Long Itchington Pre-School And Out School Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the setting with confidence and are greeted warmly by staff. They are familiar with routines of the day, and on entry they register their attendance by finding the card that shows their name and photograph. They then place it in their key group on the noticeboard. Children show confidence when moving between experiences. They develop secure and positive relationships with staff and go to them for help and reassurance.

Children show that they feel safe in the setting. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are competent in transporting resources to different areas of the room to extend their play. For example, children bring authentic items, such as china plates, from the home corner to the dough table to display their cakes. Staff have high expectations of children, and the curriculum reflects careful planning to ensure all children make good progress.

Children demonstrate good independence skills. For example, they store their lunch boxes and water bottles, and remove and hang up their coats on arrival at the setting. Children can choose when they want to access the snack station, which is facilitated by a member of staff who encourages social interaction and conversation. Children spend time every day outside in the large outdoor play space. There are many opportunities on offer, including fixed climbing equipment and growing areas. Children also regularly visit a wooded area on the school site, where they take part in a range of adult-guided activities.

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

• The leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the pre-school and set high expectations for staff. Leaders have a good knowledge of child development and they are positive role models for staff. Staff feel well supported, and communication within the team is extremely effective.
• Communication and language development is developed during group time, including listening skills. Children sing a 'hello and a welcome' song and staff interact well with them. A staff member confidently leads the session and other staff members sit on the carpet with the children. However, some children do not remain focused and engaged during this time and they struggle to understand the conversation about the month and the date.
• Staff use their knowledge of the children effectively to plan for their learning and well-being. For example, a new child enjoys playing with the sand, and staff set up a large tray containing sand and vehicles to support separation from the child's parent on arrival.
• Staff use resources well. There are clearly defined areas within the room including a calm corner, a dark den, a home corner with some authentic kitchen equipment, and a creative workspace. Children demonstrate confidence in moving freely between the activities on offer.
• The outdoor space is secure and offers a range of experiences to children, including mark making, small-world play, climbing and role play. There is space for children to plant and grow plants and also a calm area that staff are developing.
• Staff use children's interests and the seasons to support their learning. For example, children develop their handling skills as they play with buckets of water and paintbrushes to clean off chalk frost patterns that were drawn onto the playhouse by staff. They move freely between different areas, using the brushes and water to make marks on many play surfaces and on the ground.
• Children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning and communicate well with staff. However, staff do not always model the correct pronunciation back to children if they say things incorrectly, for example when children miss the sounds off the ends of their words.
• Children demonstrate good levels of personal, social and emotional development. They communicate confidently with visitors by sharing the play dough cakes they are making, and they talk about the size of the cakes and the decorations they are using.
• Parents talk positively about the setting and feel confident that their children are safe and well cared for. They comment that staff are approachable and listen carefully to the needs and wishes of parents. They feel that staff know their children well and share information effectively.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that all staff are repeating the correct pronunciation of words back to children so that they hear words modelled correctly and in context
• reduce the time that children spend on the carpet at group time and ensure that group activities reflect children's level of understanding.