Kirkbymoorside Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and are welcomed by the friendly, warm, familiar staff. They register themselves into the pre-school, using their individual photographs. This helps to develop a sense of belonging. Children are familiar with the routine and happily sing a welcome song as they greet their friends. Staff are nurturing and caring. They recognise when children need a cuddle and reassurance. This helps children feel safe and secure in the pre-school. Children behave well. They listen and respond positively to staff's gentle reminders to be kind to others and take care of the resources.

Toddlers giggle as they explore paint with their hands, forks and potatoes. Older children look at photographs of themselves and their friends and talk about similarities and differences. Children experience interest and fascination when they spot a spider web in the outdoor area. Staff extend children's understanding of how spiders build their webs. Furthermore, staff describe how the web has caught 'droplets' of rain. This helps to develop children's vocabulary and understanding of the world around them. Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy regular outdoor play. They develop their physical skills as they work together to collect water and make puddles on the ground. Children squeal with delight as they jump and splash in the muddy puddles that they have created.

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

• Staff provide a range of opportunities for children to be active, both inside and outdoors. For instance, children run, climb and balance on tyres in the well-resourced garden. Staff work with parents to ensure children's packed lunches are healthy and well balanced. They provide information to parents about supporting children's good dental hygiene. This helps to give consistent messages to children that support healthy lifestyles.
• Partnerships with parents are good. They are involved and informed about their children's learning. Staff provide information about the activities children carry out during the day. They have developed a lending library to support children's early literacy skills at home. Parents are very complimentary about the pre-school and comment that staff are very supportive of children's individual needs.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. The manager continues to undertake specific training to support children even further. There are good partnerships with other professionals, such as speech and language and Portage. Swift referrals are made to ensure children receive additional support and guidance. Staff tailor individual learning plans to ensure children make the best possible progress.
• The manager is a good support for her staff team. She works alongside them and is confident in observing practice and is able to identify areas to further improve teaching. However, the manager recognises supervision meetings could be developed further, to include specific targets, to raise the quality of practice to an even higher level.
• Children have access to a balanced and broad curriculum. Staff provide children with a range of exciting and interesting learning opportunities. However, staff do not yet gather vital development information from parents about what their children can do when they first start at the pre-school. This means that they cannot always plan effectively for children's learning from the very beginning.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff are fully aware of how to help children to manage and learn about their own feelings and behaviour. Children discuss what makes them happy. Staff teach children to value and respect each other's differences. Staff are good role models and provide support and guidance. For instance, staff explain the importance of walking indoors. This helps children to understand what is expected of them.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They play alongside children in the role-play area, asking age-appropriate questions. Children eagerly explain that they are making 'coffee and orange juice'. Children enjoy singing familiar songs and rhymes and listening to their favourite stories. Children's listening and speaking skills are developing well.
• Children's independence skills are developing well. Staff encourage even the youngest children to wash their hands and to put on their wellies and coats independently. This helps to develop children's self-care skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further the use of supervision sessions to identify any training or support staff require to help raise their overall performance to the highest level
• gather vital information from parents about what children can already do when they first start at the setting, to plan effectively for children's learning from the very beginning.