Kings Pre School Tots

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children make good progress in their learning, including those who are funded and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. They make their way up the climbing frame and quickly slide down. They concentrate as they steady their fishing rods to catch the toy fish from the water tray.

Staff generally plan effectively to support children's learning and development as they play. Children have fun in the mud kitchen. They pour water to mix with the mud and carefully transport the mixture from one bowl to another. Children enjoy filling their buckets with sand, tapping the top and looking at the sandcastle they make.

Staff encourage children to problem solve while playing with the construction toys. The children work out that if they remove some of the stones from the trucks, the trucks will move as it will lighten the load. Staff enable children to make their own play dough. They create birthday cakes and add candles and feathers for decoration. They develop their imagination when making pretend ice creams to sell in the shop.

Staff ensure that children are protected and kept safe while at pre-school. Children wear sun cream and a hat when it is hot and sunny. They are regularly reminded by staff to have a drink of water to keep hydrated. Staff monitor the temperature outside and avoid using the garden when there are high ultraviolet levels. This keeps children safe during extreme temperatures.

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

• Leaders and managers support staff well. All staff have good opportunities to develop professionally. Staff complete regular training to improve their knowledge and skills. For example, following training on 'boys and mark making', staff adapted the opportunities to encourage boys to join in and develop their large arm muscles by using paintbrushes to make marks on their under the sea picture. Staff are recruited safely. All the relevant checks are completed at the point of employment to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Staff feel supported by the management with their well-being and workload.
• The pre-school is a family-run setting, where children begin their learning journey. They arrive at 'Tots', where staff build trusting relationships with parents, carers and children. This enables children to develop their independence and confidence. Children are supported by staff to move onto the next place of learning when they are ready to do so.
• Staff identify what children can do before they arrive at the pre-school. They complete regular observations, which inform them of children's interests and any gaps in their skills or knowledge. Staff use this information to plan and provide a varied early years curriculum.
• Staff focus on children gaining confidence in separating from their parents or carers and in their communication and language skills. However, on occasions, the planned activities do not focus well enough on what staff want children to learn, and there are fewer challenges provided for the most able children. Staff use themes throughout the year that help children to gain a good understanding of the world around them.
• All children arrive happy and eager to learn. They are well supported by staff, and there are good levels of engagement throughout the day. Children learn to be kind, share and take turns with their friends. They concentrate for long periods and staff help children to extend their play. Staff teach children how to manage their feelings. They use story books, such as 'The Colour Monster', to help children gain the vocabulary to talk about their different emotions.
• Staff encourage children to gain a love of books. They introduce a wide range of stories for them to enjoy in cosy spaces, such as 'The Snail and the Whale'. Children learn new vocabulary during their play. For example, they talk about the 'orca' whale and other sea life.
• The staff work closely with external professionals who are involved with children, to provide continuity of support for the family. Regular parent/carer meetings keep them informed of their child's progress. Parents and carers comment on how wonderful and nurturing the staff are and that they are grateful for all the support received. They confirm their child's growing confidence, independence and improved speech and language skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the planning of activities to focus more on the key skills that staff want children to learn, and provide further challenge for the most able children.