Kilnsea Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children clearly feel safe in the pre-school. Most separate from their parents or carers with ease and those that need extra support are given this to help them feel secure. Children benefit from staff dedication to provide an exciting learning environment. Children make decisions about their play and become engrossed in their learning. They choose from the exciting activities on offer, which helps to develop their creativity and imagination. For instance, children enjoy playing shops, where they make shopping lists and talk about what money they will need. While other children giggle and chatter together as they have pretend tea parties.

Children are happy and enjoy the activities available to them. They have fun exploring a range of materials, such as dough, craft and chalk. Children play well together and share resources well. They enjoy making marks, patterns and enjoy transporting the mud using a range of tools. This supports children's coordination in preparation for early writing skills. Staff demonstrate they know the children well and understand what support they need to continue to make good progress. Staff promote children's communication and language development effectively. For example, staff create cosy spaces for children to relax and enjoy story times.

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

• Children arrive happy and are keen to enter the pre-school. Staff are deployed well to meet the needs of the children and staff have high expectations for children. Staff genuinely enjoy their time with the children, and they talk to them about what they are doing to support their developing communication skills. Children benefit from a range of exciting play opportunities, which helps them to make good progress in their learning and development. For example, children have fun using the construction, playing imaginativelty with dolls and exploring with water using paintbrushes.
• The manager and staff work well together to create a curriculum that is exciting for the children. Staff know the learning intentions of activities that they provide. For example, as staff play ball games with children outside, they know the aim is to build on children's moving and handling skills, coordination, and self-confidence. Activities such as these help all children develop a range of skills in readiness for their next stage of learning. However, at times, staff do not organise some activities or changes between activities effectively to maintain children's interest and learning. This results in children becoming bored and distracted during this time.
• Children behave well. They take turns with others during play and have clearly built some strong friendships. For example, children are seen sharing books and resources as they play. Overall, children receive some nice praise and encouragement from the staff, such as when writing their own names in cards they have made.
• Staff encourage children to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. For example, children have opportunities to play outside daily and are taught the importance of washing their hands before eating. Staff provide children with a healthy snack, and they stay with them while they eat to make this a sociable time. Staff undertake regular nappy changes for children to ensure they are comfortable and they effectively support toilet training.
• Staff have appropriate supervisions and regular team meetings, which help them to reflect on their own skills. The manager is aware of some areas where staff need support. However, they do not identify all inconsistencies in practice. For example, on occasions some staff undertake tasks for children that they can do for themselves and, at times, do not consistently reinforce the behaviour expectations. This means that targeted support is not always provided to further staff's professional development. Despite this, staff comment they feel well supported and part of a team.
• Staff have good partnerships with parents. Parents speak positively about the staff and how happy their children are. Staff communicate effectively with parents through a variety of ways. For example, they have daily discussions and hold regular parent meetings.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the arrangements for staff supervision and training, to further develop their skills, and raise the quality of teaching
• review the organisation of some activities and routines to ensure children remain interested and engaged.