Katherine Wheel Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at this pre-school. They arrive confidently and settle quickly. Children become deeply involved in a variety of inviting, interesting and engaging activities. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. All children show they have formed strong bonds with staff, who are welcoming and sensitive to children's needs.

Children generally display good behaviour and enjoy the company of others. Staff are good role models and gently explain to children how they expect them to behave. Children are learning to share resources, take turns and play cooperatively. This helps them to be prepared with the social skills required for their next stage of learning.

Children of all ages develop a love of reading and enjoy a wide range of books. They select books independently and listen to staff as they enthusiastically read stories. Children join in with familiar words and phrases, and they enjoy action songs and rhymes.

Children are confident at negotiating their ideas and involving others in their imaginative play. They make choices from a wide variety of dressing-up clothes and use their imaginations to pretend that the garden climbing frame is a space rocket.

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

• The manager and staff have positive relationships with each other. Staff benefit from regular discussions about their performance and professional development. They have opportunities to grow their knowledge and skills through training. For instance, staff have recently learned to use different methods of communication to support children's communication and language development.
• Staff understand the importance of promoting children's physical development. For instance, they provide opportunities outdoors for children to plan and make an obstacle course from planks, crates and tyres. Children develop their physical skills as they learn to balance and negotiate the course.
• The manager has a clear vision for the nursery and makes ongoing improvements. She and the staff reflect together on the quality of the provision and take account of the views of parents and children. For example, they have increased the range of opportunities children have to explore literacy throughout their play. The garden area has been significantly enhanced. The outdoor learning space and plentiful resources allow children to play and explore. For instance, children can now use the available climbing equipment to challenge their physical skills, and they use the 'literacy shed' to practise their early handwriting.
• Staff place a strong focus on developing children's communication and language skills. For instance, they talk constantly to the children and clearly emphasise key words within their interactions to help enhance children's understanding and speaking skills. Staff also use some signing to help children make choices, understand routines and express their needs.
• Parents speak highly of the provision and of the progress their children make. The manager and staff have established a well-managed key-person system. For example, staff ensure that they update parents about the progress their children make day to day. Staff use online systems to provide further information about children's learning and how parents can support this at home.
• Staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They get to know children's individual needs and interests well. The manager and staff form effective professional relationships with outside agencies. Children are swiftly provided with extra support, where needed, to help them make good progress in their learning and development.
• The manager and staff work together to design an ambitious curriculum. They use additional funding well to support children's learning. Staff carefully follow children's interests. They use information from observations and assessments to plan exciting activities. However, occasionally, staff do not build further on the older children's existing skills and extend their learning to help them make even more progress.
• Staff plan to support children's development and encourage their independent learning. Children manage their personal care and wash their hands effectively when required. However, on occasions, staff complete tasks which children can manage themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more opportunities for the older children to extend their learning even further
• strengthen staff support and help them to understand how to provide further challenge during activities for older children.