Kings Park Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed by friendly staff who create a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Children settle quickly. Staff create close relationships with children as they get to know them and their families well. Staff assess children's development. They identify where extra support is required and tailor experiences to suit children's individual needs and interests. Staff also offer children choices and children decide to play bingo with their friends. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress with their development.

Staff promote children's independence. Children wash their hands before mealtimes and manage their own personal care needs. At snack time, children dish up their own fruit and pour their own drinks. Staff promote good health, teaching children the importance of brushing their teeth. Staff implement a flexible routine ensuring children have enough time to finish their learning without interruption. Staff are patient but firm when promoting children's behaviour. They explain the golden rules of the setting and why rules are in place. Children behave well and are kind and caring towards each other. They use their manners independently. Children learn how to look after the pre-school pet tortoise, developing empathy and responsibility.

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

• Staff keep children safe. Children learn the importance of wearing hats and drinking plenty of water when they are playing in the sun. Staff access the medical training they need to care for children's health needs. They adapt activities so that all children can participate. Children develop their physical skills by using climbing apparatus and obstacle courses outside. They spend time indoors exploring how to create shapes with kinetic sand which supports their manipulative skills.
• Staff plan topics to teach children about the world around them. They are currently learning about insects. Staff teach children how caterpillars change into butterflies and children paint pictures of ladybirds to add to their display. Outside, staff give children a list of insects to find. They help children think about where insects live and where to look for them. They dig holes in the mud to find worms and look for cobwebs so they can find spiders. Children enjoy ticking insects off their list. This supports their developing literacy skills.
• Children develop good speech and language skills. Staff read stories to children enthusiastically and encourage them to join in with familiar phrases. Staff speak clearly to children. They extend children's vocabulary, teaching children the names for different herbs and insects such as millipede and earwig. Children spend time investigating the water wall. Staff teach children how water moves through the pipes.
• Staff set up activities to help children's understanding of number and quantity. Children match the correct number of pom -poms to the corresponding number. Staff help children count the number of spots there are on the ladybirds they paint. However, teaching strategies are sometimes inconsistent. Staff occasionally rely too heavily on questioning without extending learning for the most able children. This limits opportunities for deeper challenge.
• Parents speak highly of the setting. They appreciate the regular communication they receive about their children's progress. They enjoy participating in outings to the farm and visiting the pre-school for story cafes. This helps parents to engage with their children's learning. Parents trust staff to keep their children safe. Staff develop positive working relationships with local schools so that they can support children with transitions. They also work closely with other professionals to meet the needs of children with SEND.
• Staff feel well supported and valued by leaders. They have regular supervision meetings to review their practice and access a range of training opportunities. However, leaders do not have a systematic approach to supporting staff develop their teaching skills. Leaders have an accurate view of the pre-school. They reflect on their provision and identify areas to further develop. They have plans to install a new outdoor classroom so children can learn more about the world around them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop their teaching skills so that all children have consistent access to high quality learning opportunities.