Knossington and Somerby Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eager to learn at the homely, welcoming environment created by staff. They have strong relationships with all staff and feel safe and secure in their care. Children develop close friendships. They share resources willingly and ask their friends how they are feeling. Children choose from a wide range of resources that staff provide. They practise using their physical skills outdoors and enjoy moving sit-on vehicles with their legs. Children use knowledge that they learn from staff about how to stay safe in their play. They check for any obstacles and wait patiently for their friends to be out the way before riding a car down the sloped path as fast as they can.

Staff praise children and motivate them to try things for themselves. Children wash their hands without support after painting pictures using their hands. They collect and put on their own shoes ready to play outside. Children use their imagination and creativity to create a dinosaur land. Children confidently share their ideas and suggest that the dinosaurs have fleas and what they must do. They listen carefully as staff explain new vocabulary. For example, staff explain that 'evicted' means that the dinosaur must leave. Children giggle as they practise using different voices for each dinosaur. They repeat sentences that they hear staff use, and discuss the kind words and behaviour that dinosaurs should use.

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

• Leaders have developed their knowledge of suitable people since the last inspection. There are now effective processes in place to ensure that all members of the committee and staff working with children remain suitable to do so.
• Staff plan activities based on what interests children and other topics that they want children to learn about, such as autumn. They focus on what children need to learn next, as well as continually supporting communication and language skills.
• Children join in with staff when singing an interactive song about animals at the zoo. They smile and follow the actions. Staff encourage children to tell the group what they think the animals sound like. Staff use a wide range of descriptive words to explain what the animals look like, which children copy.
• Staff observe children during play and identify what they know and can do. Overall, staff use this information to interact well with children and teach them new knowledge and skills in preparation for the next stage of learning, such as starting school. However, on occasions, some staff do not notice when some children need further support to get the most from their chosen play. Therefore, children lose focus after only a short period of time.
• Staff encourage children to take age-appropriate responsibilities. They support children to be 'helping hands' during lunchtime. Children help to cut fruit up and ask their friends what they would like to drink so that they can pour it for them. Staff teach children sentences and good manners to use when responding to each other, including saying 'please' and 'thank you'.
• Children listen to and follow staff's instructions. Staff remind them what the pre-school rules are, such as walking inside. However, at times, some staff do not make it clear to children what is happening and what is expected of them. For example, staff tell children that it is tidy-up time, but do not help all children to understand what this means or what they need to do. Therefore, although some children help to tidy, others start to become upset or continue to play.
• Staff provide experiences for children that help them to understand their local community. They plan daily trips, including to a garden patch where children learn to grow fruit and vegetables. Children develop their hand muscles in preparation for writing, as they dig using small and large tools and plant seeds.
• Leaders monitor staff practice closely and set targets for staff to work towards to help them to develop. They provide all staff a broad range of training opportunities, including learning how best to support children with additional needs. Staff share what they learn with their team at monthly staff meetings, so this is consistent throughout the team. Leaders are passionate about sharing best practice and work closely with other local providers and the local primary school.
• Parents and carers comment that they are 'thrilled' with children's progress and 'love everything about the pre-school'. Staff work closely with parents on all aspects of children's care and development needs. They explain that communication is key, and provide many different ways for parents to give feedback on the pre-school and their child's learning experience.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the consistency and clarity of instructions and boundaries to further support children to know what is expected of them
• help staff to recognise when to provide more support for children who may need it in order to remain focused during play.