Kimberley Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and eager to learn in the welcoming environment created by staff. They have strong relationships with all staff, who know them well. Children play with their friends and share toys. They use their imaginations to talk to each other using pretend mobile telephones. Children choose from a wide range of resources, which staff provide based on their interests and what they want children to learn. Children practise their physical skills indoors, using their legs to pedal bicycles and ride-on cars around the allocated area.

Children know what is expected when at pre-school. They listen to staff as they explain the dangers of running indoors. Children confidently share their ideas with staff. They pretend the floor outdoors is lava and leap across it with support from staff. Children involve staff within their play. They talk with staff and learn about colours, numbers and shapes within the pre-school environment.

Children laugh and giggle while they play the 'tummy ache' game. They learn about healthy foods and laugh when they pick out cards containing spiders and worms. Children wash their hands without support after blowing their noses and before they eat. They are encouraged to independently visit the toilet, which helps them to develop their self-care skills.

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

• The manager and staff demonstrate clear thinking about the knowledge and skills they want children to learn. When planning activities, they take into consideration children's interests, to expand their learning. Children develop a wide range of knowledge and skills across all areas of learning.
• Staff provide additional support to children when necessary. They seek advice from other professionals promptly. Staff work with parents to complete any necessary paperwork or referrals needed. This ensures that everyone works together to achieve the best possible support for children.
• Parents talk positively about the pre-school and how amazing the staff are. Parents express how grateful they are for all the help and support staff give them. They describe the progress their children have made since they started pre-school. However, parents do not always receive regular opportunities to discuss their children's progress with staff.
• The manager ensures that staff complete appropriate training. Staff talk about how recent training has helped them to support children's communication and language. This has helped them to communicate effectively with children, ensuring they are always at the child's level before they speak.
• Staff gather a range of information to help them to get to know individual children. They ensure that planned activities help children to learn about the wider world and their communities. Staff plan walks outside, provide experiences to climb and lift, and opportunities to play with messy materials. The pre-school is located close to a depot where children can see a range of dustbin vehicles. Staff use children's observations as a learning activity for them to understand how the lorries work.
• The supervision processes for the manager and staff at the pre-school have recently changed. This has resulted in a more informal approach to supervision. Staff talk during group discussions rather than more regular one-to-one sessions. Although staff report that they communicate regularly and receive support from the manager and each other, this approach has led to limited individual support, coaching and mentoring for staff and less time to talk about the needs of their key children.
• Staff support children's communication and language development well. They read stories with children regularly. At lunchtime, children split into smaller groups and take part in story and song time. These smaller groups help to focus children's attention and listening skills.
• Staff encourage children to be independent. Children learn how to drink out of cups without a lid. Staff allocate children different jobs and roles at snack time. Children serve their friends healthy fruit and toast.
• Staff are good role models. They demonstrate the behaviours expected in pre-school. Staff deal with minor behaviour challenges effectively. They de-escalate situations quickly and sensitively, keeping children calm and engaging them back into play.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance systems for sharing information with parents so they have regular opportunities to discuss their children's progress with staff
• strengthen staff supervision to provide support, coaching and mentoring and more time to talk about the needs of their key children.