children who are less familiar with the routine struggle to transition between free play and structured activities. This makes it hard for them to participate fully in all of the opportunities available.
• Parents are very happy with the care and education their children receive at nursery. They say their children come home with new songs, rhymes and words every day. The strong relationships staff build with parents help provide continuity for children.
• Leaders and staff are enthusiastic about their roles as early years practitioners. They work as a team and support each other to improve their practice and broaden their knowledge. This helps ensure children are well cared for and make good progress in their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider ways to support children to understand the daily routine to help them to transition between activities and participate in all the nursery has to offer.