Kids United Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff give children a warm, friendly and cheerful welcome as they arrive at pre-school. This helps children to easily separate from their parents and become quickly engrossed in the inviting learning environment. Staff know that children enjoy playing with toy people and vehicles, so these are made available to nurture their imagination and creativity. Outdoors, children concentrate well while exploring water and sand, demonstrating their happiness and safety. Children show positive attitudes to learning.

Staff's curriculum has a strong focus on promoting children's language skills. During group activities, staff model language effectively and ask questions to extend children's vocabulary. Children love learning the names and noises of different toys. They receive lots of encouragement, which motivates them to remain interested and engaged. Additionally, staff place a strong emphasis on reading story books to children. Children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy listening to a story being read to them. This practice fosters children's love of books from a young age. While staff promote good behaviour in children, at times, they miss explaining their expectations. This does not fully help children to understand the reasons behind staff's rules and boundaries.

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

• This pre-school continues to provide children with high-quality care and education. The manager, with the strong support of her team, acts with integrity to ensure that all children, including those who are disadvantaged and have SEND, make significant progress in their education. Parents agree that staff help their children develop new knowledge and skills that are necessary for their future learning. They particularly notice the improvements in their children's language and confidence skills.
• Staff work diligently to build strong and effective partnerships with other professionals. For example, they collaborate with speech and language therapists to create plans aimed at addressing any developmental gaps in children. This proactive approach helps in preventing children from falling behind. Additionally, staff extend invitations to teachers to assist in the smooth transition of older children to their new school.
• Staff use their ongoing observations to assess children's learning. For example, they offer physical activities both indoors and outdoors to support children's growth and endurance. Children engage in movements and singing while also practising coordination on large rocking equipment. They have opportunities to manipulate malleable resources, such as clay, to strengthen their finger muscles. It is evident that children's physical development is progressing well.
• Children have many opportunities to develop and enhance their early mathematical development. They learn about sequencing, patterns and shapes. Additionally, children gain confidence in counting from one to five, which builds on their counting skills.
• Children are happy to approach staff for spontaneous cuddles when they need extra comfort. They form close attachments with staff, who are caring and nurturing. This supports children's emotional well-being effectively.
• Staff respect and value the diverse cultures and backgrounds of all children. They work closely with parents to understand children's individual care needs, including their unique eating habits, to support their good health.
• Staff organise educational outings to help children learn about their community. For example, they take children on walks to explore their surroundings and gain a better understanding of the world.
• Staff feel well-supported by the manager and appreciate the support for their personal and professional development. Recently, they reviewed their behaviour policy and completed training to learn more about how to support the behaviour of boys effectively. The manager knows that staff teach children to play collaboratively, helping them learn how to share and take turns. However, she acknowledges that some staff should clearly explain to children why certain behaviours are unwanted. This will further extend children's learning.
• The manager evaluates their practice rigorously. For example, she reflects on the learning environment to ensure that children can access toys and resources independently. This encourages children to make decisions about their play.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff communicate clear expectations so children understand the reasons behind their rules and boundaries.