Layton Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy attending this friendly and welcoming pre-school. Staff are kind, caring and nurturing and greet each child with a smile. This helps children to settle quickly and supports their emotional well-being. Children develop warm and trusting relationships with their key person, who knows them very well. Staff provide an engaging environment. Activities reflect children's individual needs and presumed interests. For example, children engage in activities centred around the book of the week and learn about the seasons. Children happily explore the environment and independently choose what they would like to do.

The manager recognises the continuing impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's personal, social and emotional development and their communication and language skills. Consequently, supporting children in these areas is a focus of the pre-school. Carefully considered activities help children to recognise and respond appropriately to their feelings and emotions. Children are resilient and through the staff's careful teaching, they are growing in confidence.

Staff support children to behave well. Gentle and consistent reminders, such as 'kind hands, good sitting' and 'listening ears,' help children to understand what is expected of them. Staff are good role models for children. They encourage sharing and turn taking and praise children for their kind and thoughtful actions as they play alongside one another.

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

• Overall, children are provided with a broad and balanced curriculum, which builds on what they already know and can do. However, some less experienced staff do not always understand what leaders intend them to teach to children. Occasionally, activities are not matched to children's level of development and are sometimes too challenging.
• The curriculum for communication and language is a real strength in the pre-school. Staff use songs, rhymes and regular conversations to continually build on children's vocabulary. They introduce new words, use repetition and narrate as children play. This helps children to become confident and skilful talkers, including children who speak English as an additional language.
• Children demonstrate impressive physical skills. They skilfully use equipment with remarkable balance and coordination. Children patiently wait for their turn, understanding that they cannot begin to transition across apparatus until their friend before them has finished. Children are learning about risk and how to keep themselves safe.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. The manager, who undertakes the role of special educational needs coordinator, is extremely knowledgeable in this area. A dedicated nurture space provides quieter opportunities for children to participate in learning activities. Robust partnerships with other professionals help to swiftly secure any additional support that children may need. As a result, all children including those with SEND, make good progress in their learning.
• Children's mathematical development is supported well. There are plentiful opportunities for children to count and use mathematical language. For example, during circle time children calculate how many children are here today. They use rulers to measure their feet and debate with their friends who has the biggest or smallest feet. This helps children to develop essential knowledge needed for their future learning.
• Staff support children well to develop their independence and self-care skills. They give children time to try to do things for themselves, such as supporting them to dress for outdoor play. Children learn how to put their coat on and persevere in this challenging task. They concentre intently as they try to fasten zips and buttons. The sensitive interactions from staff encourage children to develop a positive 'can-do' attitude.
• Staff feel well supported in their roles. They benefit from continuous professional dialogues, where ideas to strengthen their practice are shared. Equally, staff are praised for their hard work and commitment. They engage in purposeful professional development opportunities that have a positive impact on outcomes for children.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school and of the caring staff team. They comment that their children enjoy attending and have made progress in their development. Parents value the information, support and advice that is shared.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the knowledge and understanding of those less experienced staff, with regard to the overarching curriculum intent, to enable children to make even better progress
• develop support for staff, so that they have a thorough understanding of sequential learning, to ensure that activities and teaching are consistently stage and age-appropriate.